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Best Tent Camping near Cowley, WY

244 Reviews

Tent campgrounds near Cowley, Wyoming provide primitive camping options within proximity to the Bighorn Mountains and Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area. Big Horn NRC Dispersed SR offers free camping with both drive-in and boat-in access for tent campers seeking minimal amenities. The Big Quiet Farm Stay & Campground provides designated walk-in tent sites among their 30 available campsites, though this is not a free option.

Most tent sites in the Cowley area lack basic services, with limited or no access to drinking water, toilets, or trash facilities. Big Horn NRC permits campfires and allows pets but does not provide water or sanitation facilities, requiring campers to pack in all necessary supplies and pack out all waste. While some campgrounds like Big Quiet Farm Stay offer amenities including drinking water, showers, toilets, and trash disposal, most dispersed camping areas follow primitive protocols with no services available. Campers should prepare for self-sufficient tent camping, especially at boat-in locations or remote trailhead sites.

Tent campers in this region gain access to spectacular views and waterfront camping opportunities. The Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area includes boat-in tent campgrounds that provide unique perspectives of the canyon landscape, though campers should note these sites cannot be reached by road. The Afterbay campground offers access to nearby hiking trails with mountain and lake vistas. A camper described Big Horn NRC as offering "amazing views" with waterfront tent camping options. Black Canyon Campground requires boat access only, as one review cautioned: "Beware - Boat in only. There is no road access to any of the campgrounds located inside the canyon."

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Best Tent Sites Near Cowley, Wyoming (12)

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Recent Tent Camping Photos near Cowley, WY

24 Photos of 12 Cowley Campgrounds

Tent Camping Reviews near Cowley, WY

244 Reviews of 12 Cowley Campgrounds

  • NThe Dyrt PRO User
    Oct. 28, 2021

    Parkside Campground

    Beautiful High

    Open:  Early May - Late Sep

    Fee area:  $19.25 extra vehicle $9.50

    Limit:  16 days

    Sites 28 with a camp host

    Reservations:  877-444-6777 or recreation.gov

    FCFS 20% of sites

    Amenities:  pit toilets, water, bear boxes, fire ring, picnic table, firewood for sale, trash

    Sites 10 and 12 are good for solar.  Sites are paved

    This campground has a wonderful creek running through it.  Well wooded with mature every green and leafed shade trees.  Sites have privacy and the backdrop of the surrounding mountains is amazing.

  • NThe Dyrt PRO User
    Dec. 31, 2021

    Porcupine Campground (WY)

    Primitive High

    Fee:  $17.00 per night, additional vehicle $9.00

    Sites:  16 Accessible with 12 sites reserve 2 tent only

    Limit 14 days

    In Season: trash and water

    Out of Season:  No water or trash

    Open:  June

    Beautiful pine forest at the top of the mountain on a gravel road.  Camphost  is located at the Bald Mountain Campground.  Sites are small with picnic table, fire ring, back in sites.  Some sites are good for solar and some are shady.  The countryside and mountain back drop is beautiful.  Very peaceful.

    LNT

    BTYFI

    Travel safe

  • NThe Dyrt PRO User
    Dec. 31, 2021

    Bald Mountain Campground

    Beautiful High

    Limit:  14 days

    June 1 - October 1

    Sites:  15 single accessible 

    Fee:  $17.00 per night, additional vehicle fee $9.00

    Reservations:  877-444-6777 or recreation.gov

    In season there is potable water, trash service, out of season NO water, NO trash.  Pack it in Pack it out, Host on site.  Picnic table, fire ring, lantern post, ped grill, pit toilets.  The views are amazing with the beautiful mountains for the back drop.  Sites are dirt and short and close together.  Some shade and some sun.  There is even a place to off load 4 wheeler out of back of truck without ramps.

    LNT

    BTYFI

    Travel safe

  • James D.
    Sep. 29, 2016

    Basin Campground

    Fun camping, kayaking and fishing!

    My wife and I were able to stay here for 3 nights. The grounds feature vault toilets, campfire rings, food storage lockers, and even a hand pump for water. There is someone who sells firewood at the camp which makes things easy on everyone. The tent site was level and large. There are some good hiking trails but they are open to mountain bikers so heads up! They may get pretty muddy. The kayaking was peaceful. I didn't catch much fishing but that's my fault not the campsites! We were on the Wild Bill Lake.

  • Tonya Y.
    Jun. 19, 2017

    Basin Campground

    Beautiful, Clean, Quiet and Natural Environment

    We came into this campground on a Wednesday and picked the best of three open sites. There were a lot of reserved sites, but they were mostly coming in on Friday.

    The site was beautiful and very close to the river (the sound was great). The vault toilets were very clean. The water was available through a easy to use hand pump. The camp hosts had firewood for $5.00 per bundle.

