If you're looking for a place to dispersed camp near Granite Canon, look no further. Dispersed camping means that no facilities or amenities are provided, so that you can truly disconnect and get back to nature. Find dispersed campsites you've visited before, or discover new spots from other campers.
This walk-in dispersed campground provides access to biking, hiking and fishing.
Comanche Peak Wilderness, named for its prominent 12,702 foot peak, was added to the National Wilderness Preservation System by the United States Congress in 1980. Elevations within the Comanche Peak Wilderness range from 8,000 to 12,702 feet.
Located within the Roosevelt National Forest, this 66,791 acre wilderness area features lodgepole pine, ponderosa pine and spruce-fir forests below expanses of alpine tundra. Many scenic trails provide access to the area that borders the north and east sides of Rocky Mountain National Park.
Camping and campfires are prohibited within 200’ feet (or more if posted) of all lakes, streams and trails to protect water quality, sensitive vegetation and to help assure solitude. Thin soils and mountain vegetation are easily damaged by fire and fires scar rocks and soil. Use a stove, a fire pan or an existing fire ring when and where fires are allowed.
Setting up your own campsite away from developed fee sites, also known as dispersed camping, is allowed on most of the national forests. From getting away from it all to just enjoying a weekend with friends, dispersed camping can make for a great story. Across the forests, opportunities range from dispersed camping miles into wilderness or just off a forest road in designated dispersed areas. Make sure to bring everything you need when dispersed camping, as water, restrooms, and fire rings may not be available nearby, and always remember to follow Leave No Trace principles.
Use the links below to explore the wide range of dispersed opportunities the forests and grasslands have to offer. For comprehensive information on dispersed camping opportunities, please contact the ranger district office in the area you plan to visit.
Guide
Came upon Vedauwoo while road tripping from Denver, CO to Yellowstone National Park. Free dispersed camping with easy dirt road access for any size RV.
No worries about RV size. All camp sites located on roads which loop back to main road. So no need to stress about dead ending and attempting a turn around.
Must camp in designated areas.
Even if you don’t plan to spend the night, it is well worth the beauty to pull off and relax or picnic for the afternoon.
I’ve been everywhere and this place was BREATHTAKING! Rock formations like I have never seen. I can see why those mountains are steeped in Native legend of spiritual inhabitants.
Spots fill up fast in the summer months. Trails, rock climbing, fishing, horseback riding and wildlife. Sites are first come first serve.
But no running water, restroom or hook ups.
Tent or RV spots.
LegendPlaces to explore galore! You can climb, mountain bike. hike, fish, and ATV in some areas.
All of the free dispersed camping sites are along Vedauwoo Road that leads to Happy Jack Road from I-80. The exit to Vedauwoo State Park is right off I-80 and only 17 miles west of Laramie WY. The Vedauwoo Road itself was a bit wash-boarded, but freshly laid with crushed granite. There are a few spur roads that allow camping. The map in the attached photo shows the area pretty well. There are no amenities here. A rock fire ring and a numbered post will show you where camping is permitted. The camp areas are spaced very far apart. You are near the road, but no other campers. You need to pack out everything you bring in. I had a very nice time here. The next evening I did go into the established campground. Please see my ranger review for Vedauwoo Campground. (includes a review of the ICEMULE cooler seen in some photos!)
Activities in the area include: mountain biking, rock climbing, hiking, horseback riding, ATV's, and fishing. Nearby, continue on Vedauwoo Road until it meets Happy Jack (paved) take a right and you will encounter Curt Gowdy State park where you can rent paddling equipment or boat and tour 2 of the lakes in the State Park. It is beautiful there and they do have a couple campgrounds on the waterfront.
ScoutIt was pretty rough driving in, there were so many “private” lands even when you hit the national forest. The dispersed camping we found had 3 sites stacked on top of each other. Went a little further up the road and did find much else except more houses. It’s right next to a hiking trail which is great on cold afternoons. Stars were beautiful too very little light pollution.
Guide
Road stretches for quite a ways into the national forest with lots of pull off camping spots many that are hidden Forrest gems as well. It makes you feel as if the camping area is very remote and far from people. I have camped a couple spots along this road both with creepy vibes at nighttime especially late at night when the wildlife is much more active. Overall hiking to the peaks of mountains to get the views is great and stargazing at 2am is absolutely stunning.
