If you're looking for a place to pitch your tent near Lysite, look no further. The Dyrt is an easy way to find tent camping spots near Lysite. You're sure to find the perfect campsite for your Wyoming tent camping excursion.
The Buffalo Creek Campground is located off of the scenic South Bighorn/Red Wall Back Country Byway. It has four camping sites, a vault toilet and fire rings. It is partially accessible. The Buffalo Creek Campground is about 24 miles north of Arminto. There no fees associated with this campground and also no water is available at this campground. Campsites are first come, first served.
Hell's Half Acre - a geological masterpiece. To those who have not experienced Hell's Half Acre, the name would suggest a small parcel of land, when in fact, the half acre encompasses more than 300 acres in the middle of the Wyoming prairie, flanked by mountains and valleys. Over fifty million years ago, the Earth was shifting and wreaking havoc. Left behind the restless movements of aging Earth were depressions and breaks in the land. Hell's Half Acre is one such eternal depression, complete with jutting rocks, chilling caves and vast valleys. Explorers to the West were no doubt in awe of of this rare and exciting landform. Who would expect such an out-of-this-world geological event amidst formidable mountains and alkali marshes? Why "Hell's Half Acre" then? History says that this geological masterpiece was known as "The Devil's Kitchen", "The Pits of Hades", and "The Baby Grand Canyon" until a cowhand appeared and thought he was at Hell's Half Acre, an area southwest of Casper full of alkali and bogs. How could he not tell the difference between bogs and a 300 acre canyon, no one knows. He called it Hell's Half Acre and the name stuck. It's been the world famous Hell's Half Acre ever since, but no matter the name, label, or title you give this landmark, it is a truly fascinating and utterly breathtaking formation in the middle of desolate country. The landscape is so alien that part of the movie "Starship Troopers" was filmed in this local. Hell's Half Acre was the backdrop for the alien planet Klendathu inhabited by gargantuan, vicious, fighting war bugs. There are many stories haunting the hills and lurking in the shadows. The ghost of a beautiful young Indian woman moves freely through the canyons, protecting the area and warding off evil. The spirits of tens of thousands of buffalo who perished by plummeting off cliffs now roam the deserted range. It is rumored that a mysterious, dark, unsocial figure lurks inside one of the many dark and labyrinth-type caves. This eerie shadow has been seen by many a weary traveler along Wyoming Highway 20/26, leaving them with the impression that 'something' is there. President Coolidge can be credited with granting Natrona County the 960 acres encompassing Hell's Half Acre to designate this part located 40 miles northwest of Casper on Highway 20/26. [Information courtesy of article in Radio Active Magazine, October 2003]
Astride a blue-ribbon trout stream, this remote and picturesque campground features five camping sites with fire rings, restroom and drinking water. Use of the area is free with a 14-day limit on camping (as on all public lands). The Middle Fork of the Powder River Campground, located at an elevation of 7,500 feet, is open from May through September.
Guide
Basic sites, both drive through and back in, as well as several tent sites. Each site has picnic table and fire pit. Essentially just boondocking for $32.25 a night. Pay station takes credit cards. On the plus side, it is next to a lake and the surrounding scenery (sagebrush country) is nice, like many BLM areas. Good Verizon connectivity.
Traveler
I was lucky to find one of the sites that did not require a reservation available (only 2 tent sites are available this way). There is no reception here so quickly making an online reservation is not an option.
This campground has spacious sites for tents. I stayed on one of the sites on the ledge just above the water. The toilets are clean and the campground host is a great guy.
At 32.25 dollars it is definitely not the cheapest state park, but the location makes it worth it.
Would recommend
Scout
It was hard to connect with Christine upon check-in. She was not in the office at 3:30pm and she knew we were arriving. We set up and I checked back in and no one was there. Then she got busy with RV’s. The office didn’t open until 8am so again we left. I tried to call to give my CC. They cram the RV’s in and our tent site was literally sandwiched with an RV and cabin. People walking dogs and restrooms were a walk. Stop in Thermopolis for a day and drive south to Boysen State Park and Reservoir.