    We were tent camping and the site had a large pad, a place for my hammock, a nice wooden picnic table, and a GREAT fire ring. The sites were all very far apart from each other.

  • Jennifer K.The Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 19, 2025

    Horseshoe Bend Campground — Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area

    Beautiful area but people are loud

    This campground has really gorgeous scenery. The picnic tables, fire pits and sun/wind shades are all newer and well kept. Clearly states bear area and to keep all foods properly contained. However as far as I've seen there are only bear boxes in the picnic area by the marina and there's really no trees around. You would have to use a bear safe container or the sun/wind shades to hang your food if your in a tent but not all sites have them. A lot of sites have water and electric in loops A and B. 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. My only complaint would be the people are inconsiderate and quite loud all day and there's not many people here. It's not even half full but some are clearly quite drunk most of the day. There's a family that pulled in and set up right around 10 pm right next to us. Banging and screaming about for over an hour. Our neighbors just let their dog run loose. Ive found discarded fish carcasses that someone had filleted and just tossed behind a bush. Also a lot of trash all over the place. The first site in loop A is marked as the host...I've never seen them so clearly they dont care. So as long as you dont want peace and quiet then this place is fine. I cant imagine what it's like when it's mostly full on the weekend. We really wanted to see the canyon though so we opted to stay here for the night on the way to Custer national forest.

  • Annie C.The Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 1, 2019

    Prune Creek

    Busy campground

    I got lucky here and scored site #18 which was very private and at the end of a lollipop loop. While this site is further away from the creek and closer to the road, it was still quieter than sites on the creek(which were all taken anyway). There is a little trickle of a creek nearby that did a nice job of drowning out the road noise in the evening. There was a nice little trail that went up the hill and overlooked the bigger Prune Creek and all of the people floating and tubing down the creek. If you want a site on the creek, the best ones seemed to be#6-9. My site had the usual picnic table and fire pit, and nice hammock trees. I did find it interesting that while the dumpsters were bear proofed, there were no bear boxes at every campsite. There were two bear boxes and both were next to the water pumps. The vault toilets were not especially clean, most likely due to the heavy use by creek floaters and tubers. While walking down to the creek I noticed that there was some dedicated parking for fishermen, which I guess means that there may be some people in the campground that are not camping.

  • NThe Dyrt PRO User
    Oct. 28, 2021

    Greenough Lake

    Quite Fetching

    Fee:  $19.95 additional vehicle $9.00

    2 accessible sites

    Reservations:  877-444-6777 or recreation.gov

    Camp host is at Parkside

    trash, pit toilets, picnic table, fire ring, paved sites, bear box, hand pump water

    This is a beautiful campground and some great hiking or fishing.  All sites are within ear shot of the creek and with the peace of the forest and the songs of the creek you have found peace.  The towering peaks of the Beartooth range is beautiful.  

    Bear Aware please

    LNT

    BTWYFT

    Travel safe

Guide to Cowley

Cowley, Wyoming, offers a variety of tent camping options that allow outdoor enthusiasts to immerse themselves in nature while enjoying stunning landscapes and recreational activities.

Tent campers appreciate these amenities

  • The Big Horn NRC Dispersed SR is a free camping spot where you can enjoy campfires and bring your pets along, although it lacks drinking water and electric hookups.
  • At the Big Quiet Farm Stay & Campground, campers can enjoy amenities like drinking water, showers, and picnic tables, making it a comfortable choice for families.
  • The Greybull KOA Holiday features a heated pool and various accommodations, including tent sites, ensuring a pleasant stay with plenty of activities.

Explore local attractions

  • The Bucking Mule Falls Trailhead provides access to breathtaking hiking trails, perfect for those looking to explore the natural beauty of the Bighorn National Forest.
  • Nearby, the Afterbay campground offers stunning views and is close to several hiking trails, making it an ideal spot for outdoor adventures.
  • The Hogan and Luce Campground is located in a scenic area, providing a peaceful retreat for those wanting to escape the hustle and bustle.

Tent campers should check out unique features

  • The Medicine Creek Campground is situated within the Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area, offering a serene environment for tent camping, though it has limited amenities.
  • Campers at the Black Canyon Campground can enjoy year-round access to the beautiful Bighorn Canyon, although it's important to note that it's boat-in only.
  • The Little Bighorn West Trailhead provides a great starting point for hiking enthusiasts looking to explore the surrounding wilderness.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular tent campsite near Cowley, WY?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Cowley, WY is Big Horn NRC Dispersed SR with a 5-star rating from 1 review.

What is the best site to find tent camping near Cowley, WY?

TheDyrt.com has all 12 tent camping locations near Cowley, WY, with real photos and reviews from campers.

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