Legend
We found a set of campsites specifically on the forest road 705F, near the Hidden Valley picnic area. The sites are free, as they are primitive set-up with only a fire pit. Although there are not facilities immediately there, if you finding camping in this area you are close by to a bathroom at Summit Trailhead and potable water at either Hidden Valley or the Abraham Lincoln rest area. We found a whole list of forest roads that allow dispersed camping 100 feet off-road: https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprd3841999.pdf
Traveler
Great area w/ views & peace! Sites were spacious. Definitely check out your campsite before you decide on it. Ours had so much broken glass that we had to pick up the whole time and trash bags (full of gross things) scattered in the trees. If you’re going to camp & especially go to dispersed camping areas, make sure to leave no trace and pack in, pack out people!!!
GuideThe whole area is dispersed camping as soon as you turn off of County Road 73C onto FR235. The ponds up the road from the main lake are full from lots of recent rain but all the campsites are still available. Most camp sites filled up for the weekend but we got there about 6pm on Friday evening and found a good site overlooking the big unnamed pond 1/2 mile up from Lost Lake.
Scout
This area is in National Forest so it is free and there are no “designated” spots but there are lots of spots where people have made fire pits. Beautiful views and you don’t need 4x4.
GuideJust past the campground is dispersed primitive camping 🏕️. All sites are well established. There was a 🔥 ban so no campfires. Good hiking and rock climbing
Guide
Stayed 5 days here (stat limit 16 days). Close to Summit Rest Area (potable water March-October, flush toilets), Laramie for restocks, and the Vedauwoo Recreation Area. So much free camping here, only downsides are wind, & road noise. Absolutely beautiful views of the valley. Would stay again 100%
Traveler
Was very easy to find a spot on a busy Saturday. Just pull out onto one of the dirt roads and there are fire pits. Real dispersed camping.
Guidehad to drive pretty far on some dirt roads to get to the location maps took us too. also checked to see if there was service before going and said we would on verizon but not exactly true. there was some service at the sight we stayed at, 1 bar, but most of the road/sights there was nothing. not that odd for dispersed camping but just something to note.
we only saw one car drive in while we were there and saw a set up not too far from where we stayed but besides that didn’t hear or see anyone. very beautiful area and saw lots of deer on the drive in and drive out.
very good experience if you’re used to dispersed camping or being far from anyone else.
Scout
Tons of dispersed camping along the road, but it can be busy. Wildlife is abundant with tons of deer and moose in the area. Topography is Aspen wetlands and is beautiful. The road is a county dirt road but it is very well maintained and fairly wide.
GuideBeautiful area. There are a lot dispersed camping sites, you just need to get there early enough. You need to find a spot with a defined access road to it and a built fire ring. Generator use is allowed. Camp fires are allowed as well as long as the wind allows it.
GuideWe foolishly thought we might find a dispersed spot at Vedauwoo in mid-July and were disappointed, but not really surprised. We had another pin dropped on our map for the dry camping at Government Gully Rd and headed there in the late afternoon.
The road in is pretty good, our low slung front wheel drive Travato made it easily, although there is a bit of a short, steep hill to climb if you can't find a spot in the lower area.
During our visit, the lower area could probably have supported one or two more rigs, but it would start getting a bit crowded at that point. We headed up the hill and found a great spot overlooking a mountain meadow (and some really cool dispersed camping sites if it hadn't been closed for a reclamation project). There were plenty of rigs up there, including some pretty big travel trailers and fifth wheels, but it was still pretty quiet. We could see the lights of Laramie in the distance out our back door, which was kind of nice.
So a decent campsite if you don't mind neighbors!
TravelerThis place is unreal! Designated Dispersed camping at its best. We camped near the Devil’s Playground rocks and even though most of the better sites were full, we found quite a few open sites on a Saturday. Can’t do that in Colorado anymore! The wind picked up at night and we sure were thankful to NOT be in tents. The Rocks are awesome for scrambling and even the dog had a blast!
ScoutGreat section of national Forest between Cheyenne and Laramie. Easy access off the interstate. Lots of atv traffic but otherwise quiet and easy to find your own spot away from 'neighbors'
TravelerWe love taking our kids and dog camping out here. It is dispersed camping and it’s first come first serve. There is a camp ground near by with a porta-potty and there is a small market about 10-20 miles away. There is no cell service but there are call boxes in the area and we often see rangers driving by. There is fire permitted depending on the fire ban in area at the time and you can only camp where there are fire rings. You can’t cut down trees for wood but we usually chop up trees that are already down and dead. You can buy wood at the shop. There is a lot of wildlife in the area so be careful. We have had full grown moose run through our camp site and there has been reports of black bears near by as well as elk and deer. It does get cold at night even in summer as it’s about 9,000 ft above sea level.
