Planning a dispersed camping trip near Lander? Dispersed camping gets you off the grid so you can disconnect from the hecticness of everyday life. Search dispersed campsites you've visited before, or discover new spots and read camper reviews.
Wild Iris is one of the most beautiful sport climbing areas in the U.S. It's hard to beat a warm summer day spent climbing the white limestone pockets of Wild Iris. And to top it off, you'll belay comfortably beneath a peaceful canopy of aspen trees. Sublime. The climbs are mostly short, and occasionally sharp, but the climbing and experience is more than enough to compensate for these minor drawbacks. There are plenty of routes from 5.9 on up to 5.14, so most climbers will find more than enough to stay busy. Wild Iris is located at Limestone Mountain at an elevation of 9,000 feet. The climbing season begins when the snow melts (early June) and can last into Fall. The high altitude makes summer climbing pleasant, but be aware that the weather can change at any moment - wind and cold storms are common all summer. Many of the climbs face south, so also be prepared for warm temps! Remember this is Wyoming - land of the extremes! A number of primitive spots are available for camping, and an outhouse is located just up from the main parking lot. Closest supplies are located in Lander. The Lander Bar comes highly recommended for food and drink - it's a climbing tradition!
Camping is free in the remote areas of the Shoshone and is a great way to get away from it all. Many people enjoy the solitude and primitive experience of camping away from developed campgrounds. Dispersed camping means there are no toilets, tables, or drinking water. Follow these guidelines to ensure these areas can be enjoyed by future generations. Campsites must be 200 feet from trails, lakes, or wet meadows and 100 feet from streams or creeks. There is a 16 consecutive day stay limit. Any new location must be at least 5 miles from the previous location. Group size may be limited. Check with the local ranger district office for specifics in the area you want to go. Grizzly bear food storage regulations must be followed in designated grizzly bear use areas. See our Bear Safety page for more information. Dispersed camping or campfires are not allowed in the area commonly known as the North Fork Canyon and includes the area 1/2 mile on either side of the centerline of U. S. Highway 14/16/20 between the national forest boundary and the East Entrance of Yellowstone National Park. Within this special recreation corridor, all camping and campfires must be within developed recreation sites. Some areas on the Shoshone are closed and signed as such to dispersed camping due to grizzly bear activity or resource protection. Be alert to signage. Check with the local ranger district office in the area you want to be for any seasonal restrictions that may apply.
For facility specific information, please call (307) 367-4326.
$12 / night
Traveler
Free spot to stay so can’t complain. Bring some blocks if you want to be level the sites are good for an rv under 27 feet. Pretty sunset. Slight hint of manure.
ScoutMost of the sites are flooded the pit toilets are good not sure if they are holding back the water as it is controlled. Only spent one night as we had a very strong wind and did not crank up our top on our slide in camper
ScoutThis was a cute little spot! We arrived early evening on a Thursday and it was empty. Good lake access and view of sunset. The GPS location from the app takes you to 4 spots, one ADA, but there are a couple more around the lake. Well maintained pit toilet. The two spots closest to the lake were flooded so watch out for that. Good service for Verizon. Make sure your GPS is taking Bass Lake Rd in from 26. Ours found a "shortcut" down the gravel ranching roads. Not sure why the info here says showers and hook ups, we did not see that. Not sure a tent camper would enjoy this spot.
Guide
We planned to stay for at least couple of nights but following morning after with beautiful sunshine, clouds gathered and viscus thunderstorm arrived from nowhere. Blowed our seat cushions away to nearby creek, which had pretty strong flow and current. It started to feel unsafe and we quickly packed and left. It was a shame as the site and location was very nice.
Guide
Very easy to find. Last 1m of dirt road was a bit rutted, but not bad. Were the only ones here, so perfect to turn on some music, or sit in the quiet and listen to birds and elk. Lake teaming with birdlife, and saw fish jumping. Great dark sky. 2 Vault toilets were clean and no smell. No litter seen, so everyone has been good to pack in /out. Several sites have covered picnic tables and grills...or can share with neighbour if park either side. Saw some evidence of small fire puts, but didn't use them. Mostly level sites, but a few levellers wouldn't go amiss. Has a boat ramp.
RangerGreat place to stay if you can work around the mosquitoes. We stayed for a week and a half and it was very quiet and the water is very clear. Is very easy to find. GPS got us there no problem.
Traveler
I went a mile or so up Louse Lake Rd looking for a 1 night site. Lots of small side roads. The ATV folks make lots of noise and dust in the daytime be but it seem to stop at dark. Far enough down a sidetrack noone came by.
Guide4 shaded structures right along a beautiful lake with a perfect view of the mountains. no trouble getting in - paved roads. pit toilets & ADA accessible parking spot with ramp down to the water
GuideThe camping spots are immaculate and there are plenty to choose from (hypothetically) however, I arrived at 3:30pm on a tuesday and there were barely any spots left. The cell service for verizon at the campsite was also terrible, i hiked about a mile around and up the mountain for two bars to text family but nothing at camp. Bathrooms are okay, better than nothing ! The road is also hard on cars, especially 2WD but it is possible!
LegendOn the west side of Boysen Reservoir near Bonneville, WY, this lovely and free camping area along the shores of this tiny lake, offered us a great place to camp for a few days to wait out the wind and recharge our solar batteries.
