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Best Tent Camping near Granite Canon, WY

659 Reviews

Dispersed tent camping is prevalent throughout the public lands surrounding Granite Canon, Wyoming, with several options for campers seeking primitive outdoor experiences. Upper Blaire Dispersed Camping in Medicine Bow National Forest offers free, primitive tent sites with established fire rings and no facilities. Lake Hattie Public Access Area, located about 20 miles west of Laramie, provides a more developed tent camping experience with toilets, trash service, and access to water activities.

Most tent sites in the Granite Canon region require campers to be self-sufficient, as amenities are minimal or nonexistent. Dispersed camping areas typically feature uneven terrain with a mix of dirt and rocky surfaces. Fire pits are common at established sites, though campers should check current fire restrictions before their trip. Surface water sources are unreliable, so bringing adequate water supplies is essential. The 14-day stay limit applies to national forest lands but is reportedly not always strictly enforced. Weather conditions can change rapidly, with high winds common in exposed areas. A visitor commented, "Absolutely love this area of the Medicine Bow NF. Road in was manageable. Spacious dispersed sites. Most have fire pits."

Tent camping in this region offers notable solitude compared to more developed campgrounds. Many sites provide separation from other campers through natural features like boulders and trees. The higher elevation brings cooler temperatures even in summer, making for comfortable tent sleeping conditions. Wildlife sightings are common, with free-roaming cattle occasionally appearing near campsites in certain areas. Tent campers should be prepared for limited or no cell service, particularly in more remote dispersed sites. The area experiences minimal light pollution, creating excellent stargazing opportunities. A camper noted, "It 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."

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Best Tent Sites Near Granite Canon, Wyoming (9)

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Recent Tent Camping Photos near Granite Canon, WY

8 Photos of 9 Granite Canon Campgrounds

Tent Camping Reviews near Granite Canon, WY

659 Reviews of 9 Granite Canon Campgrounds

  • NThe Dyrt PRO User
    Oct. 17, 2021

    Dowdy Lake Campground

    Reflections

    Status: Open year round 

    Reserve mid spring through September 877-444-6777 or recreation.gov 

    weekend reservations recommended 

    70 sites including 10 walk-in tent 30 sites year round $24.00 tent sites $32.00 electric $64.00 double sites 

    Vault toilets, water during season ,tent sites have bear boxes, picnic table, fire ring/grill, trash no sewer or water hookups The campground has beautiful Ponderosa Pines but the Pine beetle is beginning to take its toil. 

    The back loop closes early fall. all sites have electric except the tent sites. There are 5 double sites. The campground can accept various size rigs. The day use area with a boat ramp and pit toilet with a nice size parking lot. There were a lot of people fishing from the shore. The lake is beautiful with small islands and rock formations. The road to and in the campground is gravel and rather dusty. Potholes 

    Directions: Drive 21 miles north of Fort Collins on US Highway 287. Turn left (west) onto the Red Feather Lakes Road (County 74E) and travel approximately 22 miles. Turn right (north) and travel another mile to signed campground entrance on the right.

    LNT

    Better than when you found it 

    Stay safe Happy travels

  • I
    Aug. 31, 2020

    Vedauwoo Tent Campground (Wy) — Medicine Bow Routt N Fs & Thunder Basin Ng

    Pretty, close to HWY, nice trails, not much water

    Checked in about 8:30pm on weekday for car/tent camping.  Got last spot on upper tent loop (FC/FS-self serve).   Upper tent loop also has some RV spots. It seems like a very popular spot for XC RV drivers. The upper loop was very quiet, both the people and the area, and far enough from Interstate that Hwy noise was not an issue. The only problems were the wind(strong in am), and the lack of running water. Vault toilets were clean enough. The faucets near toilets did not work. The only available water was from the green well pump, and it had noticeable color to it. I used it for cooking and cleaning, but not drinking. Great trails! We did a nice 3.5 mile loop around Turtle Rock. It has good and climbing/bouldering, wish I had more time for that. It was cool due to a recent rainfall, and the 8000'ish elevation kept it that way at night. All creeks were dry in late august, and the 3 ponds were nearly so. Very pretty spot that feels more remote than it is. There is a lower tent walk in loop, which is much better sheltered from road noise and wind.  The lower tent loop has vault toilets, but it does not have water as far as I could tell.  Lower tent loop was completely vacant and available, while upper RV/tent area was full.

  • M
    May. 26, 2022

    Backcountry Campground — Horsetooth Mountain Open Space

    Private, beautiful, and easy backpacking site!

