Best Dispersed Camping near Bighorn National Forest

We ventured out here in our 26’ bumper pull camper for the night of 6/19. Several trailers and campers looked like they had been posted up there for a while. 

Pros:

-Lots of pull off spots accessible for car camping and very small campers

-Beautiful wildflowers at this time of year-remote and peaceful!

-main dirt was mostly manageable with our camper, some potholes and mud though 

Cons:-

very rainy, hence lots of mud, when we went

-most of the campsites seemed to be washed out right now and unaccessible with our camper

-no accessible turnarounds with the camper until Circle Pond Campground at the end of the road

-bugs were really bad

-no Verizon cell signal

-single lane dirt road just had a couple sporadic pull offs to allow for passing vehicles from other direction

Turn onto Circle Park Road and the dispersed camping spots start about a half-mile down an easy dirt road. The road is about 3 miles long and ends at either a campground or a trailhead parking area depending on which way you go. The campground is paid, but the entire access road (Circle Park) is dispersed. Multiple off-shoots of various dirt roads, most accessible with 2wd, some requiring more.

About a mile from the entrance is where the "established" dispersed sites start, you'll easily tell by the gate entrance. It was open, but does appear to close occasionally. The first fork you come to you can go left which will require 4wd, or you can continue right on the road. About another mile or so you'll reach the second fork. If you go right the dispersed camping ends and the entrance to the campground begins. If you go left it ends at a trailhead, but has some great dispersed spots before that. No matter what vehicle you drive there are multiple spots for you to enjoy.

A decent amount of traffic due to the campground, I saw about a dozen vehicles an hour on average until the sun set. Cell phone reception is hit-or-miss depending on your location and carrier, Verizon had 0-1 bar of 4g where I stayed. There is water available at the campground if you absolutely need it, though I would slip a couple dollars in the self-pay box as a thanks if you do use it.

Lots of awesome established and rough trails depending on what you're looking for. Lots of birds, and there's a couple of fox families living in the rock formations.

It can be a bit noisy depending on where you stay, but the mountain views during sunset are absolutely stunning. I wouldn't hesitate to stay here again.

The breathtaking Bighorn Mountains at 9000 ft elevation, good for rigs of all sizes but be advised you may want to scout the road the further you get into the camping area as it can be a bit rough (with water crossing at one point).  

We overview the camping options as well as the amenities available in the area in our video review! 

https://youtu.be/ztjOGUjNkfo

Useful Information: Location: Canyon Creek Dispersed, Ten Sleep, Wyoming 

GPS Coordinates(Canyon Creek Dispersed): 44.160758,-107.128481 

Maximum Stay: 14 Days 

Dump/Water(Cenex): https://maps.app.goo.gl/b44MFQ4ne9h3DpE2A 

Leigh Creek Dump/Water: https://maps.app.goo.gl/SfJmMrKekzLyTKFNA

The specific location given is about 4.5 miles in from hwy 16, and there are numerous areas to set up your camper on the way in. The farther you go, the more private it is. The dirt roads are well maintained, but still a fair amount of rock, so slower speeds are safer. The entire Bighorn NF area is saturated with dispersed camping.

The limit is 2 weeks, and Ranger request that you move about 5 miles, if you want to stay longer. There are locals who come to ride their dirt bikes and ATV's in the area, more so on the weekends, but has not been too much of a nuisance. There is plenty of deadwood in the areas to gather as firewood, and Canyon Creek has a brisk stream of water flowing. Satellite images show it dry.

Elevation of this area is about 9500', so temps are cool and comfortable even in August.

Very dark and clear night sky is great for star gazing. And there is a park dump/fresh water station a very short distance away. Not sure about other cell services, but Zero T-mobile signal, but I had just purchased the Starlink system before heading this way and I'm getting high-speed internet and Wi-Fi calling, in the middle of nowhere! This is my favorite boondocking area so far. Note, this area is suitable for most Big Rigs

This is a one of those secret locations that you look for, the one you don't want to give away but show all your friends pictures of it. If this was a fishing spot you wouldn't tell other anglers about it. If it was a special hunting location you would keep your lips sealed.

Crazy woman canyon gets it's name from a few different legends, but that's not the point of this gem. The tranquility, peace, towering canyon walls that make you feel so small, the freedom of the outdoors and back country quietness, that's what this place should be known for.

We saw wildlife, we relaxed with the sound of the river, this was an unforgettable experience.

Keep in mind there are no facilities here, no toilets, no potable water, no showers, you need to pack in and pack out. This is true back-country camping. The roads are narrow and traffic goes both ways, we had to pass another truck and were just inches from the edge with rushing water below. But this is Wyoming, this is the wild west, one of the great frontiers of the American expansion.

Come here, it's worth it.