Ranger
Easy to get to and private campsite. A little circular dirt parking area was a good spot for us to setup our trailer for the night. There is enough space for multiple RV's or tent camping. There are no amenities but great views and privacy. There is no Verizon cell phone service and TONS of broken glass and there is ample room if you want to setup a tent, but there is debris in the area. Don't let this deter you from this FREE campsite as there is tons to see and do. You can hike up bluffs and walk through the old 1880's coal mining town. We would stay at this location again as its very convenient to get to if in route out west.
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Legend
This is a fairly cheap place to stay for a night.
The mornings are amazing as the sun hits the mountain just spectacularly.
Firewood is free and the showers cost around $5
This is one of many places you can stay on this road but just a few miles west to toward Yellowstone is an indian reservation. Not too many places to stop there.
There is a dump station and some spots have just electric or just water. I think the spots with both may cost more. but it’s $10 a night for just one without the other. Tent sites are the same.
I would have liked to stay more than one night so we could have experienced more of this beautiful area!
We are all about primitive camping but this one was a must see.
Legend
We stayed here 2 years ago. That is our test. Would we be back? The answer was yes. So, here we are in site #4. Staff is super friendly. Cute downtown, with health food store & brewery. Hot Springs State Park close. Recommend the free state mineral pools. Grocery store, dollar store and liquor store just a couple of blocks. Fast food within walking distance.
PROS:
CONS:
Scout
We have stayed here quite often over the past 30 years or so and thouroly enjoyed soaking for hours in enormous pools there .
A great place to hang out and relax in central Wyoming.
ScoutOvernight with a small camper. Extremely beautiful location. No amenities. The site is a very small, dirt lot where you can park a camper or set up a tent in the grassland. Extremely beautiful sagebrush and very interesting rock formations! My 4 year old loved playing in the mud puddles… and collecting shiny spent cartridges… while we leveled the camper. Mosquitos up the wazoo after the recent rain. Two trails come off the dirt lot.
We are sharing the site with a small group (3-4) in a tent and there is a camper van who parked off the road down a ways.
Guide
There are lots of campsites at Boysen State Park. I called the phone number and talked to a nice ranger. She suggested Upper Wind River campsite since we did not have boat and wanted to have a nice tent spot. We camped 1 week before site changed from reservation to FF. We planned on staying 2 nights but it was so relaxing we ended up staying 4. 1 day we went to Marina and swim beach. Another day we went to Thermopolis and checked out Dino museum and hot springs. Last day we just hung around camp and relaxed. Campsite had a park for kids. No showers but plenty of water so we set up privacy tent and we’re able to shower when we wanted. If we were there during peak season I bet it would feel a little crowded but was perfect the time of year we went because there were maybe 10 sites filled out of the 80ish there.
GuideThis is a nice spot when traveling through Wyoming. The sites could use a little upgrading that’s why I didn’t give it a 5-star rating. The bathrooms were clean, the showers and laundromat are coin operated, and there a full hook-ups for each site. The Mineral Pool is Awesome. Staff very friendly.
Traveler
We recently stayed at Crippled Spider Ranch, and it exceeded all my expectations. Nestled in the beautiful landscape near Thermopolis, Wyoming, this ranch offers a truly unique camping experience that caters to adventurers, families, and solo travelers alike.
Campsites & Amenities: The ranch has 71 spacious spots, including full and partial hookups for RVs, and plenty of space for dry camping. The sites are well-maintained, and the full hookups provide everything you need for a comfortable stay. For those looking for an extended stay, they even offer 15% off for bookings over 7 days!