    This would be a perfect first backpacking trip for beginners! Once you park, you sign in to the backpacking log to the right of the main entrance by the kiosk. The sites are first come first serve. From the parking lot, it’s only about a mile and a half. The site is off the main trail and is secluded enough so you don’t see hikers or bikers. It has a nice view of Horsetooth Reservoir and you are surrounded by the trees/rocks. There isn’t much shade coverage though. This site would be a perfect base for exploring Horsetooth rock/Horsetooth falls! There’s a wooden table about 50 yards from where you set up your tent so no need to bring chairs. There isn’t a water source close by so you’ll have to pack all your water. Also leave no trace and pack all your trash when you leave!

  • Carrie C.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jun. 16, 2018

    Vedauwoo Tent Campground (Wy) — Medicine Bow Routt N Fs & Thunder Basin Ng

    Ranger Review: ICEMULE Cooler at Vedauwoo Campground

    This place is fantastic and easy to get to. Located right off I-80 and less than 20 miles from Laramie WY.

    Campground Review: We arrived on the Friday afternoon of Father’s Day weekend, and there were a few tent sites available. All sites are $10.00-- If just visiting the park, there is a $5.00 day use fee. There are two loops that both accommodate large RV's down to tents. We chose a pack-in tent site that was down a trail about an 1/8 mile surrounded by the granite rock formations the area is know for. It was kind of tucked away from the rest of the campers in the area. Even way back in here, they had a very nice picnic table and metal fire rings with a grill for use. The campground was very clean. In the main area, there are restrooms and drinking water available. The camp host was very helpful with directions. (wish I could recall his name) He gave us some trail maps of the area. There are multiple mountain biking trails which we had a ball exploring. They are open to hikers and horseback riders as well so be aware and be courteous. The area is very well known for off-width rock climbing. There Is a wall of sport climbing and many boulder projects. Be aware the granite can flake off so use established routes.

    Restrooms were tidy and well stocked with TP. there is water available near the restroom area.

    The Badger Creek Fire was currently burning to the south causing a lot of smoke in the area. There was not a fire ban at the time we visited.

    There Is free dispersed camping nearby. See Vedauwoo Road Dispersed Camping for my review of that area.

    Gear Review: Occasionally the Dyrt will offer gear to test out and demo on a camping trip. I was lucky to have the opportunity to test and review theICEMULE Pro size Large 23L backpack cooler https://icemulecoolers.com/collections/pro-coolers/products/the-icemule-pro-large This cooler is amazing! I was skeptical at first. I let my teenage daughter use it prior to this trip on a beach outing and it is now the new favorite cooler for these girls! They raved about it! The ICEMULE Pro 23L held 10 pounds of ice and 10+ beverages and our food that needed kept cold. There was still ice In the bottom 2 1/2 days later when we returned home. The website says this will hold an 18 pack of beer, I don’t doubt that. Since we were camped at a pack In site, being able to pack In our cold stuff like a backpack was a great feature! We were even able to pack everything out between the two of us In just one trip! Normally a cooler of this capacity would require a singe trip for 1 or possibly 2 people. The cooler seals by rolling the opening down and buckling it closed. No zippers or latches. There is an air vent you can blow into to create additional insulation for the cooler. The cooler also folds/rolls down to a compact size when not in use. This cooler is easy to use, a dream to pack anywhere you need a cooler, and most Importantly: keeps stuff COLD! This is now an every trip favorite item! And they are currently on sale (20% off!) on the ICEMULE website!

  • Tonya Y.
    Jun. 30, 2017

    Upper and Lower Ansel Watrous Campgrounds

    Between the Mountains and the River

    We came into this campground on a Tuesday after camping through Wyoming. We stopped at the NFS visitor center to get a map of the Theodore Roosevelt National Forest and a list of all the dispersed campgrounds as we thought all campsites would be full. They had several people in them, but were definitely not full.

    We were tent camping and were thrilled when we came upon this great walk in site. The site was very close to the parking lot, but didn't matter because of the beautiful terrain.

    On one side of the campground (across from the road) is an enormous grassy hill. We looked for bighorn sheep with no luck! The other side of the campground is surrounded by the Cache la Poudre River.

    Each site had a great tent pad (tough ground though, bent some tent stakes), a great picnic table, and very nice fire rings. There is a nice little trail that meanders through the campground. There were two other campers in the campground, but due to the terrain, we didn't even notice them.

    The bathrooms are vault toilets and were very clean. There is drinking water available via a hand pump that was very easy to use.

    We camped in a Big Agnes Tent and were very glad that we put every single guy line out! There was some amazing wind coming through the canyons during the night! It was very clear overnight and the sky view was awesome.

    There seemed to be a lot to do in the area, lots of outfitters putting people in the river on rafts and kayakers around.

  • Morgan Y.The Dyrt PRO User
    Nov. 13, 2020

    Vedauwoo Tent Campground (Wy) — Medicine Bow Routt N Fs & Thunder Basin Ng

    Vedauwoo Dispersed

    This review is for the abundant dispersed camping, not the two official camping loops.

