Best Tent Camping near Cheyenne, WY

This was my first time staying at a KOA campground and I was blown away by the amenities offered here. Upon first pulling up to the campground, I was met by a security checkpoint and was directed to the main office to register and obtain a car pass. The attention to detail and security measures were another surprise to me, as I have always been more accustomed to primitive campgrounds. As previously mentioned, I was astounded by the variety of amenities offered to guests including wifi, a pool, mini golf, a massive playground, arcade, volleyball and basketball courts, horseshoe pits and more. This all in addition to the usual premium campground amenities such as showers, laundry facilities, RV dump station, camp sinks, an office store with basic goods and snacks, etc. 

This campground is super family friendly and seems to be much more focused on offering RV sites and cabin type lodging. As I am a tent camper, my review will be focused on what is offered for those at a tent site. There are 5 tent sites, which are only available from May 1stto September 30th. The sites are rather close together but in a lovely location right along the lake. The sites cost $45/night on week days and $50/night on weekends for one or two people with a single vehicle, additional guests cost $10/night, additional car $5/night and fire ring rentals are $5/night. Tent sites include a parking spot, a raised and level tent platform, picnic table and grill. Open fires, hammocks and clotheslines are not allowed even at the tent sites. 

Overall, this campground provides a very family oriented environment with luxurious amenities. This campground would be a great option for those wanting a camping experience without having to “rough it” whatsoever. The RV sites and cabin lodging also provide unique options for those not wanting to sleep in a tent. The price for tent camping seemed a bit steep for me, but made sense considering all of the facilities offered. The location just outside of Fort Collins provides easy access to town while still allowing for a more rural experience.

Beautiful rolling hills along the water with tons of hiking trails. Boating and fishing is a major attraction but not one we didn’t have a boat. There are many different camping areas along two reservoirs. They are all pretty similar in terms of views and amenities, as far as we could tell. You can drive up to all of the options. Great stargazing and wildlife (pronghorns!) and not far from Cheyenne. Mostly locals here so if you talk with your neighbors you can get some great insider tips.

We went into the office and asked if there was tent site available and they said."Yes!" We got a nice tent site in the corner of the park. We were close to the showers and bathroom. There are laundry facilities and free wifi. It was a little spendy, but worth it.

Curt Gowdy State Park, Cheyenne Wyoming 

Located between Laramie and Cheyenne, about 25 miles to each. We stayed at the Tumbleweed Campground. If you enjoy stargazing,  you'll be amazed. There are no campground lights to interfere and campers keep lights to a minimum. We had a cloudless clear sky to enjoy the heavens. One of the most awesome night skys I've seen. Would love to be here for meteor showers! 

This area has electric and water. The sites are gravel and mostly level. Each site is totally separate with great views of the reservoir. There's a nice picnic table and firepit. Vault toilets. Really nice tiled showers (takes quarters) and flush toilets are available 24/7 at the Visitor Center up the road. Boondock and tent campgrounds also available.  Staff super friendly. Camp store has the basics. Nice mountain bike and hiking trails. Popular intermediate hike to waterfall, 4 miles rounddtrip. Fishing, picnicking, kids play areas. 

Nice site. Reasonably clean and flat. Electrical hookup didn't work, but I was tent camping so I didn't mind. Water was great and easily accessible.

Called 10/15 to inquire about rates, but they do not have any tent sites, only RV sites

We stayed in the last tent site in the back of the property. It was close to the showers, restrooms, and laundry room. This was very quiet and peaceful. The RVs didn't run the generators so it was great! The camp hosts were very friendly and helpful. We went to the BBQ restaurant in the front of the building and had the best BBQ in Wyoming!

Some of us still prefer to rustic camp in a tent with no amenities; listen to the sound of birds, wind, silence, to feel the night wrap around you when you sleep. Your mobile homes are too big for the rustic lake sites! You’re generators are ridiculous and loud. Take that to the RV site. This one camper was so big that it took up half the one way road, now people tear up the nice grass to get around a RV that was never meant to camp in these sites when the camp sites were built. Serious.

Second time staying here. Tent camping and a rooftop tent. We stayed on the north causeway. We had the peninsula spot which was the best spot in that area. Beautiful lake and wildlife. Wish I had fishing gear with me. The staff keep this park clean. Thank you to them! Will be back.

We needed a stop on the way out of Colorado and grabbed a quick night here in a tent site. Water was off for weather but stoves made much needed coffee in the cold.

Clean facilities, friendly hosts, and lots of amenities and activities right there at the campground. We were allowed to trade two nights of tent camping for one night in a cabin to try to avoid a storm.

Cabins have a porch swing, private table, parking, and a partial privacy fence. Putt putt, croquet, birdwatching, rock painting, volleyball, basketball, large yard games, and more!

I showed up late was still able to get a reservation by the water. I was able to get firewood at the camp store, and they had a lot of other things for sale. camped right in the water, it was beautiful! If I had to say anything bad it would be that for a tent site there wasn’t any grassy area to put my tent, most every spot had a lot of gravel which was unfortunate. other than that it was great!

State parks were full so we stopped over in Laramie. Originally planned on a tent site but once we saw how open the tent space was, we decided to grab a dog friendly cabin instead. It was cozy with air conditioning and a mini fridge. Kind of a weird location between a neighborhood and hotels.. but it did the trick. Nice community fire pit for us to relax next to in the evening. Staff were friendly and helpful and bathrooms were clean.

Our family tent camped one night, but we wished we would have stayed longer. Sites and restrooms are well maintained by friendly staff. This campground can fill up very quickly (we learned the hard way) and when full, sites are close together. At less busy times, more secluded and more open sites are available. The trails , both hiking and biking, are rugged enough for a thrill, but can be tame enough for kiddos. We have visited this campground twice on our travels west, and are sure to visit again!

The dyrt has some old info on their overview page, there are no reservations - it is first come first serve, there is no water hookups, but there are several water spickets that are available when the water quality meets standards for drinking water - sometimes water is not available (check USDA Vadauwoo Camprround site for up to date info).

The sites are a combination of back-in, pull-offs, and walk into tent camping sites. All afford amazing views of the unique rock formations and easy access to hiking, climbing and repelling sites within the area.

What a great campground. Very rustic with each site having its own fore ring and table. There were plenty of flat areas for trailers but I would argue that all sites are perfect for tent camping. It appears to be a great place for those who are into mountain biking as I felt I was the odd man out since nearly everyone had one and was riding.  I really enjoyed the peace and quiet and view of the stars!

I would most certainly visit this campground again. Close to the I-80 which makes it convenient.

This was just an overnight stop, we were placed upon a hill top in the open right next to a reservable picnic shelter.  The wind wind was brutal, but it was a pretty view.  The amenities at the park are quite good, the visitor center was very nice and the showers and bathrooms were clean and very well maintained.  Since we were only doing an overnight I cannot comment overall on the park.  We did see some very very nice tent sites and trailer sites.  Its a water sports kind of park but in early may the weather was rather cold and the wind as I said was brutal.

We came at the tail end of January to test out our new Airstream. It was very nice and secluded but REALLY windy. Not drop dead gorgeous but a great scene to stay at for a day or two. Wind was fine in the trailer but would be awful to tent camp this time of year. View is very nice and it’s really quiet. We were the only ones that we could see here. Cell service was spotty but still was pretty good. Spaces were clearly visible from the road and were very spacious to park. Roads were a bit bumpy coming in but definitely easy to get through. Would love to come back here in the summer. Picnic area/trailhead looked to be very well maintained.