Activities & Attractions: One of the best parts of Crippled Spider Ranch is the variety of activities on-site and nearby. There’s something for everyone—whether it’s hiking on the BLM land that borders the property, petting zoo visits for the kids, or even learning to ranch and milk cows! The property is also a great base for rock hounding and exploring Wyoming’s natural beauty. You can even hunt (seasonal) or target shoot, making it perfect for outdoor enthusiasts.
For those interested in history, the ranch is near the historic Oregon Trail, and there are great opportunities for treasure hunters like metal detecting and exploring old ghost towns.
Staff & Hospitality: The hospitality here is second to none! The staff are friendly, welcoming, and go above and beyond to make sure your stay is enjoyable. You’ll feel like family from the moment you arrive. They even offer fresh, free-range eggs from their chickens and have a fun “catch-and-cook” option if you’re into farm-to-table experiences.
Sustainability & Eco-Friendly Focus: Crippled Spider Ranch also takes pride in its sustainable practices, from responsible livestock management to preserving the surrounding wilderness. This ranch is a great choice for eco-conscious travelers who want to enjoy nature responsibly.
Overall Experience: Crippled Spider Ranch is the perfect blend of adventure, relaxation, and Wyoming charm. Whether you’re a family looking for a weekend getaway or a solo adventurer seeking peace and quiet in the great outdoors, this place is a must-visit. I’ll definitely be back for more!
Tip: Be sure to book early for special events, and don’t forget to check out the nearby mineral hot springs in Thermopolis!
Guide
This site has multiple campgrounds. You have to reserve them online through Reserveamerica.com, and it is NOT an easy site to navigate. Otherwise, we were driving through & this was an excellent spot for the kids to cool off in the water & spend the night. There were trees for some shade. It has vault toilets & a water pump. Campsite has a nice tent pad, firering, & picnic table. There were bugs, but we were not bothered by mosquitoes. Sunset & sunrise were beautiful!
Guide
Buffalo Creek Campground is a couple miles down the road from Graves Spring Campground. They both boast the same amenities (fire pits, picnic tables, trash, restroom, creek access, and wildlife). However, Buffalo Creek has half the sites- so, it is more intimate. There is great fishing within 11 miles at "the tubes." This area is very popular during hunting season and a sleeping beauty the rest of the year. Drinking water is available via the creek - bring your own filtration. This is a free, well maintained, sweet escape...utilize it and enjoy the breathtaking Wyoming landscape!!
Guide
The campground is SAND with some scrub weeds on it, as expected in the middle of Wyoming. Paid over the phone, never saw the host at all, even as we were setting up and breaking down.
Definitely have your doormat out or you will track sand all over your rig.
Just passing through for a one nighter, you can't beat the price. Hosts were very friendly when making the phone reservation. Would stay again, but definitely not for long term.
LegendWe stayed in site 51, we tried to get site 53 but it said it was already reserved, turned out it wasn't. Some things are out od the parks control, rhe trains foe instance that sound like they are coming through your tent. Traffic is horrid and goes on moat od the night. But these two sites have a much bigger problem that the park can do something about. There is a giant light that makes it like noon at the dead of night, all night long! The only thing the light is good for is the bugs, which there are so many bugs, go to the light when it comes on. The bugs weren't of the biting type, most anyway, they just liked to fly into your face. Then there were the wasps. My son got stung and the neighboring site also got stung, all in a 20 minute span. They were everywhere. Even worse, shortly after 9 am on Monday, sprinklers came on! In the sites, 51 was OK, possibly due to a plugged sprinkler but site 53 was soaked. Their tent, their chairs, their concrete picnic table where they were cooking breakfast! Quite hours are not really enforced, leashed dogs aren't always enforced. They do have a giant list of fines for breaking rules but I don't see enforcement. We did visit the lake and didn't see a lot there that would have been better. We won't return to this campground though.
RangerBooked what looked like a decent site by the river and found it to be unusable when we arrived. I was considering just occupying a different site since the place was nearly empty. Thankfully a sheriff's vehicle was driving thru (which I mistook for a park ranger). He told me he'd try to help us get a different spot by calling the park office but on realizing that he had no cell service, he volunteered to drive to the office to see what he could get done for us. He returned after a short while with instructions for us to camp in an empty pull-through spot. We were very thankful for his help.
