Best Tent Camping near Laramie, WY

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!

Such a great way to escape into a picturesque Wyoming. The drive from Laramie, closest populated area, into the Snowy Range and a windy road back into the campground was awesome.

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!

State parks were full so we stopped over in Laramie. Originally planned on a tent site but once we saw how open the tent space was, we decided to grab a dog friendly cabin instead. It was cozy with air conditioning and a mini fridge. Kind of a weird location between a neighborhood and hotels.. but it did the trick. Nice community fire pit for us to relax next to in the evening. Staff were friendly and helpful and bathrooms were clean.

We went into the office and asked if there was tent site available and they said."Yes!" We got a nice tent site in the corner of the park. We were close to the showers and bathroom. There are laundry facilities and free wifi. It was a little spendy, but worth it.

Called 10/15 to inquire about rates, but they do not have any tent sites, only RV sites

Near freeway, relatively secluded. Good camp site, some areas RV friendly. Tent sites hard to come by at night

We stayed in the last tent site in the back of the property. It was close to the showers, restrooms, and laundry room. This was very quiet and peaceful. The RVs didn't run the generators so it was great! The camp hosts were very friendly and helpful. We went to the BBQ restaurant in the front of the building and had the best BBQ in Wyoming!

Second time staying here. Tent camping and a rooftop tent. We stayed on the north causeway. We had the peninsula spot which was the best spot in that area. Beautiful lake and wildlife. Wish I had fishing gear with me. The staff keep this park clean. Thank you to them! Will be back.

Curt Gowdy State Park, Cheyenne Wyoming 

Located between Laramie and Cheyenne, about 25 miles to each. We stayed at the Tumbleweed Campground. If you enjoy stargazing,  you'll be amazed. There are no campground lights to interfere and campers keep lights to a minimum. We had a cloudless clear sky to enjoy the heavens. One of the most awesome night skys I've seen. Would love to be here for meteor showers! 

This area has electric and water. The sites are gravel and mostly level. Each site is totally separate with great views of the reservoir. There's a nice picnic table and firepit. Vault toilets. Really nice tiled showers (takes quarters) and flush toilets are available 24/7 at the Visitor Center up the road. Boondock and tent campgrounds also available.  Staff super friendly. Camp store has the basics. Nice mountain bike and hiking trails. Popular intermediate hike to waterfall, 4 miles rounddtrip. Fishing, picnicking, kids play areas. 

Clean facilities, friendly hosts, and lots of amenities and activities right there at the campground. We were allowed to trade two nights of tent camping for one night in a cabin to try to avoid a storm.

Cabins have a porch swing, private table, parking, and a partial privacy fence. Putt putt, croquet, birdwatching, rock painting, volleyball, basketball, large yard games, and more!

We were told by Google that this campground was permanently closed, but we went with The Dyrt's info, and it really panned out. We were the only ones there, it was a short walk down to the Platt (flys and lures only), and the tent site, fire-ring, and picnic table were in top notch condition. Would definitely stay here again.

I showed up late was still able to get a reservation by the water. I was able to get firewood at the camp store, and they had a lot of other things for sale. camped right in the water, it was beautiful! If I had to say anything bad it would be that for a tent site there wasn’t any grassy area to put my tent, most every spot had a lot of gravel which was unfortunate. other than that it was great!

The dyrt has some old info on their overview page, there are no reservations - it is first come first serve, there is no water hookups, but there are several water spickets that are available when the water quality meets standards for drinking water - sometimes water is not available (check USDA Vadauwoo Camprround site for up to date info).

The sites are a combination of back-in, pull-offs, and walk into tent camping sites. All afford amazing views of the unique rock formations and easy access to hiking, climbing and repelling sites within the area.

Our family tent camped one night, but we wished we would have stayed longer. Sites and restrooms are well maintained by friendly staff. This campground can fill up very quickly (we learned the hard way) and when full, sites are close together. At less busy times, more secluded and more open sites are available. The trails , both hiking and biking, are rugged enough for a thrill, but can be tame enough for kiddos. We have visited this campground twice on our travels west, and are sure to visit again!

What a great campground. Very rustic with each site having its own fore ring and table. There were plenty of flat areas for trailers but I would argue that all sites are perfect for tent camping. It appears to be a great place for those who are into mountain biking as I felt I was the odd man out since nearly everyone had one and was riding.  I really enjoyed the peace and quiet and view of the stars!

I would most certainly visit this campground again. Close to the I-80 which makes it convenient.