Each campsite area had a covered and wind fenced picnic table and grill, which we used to hide behind during a spicy, early spring wind storm. The pit toilets were the standard Forest Service bathrooms, which were very clean. There were also several group areas, and at least one large covered picnic pavilion further down the road. Verizon cell phone service was surprisingly great at the campsite.
Hiking, biking, fishing and paddling are all available right from camp, and the Boysen Reservoir is a short skip down the road for a longer water experience. The nearby town of Bonneville doesn’t have much more than a Post Office and gas station convenience store so come prepared or you'll need to drive about an hour for supplies.
GuideRoad in is in good shape. Sites are fairly large and we were able to find one with our 39ft fifth wheel without a problem! When you get the the hiking parking lot/bathroom, stay left. Great views of the quarry and surrounding valleys. Verizon cell signal is decent, was able to stream movie at night with light much delay. My husband worked during the day on his hotspot, only had a little interference when heavy clouds moved in later in the day.
Legend
This is just a single BLM camp site at the end of a dirt road at the Boulder Lake Dam. Table, fire ring and a old stinky vault toilet. No water, no trash and the road in is narrow and.lumpy and I would not haul in a TT or RV. However it does have a nice view looking up Boulder Lake. Note that there is no road across the dam no matter what Google maps says!. Cell signal is marginal.
Legend
This area is noted as the backpacker parking area to access the wilderness trails above Boulder Lake. It is just outside of the developed Boulder Lake CG. However this area is also a popular free dispersed camp area for TTs and RVs as the regular campground is a bit tight for larger TTs and RVs and the loop Rd in the campground is terrible. So folks camp out here on the open flat grassy area, and as a bonus there is a grassy boat launch area good for kayaks and other water craft. No potable water, no toilets, no trash dumpsters, no tables or fire rings. 14d limit and the rangers do come around to check I hear. There is a toilet up the hill at the packstock staging parking area.
ScoutNice camping spots , beautiful views and quite
RangerThese primitive sites around the Christina Lake trailhead are open and made for larger RV's and equine trailers. Road goes right by the sites so not much privacy, but not a huge amount of traffic either. Nights will be cool and dark if no moon, there is a stream nearby so might be a bit buggy at times. Stargazing will be intense on a dark night and the coyotes will be heard yipping in the distance. Louis lake lodge is not to far but with very limited provisions, so save yourself a trip back down the mountain and pack wisely. Water will be available at a few campgrounds and the lodge. The road to Christina lake is a jeep trail, make no mistake about that regular 4×4's are risking severe damage. Firewood is pretty easy to comeby of you roam a little bit. Pack in pack out, leave it better than you found it. Enjoy
ScoutPlenty of room on a great little lake. Had a 34 ft A class and took in on dirt road which covers about 2/3 of lake. The other 1/3 is a 2 lane paved road. Amazing back drop views of the mountains behind us and tons of running room for the boys and dog
LegendThis is a pretty great setup! Camping in the City Park is FREE and limited to 3 days. This place gets busy during festivals which occur with some regularity on the summer weekends. I'd check beforehand unless that's the reason you're there! There is a area for trailers. Tents can be pitched on the lawn area. It's a park with nice lawns which are watered regularly so there is the sprinkler obstacle.
Flush toilets are available and water. The park has a volleyball area and horseshoe pits. There are covered picnic areas. No fires allowed, but there are grill available for cooking.
Great place, close to adventure with town amenities readily available!
LegendI visit Wild Iris frequently! They have amazing limestone sport routes in a variety of skill levels. The campground is along a severely rutted road, but are level and in the trees along the OK Corral Crag. The area has a well marked trail system to point you in the direction of different walls along the crag.
Each campsite offers a metal bear boxes to store your food items. There story is, there was a black bear who broke into someone's camper and ate their waffles. So there is a bear named Waffles in the area! There is established rock fire rings. Pit toilets at the parking area for The Main Wall area. Tons of trees and more climbing than one can do in a lifetime! And it is FREE!
We visit several times a year! Check out the International Climbing Festival that is hosted in July each year!
LegendSmall lake popular with fishermen. There were a few paddle sport users present. It is very hot in July and there are provided shade structures. You can see the Boysen Reservoir from the road on the north side of the lake, they are very close. There are several pit toilets available around the perimeter of the lake.
LegendBears are present, please be vigilant with your food and smelly goods.
Campsites are dispersed. Some have firepits and tent pads built. All accessible with a 2WD car. Amazing views, but still warm in September. Great climbing location also.
LegendI have determined that Lander WY is the friendliest city in America... plus, they let you camp for FREE up to three nights in their city (town) park. There are restrooms with flushing toilets and running water. Nice soft green grass to set your tent up in. I recommend getting a burger from the Lander Bar when you visit!
There are picnic shelters, horseshoe pits and lots of trees.
And sprinklers... be aware, you might get a wet tent (see video)
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular dispersed campsite near Lander, WY?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dispersed campground near Lander, WY is Wild Iris OK Corral with a 4.5-star rating from 8 reviews.
What is the best site to find dispersed camping near Lander, WY?
TheDyrt.com has all 13 dispersed camping locations near Lander, WY, with real photos and reviews from campers.