RangerFrom Chambers Lake north down FS 103 youll find a lot of dispersed camping and a lot of great spots with beautiful views. The closer you are to the lake the busier it will be as the Chambers Lake spots get hammered with people every weekend and youll be eating dust as well. Further down the road you get it opens up with some nice areas to camp. Ive seen most vehicles make their way down this road with no issue and that includes RVs w/ toy haulers. Its dispersed so no bathrooms, cell service, and the closest amenities are towards Walden and the town of Rustic. One of my favorite spots but I choose wisely when to camp in order to avoid the mass gathering of campers on the weekends. Enjoy!
RangerWe are a 20 foot skoolie. Road in is relatively smooth. No major pot holes. Plenty of large sites for RV’s or 40 foot school bus, and anything in between. Somewhat quiet other than highway noise, plenty of space between sites. Pretty windy, but the days are cool. Lovely views of the Medicine Bow National Forest. Great hiking opportunities. Enough connectivity to attend virtual classes and get work done! Although there is a bit of broken glass. Pack in, pack out!!
Guide
It’s a nice and simple spot to stay at. Plenty of trees for shade. There are 5 spots off of the Main road that I would say a small RV or travel trailer could stay at. The 2023 MVUM shows this place as a go for dispersed camping.
The first site, closest to the road, is pretty level, and lots of open space. The road does have the occasional car.
The other sites off of the main road are easy to get to as well, but not as level, and less room.
There is a turn off of the main road that has a steep drop and climb, and low clearance from trees, maybe 7ft. There are 4 additional fire rings that would make for great tenting spots.
The area as a whole could use some cleaning, there were spots where broken glass could be found in abundance.
LegendThis is a beautiful area and well worth the visit. The gravel road in is in very good condition. The drive is totally beautiful especially during the fall. The road is lined with aspens and large boulders and massive rock bluffs. The road leads to several homes and there is quite a bit of traffic. The dispersed camping is a little over 3.4 miles in. If you follow the GPS you will be fine. All sites have rock fire rings and most sites are fairly level. All sites are in the sun which is great for solar. Verizon cell service was a major bonus. We did have several herd of cattle that would visit but the only downside were the gifts they would leave us. Just watch your step. There is a small stream that runs along the back side of the sites. Most sites were on the right side of the road. Be aware there is a lot of private property. Be courteous. Stay off. At the highway is is a post office and small grocery store and a hardware store.
LNT
Pack it in Pack it out
Stay safe happy travels
GuideThis campsite is definitely dispersed, in the best way. A secluded oasis not too far off the path. We ended up taking one of the last campsites and it ended up being amongst a HUGE herd of grazing cows. They are big animals and we were quite scared after sunset when all the cows role called right near our tent and spent the night huddled next to us. Turns out they aren't the worst neighbors they just like their own space and get a little noisy😉 All in all this space is magic, the stars are incredible and you can totally catch sunrise and set.
Traveler
Like with all good camping spots, ya gotta get there early. The good news is that even on a busy weekend, there's bound to be a spot SOMEWHERE off Deadman Road, even if it's not the best of the best, bc there are so many options. They all offer a form of privacy, but the variety of what's available here is what makes it so special... Boulders/rocks? check. Views? check. Trees? check. Water/stream? check. We've been up there 4 times, and each time offered something different than the last.
It's conveniently located near Red Feather, so if you need to fill up some water or grab a few things from the store, it's not too far of a drive.
Visiting Dowdy Lake was the highlight... We were lucky enough to find our own "private" beach where we got to swim and cool off during the most beautiful sunny day, and then head back to our campsite to enjoy the Milky Way Movie next to our campfire.
Heaven, and worth the drive.
LegendPersonally, I find having easier access to the facilities of the main campground worth $10 per night if you can find a spot. These dispersed campsites are a good free option if you can't find one though. Make sure that you camp at one of the designated spots, it is not a pick-you-spot-anywhere kind of experience: https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE\_DOCUMENTS/fseprd581855.pdf
Sites 1-4 are found shortly after the Nautilus parking lot, where you can find a single bathroom. These spots are also the closest to the trails that take you to the rock climbing routes.
Traveler
Stayed here 2024/09/11. Easy access, well marked and well separated dispersed campsites. Good views. Only downside was distant traffic noise from I-80. Would stay here again.
ScoutBig campsites, no one close, bring water!! Completely free and loved the unique landscape!
Discover the beauty of dispersed camping near Granite Canon, Wyoming, where nature meets tranquility. With stunning landscapes and a variety of camping options, this area is perfect for outdoor enthusiasts looking to escape the hustle and bustle.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular dispersed campsite near Granite Canon, WY?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dispersed campground near Granite Canon, WY is Forest Service Road 700 Designated Dispersed Camping with a 4.4-star rating from 33 reviews.
What is the best site to find dispersed camping near Granite Canon, WY?
TheDyrt.com has all 35 dispersed camping locations near Granite Canon, WY, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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