If you're looking for a place to dispersed camp near Jelm, look no further. Find the best information on dispersed campgrounds near Jelm, including photos, reviews, and tips. From secluded to easily reachable, we offer dispersed campsites near Jelm just for you.
This walk-in dispersed campground provides access to biking, hiking and fishing.
Located on the southern end of the Medicine Bow Mountain Range in north central Colorado, Rawah Wilderness was designated by the Wilderness Act of 1964 and now contains 73,868 acres. "Rawah" is a Native American term meaning "wild place."
Elevations in the Rawah Wilderness range from 8,400 to 13,000 feet. The high peaks were carved by glaciers, resulting in spectacular cirque lakes and moraines. There are twenty-five named lakes, ranging in size from five to 39 acres. This high alpine area contains the headwaters of the McIntyre, Rawah, and Fall Creeks, as well as the Laramie River.
The Rawahs are host to mammals such as elk, moose, mule deer, black bear, bighorn sheep, marmot and beaver. There are many species of birds including the red-tailed hawk, white-tailed ptarmigan, golden eagle, raven, Steller's Jay and a variety of warblers. Lakes and streams are inhabited with lake, cutthroat, rainbow and brown trout. Graylings are also found in this area.
The Rawah Wilderness is very popular with summer backpackers, hikers and anglers. It is also popular with hunters in the fall. To encounter the fewest people, plan your trip for mid-week and use less popular trails.
Always use Leave No Trace techniques to help keep this area wild, clean and pristine.
Motorized equipment, or mechanized transportation is prohibited, including motorcycles, chain saws, bicycles or carts. Wheelchairs are exempt. Group size is limited to 12 people and/or livestock combined. Camping and campfires are prohibited within 200’ feet 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. Campfires are prohibited in the alpine areas above 10,800 feet. Campfires consume scarce vegetation and leave permanent scars on the fragile soils of the area. Pets must be on a handheld leash at all times if hiking. Equestrian riders can have dogs under voice control.
Setting up your own campsite away from developed fee sites, also known as dispersed camping, is allowed in most places. 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.
Setting up your own campsite away from developed fee sites, also known as dispersed camping, is allowed in most places. From getting away from it all to just enjoying a weekend with friends, dispersed camping can make for a great story.
This small campground no longer provides designated camp sites. It has become a dispersed camping area, meaning amenities are no longer offered. There is fishing access at Miller Lake and flyfishing for trout. 14 day stay limit. It is located in the Snowy Range and is managed by the Laramie Ranger District.
Guide
Discovered an excellent dispersed site on 64 going east from Glen Eden. As soon as you reach BLM land there is a sign indicating Dispersed Camping on both sides of road. The south side has excellent sites along the fast paced Elk River and views of Mt. Zirkel. Ou site was nestled in the spruce and fur with small game chattering often.
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
We found a great spot right next to the river on forest road 330C near North Fork Campground. The area was fairly busy on Labor Day weekend but we were basically isolated in this spot. One family was camping a little further up the road, but we had zero traffic on our road and the spot was beautiful. We were nestled up against the Little Laramie River which was awesome. We did explore the area a little and found numerous dispersed camping spots in/around the area but none as nice as the spot that we settled on. The exact coordinates are:
41.35475° N, -106.16955° W
Ranger
Great place to boondock for a few days. We stayed here for a week in our 20 foot skoolie. Short drive into the Medicine Bow National forest and you’re here. There are a couple of loops right as you enter, which are the most level places to park a rig. Then another path leads about a half a mile to a few other sites that are more secluded, but not very level. I wouldn’t recommend towing anything down there with the condition of the dirt road and low hanging tree branches. Those would be ideal for a camper van or tent. There is a lovely creek that runs along there. The dump/water is decommissioned at this site, but as you turn in there is dump/water at the forest station. During our stay there were a couple of RV’s and some off road fanatics. Quiet and cool summer evenings. Great cell service!
Traveler
Nice isolated spot in the National Forest, 5 mi from the main highway. Nice view with few fire rings. No one was around.
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.
Guide
Great camping spot within Medicine Bow National Forest. Some of this area requires a $5 day fee which can be paid online or using an envelop system with cash.