    I love this place. With an asterisk. This seven mile dirt road is filled with sprouts of other dirt roads that is stunningly beautiful and fairly quiet. Beautiful spots to camp and you can tuck yourself away behind a rock formation and far from your neighbors. 

    Great rock formations for climbing, mountain biking, abundant Aspen trees for your hammock and right on the edge of Curt Gowdy State Park, which has a broad network of wonderfully maintained mountain bike and hiking trails and plenty of motorized and non motorized water sports. Showers and flush toilet bathrooms and a camp store can be found in here in non-COVID days. 

    The animal life is great too. We've had moose and pronghorn deer right at our campsite. And that gets me to…the asterisks. Not only are moose around, but so are mice. In 2 of my 7 visits here we have taken on mice. The last time it was a lot of mice. I mean a lot of mice. I now carry mouse traps with me because of this place. We had tens of mice inside our camper for two days straight. Eating our food and gnawing on wood. Ended up bringing some of them home with us too. The cat got 3. I trapped another 5. Our garbage can was like a Civil War photograph for mice. Also, this place has become popular and can get a little overrun on the weekends with people running generators, shooting shotguns and running around on OHVs. Hard to be more annoying. Last, Wyoming is synonymous with wind. So be prepared for that possibility.

    Leave no trace (and run no generators)

  • NThe Dyrt PRO User
    Oct. 17, 2021

    Upper and Lower Ansel Watrous Campgrounds

    Peace in the Valley

    Open: All year 

    Reservations: 877-444-6777 or recreation.gov 

    Out of season FCFS 

    Fees: Reservation on line $9.00 call enter $10.00 

    water, pit toilets, picnic table, trash, bear box for tent sites, fire ring/w grill 

    No sewer hookups The sites are on the small side and a bit cramped. The Cache La Poudre River runs along the back side of the campground and provides a beautiful backdrop along with the tumbling towering rock bluffs. The drive along the canyon is a delight. 

    Directions: Drive 11 miles north of Fort Collins on US Highway 287. Turn left (west) onto Colorado Highway 14 (Poudre Canyon) and travel approximately 13 miles.  

    LNT 

    Better than when you found it 

    tay safe and travel happy

  • D
    Aug. 28, 2019

    Glen Echo Resort

    Outstanding One-Stop Poudre Canyon Camping Experience!

    Glen Echo is an exceptional one-stop Poudre Canyon camping experience.   While they do offer large and small cabins, long and short term RV spots, we tent camped for two nights on two different riverside sites - numbers 1 and 6 - and both were awesome!  Both spots offered amazing rushing water views, a nice mixture of sun and shade, picnic tables, and fire rings.  One of the spots - site 1 - had electric hook-up.  Aside from the great tent sites, they have on-site a general store/market, fuel, a liquor store and restaurant/cafe, which made life super convenient because it's located about mid-way through Poudre Canyon and there's not a lot out there.  Also, clean showers, which was a nice surprise.  Cannot recommend this chill camping destination enough!

Guide to Granite Canon

Tent camping near Granite Canon, Wyoming offers a blend of scenic beauty and outdoor adventure, perfect for nature enthusiasts looking to escape the hustle and bustle.

Some prices for tent camping range from free to $0

  • Enjoy the Upper Blaire Dispersed Camping, where you can camp for free while surrounded by boulders and trees, providing a secluded experience.
  • At Comanche Peak View Campground, you can find primitive sites with fire pits and plenty of firewood available for gathering, all at no cost.
  • The Cache la Poudre River area offers a unique experience, although it’s primarily for employees, it’s worth noting that access is free.

Tent campers like these nearby activities

  • Upper Blaire Dispersed Camping is close to climbing areas, making it a great base for rock climbing enthusiasts.
  • At Comanche Peak View Campground, you can explore nearby trails and enjoy the peaceful surroundings, perfect for hiking and wildlife watching.
  • The Lake Hattie Public Access Area provides opportunities for fishing and swimming, with stunning mountain views as your backdrop.

Tent campers should check out the amenities

  • Upper Blaire Dispersed Camping features established fire sites, allowing for cozy campfires under the stars.
  • Comanche Peak View Campground has picnic tables available, making it easy to enjoy meals outdoors.
  • At Lake Hattie Public Access Area, you’ll find restrooms and trash disposal, ensuring a more comfortable camping experience.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular tent campsite near Granite Canon, WY?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Granite Canon, WY is Upper Blaire Dispersed Camping with a 3.8-star rating from 4 reviews.

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

TheDyrt.com has all 9 tent camping locations near Granite Canon, WY, with real photos and reviews from campers.

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