Camping spots near Cowley, Wyoming range from bare-bones dispersed sites to small, family-friendly established campgrounds across an elevation range of 3,700-5,000 feet. The region's high desert landscape experiences temperature swings of 30-40°F between day and night, even in summer months. Most camping areas open from late April through October, though accessibility depends on weather conditions.
What to do
Wildlife viewing at Devil Canyon Lookout: Located near Horseshoe Bend Campground, visitors can spot bighorn sheep in the surrounding area. "We spent a long time talking with the host who had great ideas about taking the canyon boat ride, checking out Devils Canyon, or looking for bighorn sheep and Pryor Mountain wild horses (both of which I saw!)," reports one camper.
Astronomy and stargazing: The area offers exceptional dark sky viewing, particularly at Cody BLM Dispersed sites where light pollution is minimal. "Sky is huge with very little light pollution. You can see the Milky Way clearly on moonless nights," notes one camper. Another visitor mentions, "It was very quiet at night. There is a highway to the north, but the hills block most of the noise."
Waterfall hiking: Five Springs Falls offers a short 0.5-mile hike from the campground to a scenic waterfall. "The waterfall is a short .5 mile hike above the campground. Beautiful sunset vistas," states a camper at Five Springs Falls Campground.
What campers like
Privacy and solitude: The Barry's Landing & Trail Creek Campground provides secluded sites in a valley setting. "This campsite is tucked away in a valley, humidity is usually low so u can beat the summer heat by staying in the shade. Very quite. Not many people visit this place," explains one visitor.
Free camping with amenities: Several campers appreciate the unusual value of Lovell Camper Park. "It's hard to believe that a town creates a free campground for anybody to use. This is well laid out with RV and tent sites. Water, restrooms and showers are all available. There is a donation box for people to offer their own fair value price," shares one visitor.
Bear boxes and safety features: Sites at Trail Creek/Barry's Landing include important safety amenities. "Each site has a fire ring, picnic table, utility post and bear-box," notes a camper, making food storage safer in this bear country.
What you should know
Limited shade: Most camping areas near Cowley feature minimal natural shade. "This is a great campground if you're going to be out on the lake or hitting the off-road trails. It's literally a campground in the desert though there are some great views in the surrounding areas. The campground itself is nice if you don't mind that there aren't any trees," explains a visitor to Horseshoe Bend Campground.
Road access challenges: Some campgrounds have difficult approach roads. At Five Springs Falls, "The big drawback for some will be the very narrow, extremely switchbacked and steep road up to the campground (no guardrails). It really is fine for a car or truck and a short little camper, but a sign says no vehicles over 24' and I wouldn't want to do it with anything close to that!"
Wildlife encounters: Campers should prepare for wildlife, including potentially problematic encounters. "We have found scorpions, however, so always be aware of your surroundings!" warns a camper at Horseshoe Bend.
Tips for camping with families
Waterside activities: Deaver Reservoir offers swimming and water recreation options. "Very easy to find and probably 20 to 25 Camping spots. Some hold rigs up to 35 ft. Dual vault toilet, metal fire pits dispersed. Garbage cans available and picnic tables," notes a visitor.
Wind protection strategies: Several campgrounds experience strong winds that can be challenging with children. "The second night was incredibly windy so we couldn't have a fire and had to park our truck in front of our tent to block the wind. But we still had a blast," shares a camper at Horseshoe Bend.
Clean restrooms: Families appreciate the maintained facilities at Lovell Camper Park. "The park is nestled between a local play park and a ballpark and residential homes. Has restroom, shower and you can fill water jugs," reports a visitor.
Tips from RVers
Site size considerations: At Billings Village RV Park, spaces can be limiting. "This is a no-frills spot to spend a night, but wouldn't want to stay longer. Sites are tightly-spaced without so much as a place for more than one camper to park while checking in," warns one RVer.
Electric hookup locations: RVers should check power connection placement. "Only hiccup was how low to the ground the electric was - we had to bend the cord to connect," notes a Billings Village visitor.
Dump station locations: Several campgrounds lack sanitary dumps, so plan accordingly. "There is a water fill and dump station on the road before the turn off of the campground. The potable water has a nozzle on it and you can not hook a hose to it. However the sites with water have a normal garden hose spigot," explains a camper at Horseshoe Bend.
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