When you first pull onto FS RD 200 you will wind down past many easy to reach sites with 2wd. Small RVs should be fine as well. As you continue on, you will come across multiple splits in the road leading to more sites. If you are going when there is still a lot of snow melt (through late June) I would recommend 4x4 the further back you go.
I personally camped across from the Keystone Reservoir and it included a level site and a nice fire ring.
Legend
We stumbled upon this campground by chance, and what a wonderful chance it was! After deciding to take a weekend rafting trip along the Wyoming/Colorado section of the Platte River, we planned to just find dispersed camping options within the surrounding National Forest area. We initially put our boats in at the Routt Access Trailhead which is where we were able to find this amazing group of campsites (see directions below). There are plenty of campsites designated by fire rings along the road that are well spread out and offer plenty of seclusion. We were surprised to not encounter any other campers despite it being a beautiful summer weekend. The campsite we used offered much appreciated shade from the June sun with plenty of big trees. The ground is relatively flat on top of the hill so we had quite a few options to spread out with our group pf 3 tents. Another huge plus of this area is how pristine it is, not a piece of trash to be found. If camping here, please continue that by following Leave No Trace principles.
Camping in this area is complimented by tons of nearby activities including hiking, backpacking, and horseback riding trails, class I-IV white water rafting opportunities, rock climbing, fishing and wildlife viewing. On our weekend adventure we went on a 4-hour boat trip from the Routt Access boat put-in to the Six-Mile Gap take-out point, the river felt like a private get away and we didn’t see any other people except for a few fly fishermen at the access points. The wildlife we encountered was the highlight of our trip, we saw moose, a golden eagle, foxes, pronghorns, and marmots.
To get there: The GPS coordinates entered on this page are for the Routt Access Trailhead. Following these directions from there is the easiest way to find the campsites. I have also included a screenshot of google maps in this review. When approaching the trailhead from the main road, just a few hundred yards before the trailhead/river access parking area, the road forks. To the right is the trailhead, and to the left is FS 939.1 (Mahogany Road). With a normal clearance vehicle and 2wd, you should be able to easily reach the first campsite along this road, marked by a well-appointed fire ring. For those with slightly higher clearance cars (my friends had a Subaru Forester and did just fine) I would highly recommend continuing along the road a bit higher and up the hill. 4wd is probably not necessary unless the road is muddy, but some large holes and rocks will be problematic for very low clearance vehicles. From up here, you will have amazing views of the grasslands, mountains and river.
TravelerVery few other boondockers, and well dispersed. Very quiet with minimal traffic.
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!!!
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.
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.
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%
GuideDONT FORGET TO VISIT CLARK STORE, its very close
drove here in toyota prius. There is a parking lot at the entrance to the dispersed camping where it forks into two roads to access parking spots. The forest service road was in amazing condition to access it.
I decided to hike up ontop a large rock formation because i wanted the killer views. Just enough dirt up there to pitch a tent.
There is dispersed camping along the river where a lot of rv’s were pitched up. I didnt want to be near any of them cause im tent camping
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.
Guide
We drove up here on July 3rd hoping to camp at Barnes Meadow Reservoir. You can't drive in to Barnes Meadow so we took County Road 103 north around Chambers lake and found a lot of open spots beneath lodgepole pines. Several spots have a large pull in parking area where you could have a large RV, truck and trailer, or park several cars. I couldn't help thinking this area is perfect for a large group to set up several tents and have several individual campsites with their own fire right next to each other.
There is no water, electrical or toilets, but there are toilets at the Lost Lake trailhead which is a 2-3 minute drive up the road or a 15 minute walk.
We did walk down to the lake right behind our campsite. The bank is steep but passable by kids so most people can get down there and back up. We fished a bit in Chambers and Lost Lake. On the other side of the lake is the improved Chambers Lake Campground but it's a 15 minute drive around to the other side of the lake. And a further drive up Rd 103 takes you to lots of stream fishing, hiking trails, and more dispersed camping.
Discover the beauty of dispersed camping near Jelm, Wyoming, where you can immerse yourself in nature without the constraints of traditional campgrounds. With stunning landscapes and a variety of outdoor activities, this area is perfect for adventurers seeking solitude and scenic views.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular dispersed campsite near Jelm, WY?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dispersed campground near Jelm, 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 Jelm, WY?
TheDyrt.com has all 63 dispersed camping locations near Jelm, WY, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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