The good-
Beautiful canyon!!
Shade from big cottonwoods (it was 97 degrees!)
Some sites well spaced
Vault toilet was clean and supplied
There's good fishing there for big trout but unfortunately I was fishing this time around
The bad-
No cell or WIFI
A lot of strangely laid out sites, some ridiculously close to one another and unlevel
Sprinklers in some areas that sprinkle your site, tent or whatever's exposed
Highway noise is bad - in a canyon sound bounces off the walls, many trucks on the road with much use of jake brakes and to top it all off, the occasional 2AM freight train rolling by on the other side of the river
LegendTen miles north of Thermopolis, WY, is a small turn around parking area situated in the rolling terrain of western Wyoming. Wouldn't recommend coming out after dark if it's your first time here, as it's hard to find. But when you do, this is a very quiet and remote boondocking area. There are no bathrooms, or water close by so come prepared. And bring your solar power, there's plenty of it. We found the lot to be a little un-level and bumpy but had a few quiet nights here.
Evidence of weekend activity -- lots of spent ammo, a few old appliances used for target practice and some random burn piles indicate that Friday or Saturday nights might get a little rowdy. This might be best enjoyed mid-week unless that’s your thing.
Hiking, or mountain biking opportunities abound, as well as the nearby ruins of an old mining operation. While these structures are private property, the BLM two tracks and walking trails wind through the remains. Super cool to check out!
Thermopolis is the largest town in the region and offers all the services you’d expect, food, restaurants and even a natural food store. The downtown state park offers some really great hot springs for soaking. There are three different places offering multi-temperature pools and water slides for the kids. Great place to spend the afternoon and grab a shower. Cell phone service dropped out a few miles back down the road, but was available if you walked up to the south ridge.
RangerNice campground at 10,500 feet above sea level! Very rocky terrain. No electricity or sewer for RV's. 2 water pumps, which were shut off when we were there end of September. Lovely sounds of the North Fork Little Laramie River. Hiking available. Apparently used a lot by 4-wheelers; quite a few buzzing around the 2 days we were there. Recommended as another place when all the other campgrounds nearby are filled up!
GuideGravel and sand sites with concrete slab and shade for picnic table. No or very little shade. Lots of ants and mosquitoes.
Cooled off nice at night and very quiet for our stay mid week. Pit toilet , no showers but available fresh water.
TravelerStayed right at the lake for one night with my small RV. No hookups, but ok if self contained. Campspots are spread apart enough that running generators from other campers ( it was a hot day) weren’t to noisy.
Guide
Beautiful spot by the lake. Large sites well away from neighbours. We visited after the end of the season and just paid on entry.
Traveler
The stark beauty of this primitive camping area was beyond words. At the end of a long dirt road, you will find this diamond in the rough. Featuring just a handful of small sites, the remoteness of this area is well-suited for outdoor adventure enthusiasts. Enjoy your morning coffee with a view of the water, mountain range in the distance and curious herd of pronghorn, investigating your presence from a nearby ridge. Perfect campground for star-gazing and just getting away from it all.
-Bring your own water
+Nice vault toilet (and a great view from the outhouse door!)
TravelerComing from Casper this trip was a quick and easy drive for a weekend out of town. We stayed at upper campground and there were a lot of spots that overlooked the river. There’s a good amount of open space in the middle of campground, surrounding the playground. Also, stairs for easy water access down to the river for fishing. We were there in the early spring, but you can tell the trees provide lots of shade for the summer months. Overall we loved our experience and will definitely be going back again!
RangerThere is nothing to complain about with this view! Nice traveling stop to Yellowstone area. Sites have plenty of room and are well manicured. Cute playground areas. It was not crowded. Vault toilets. This highway will show a little longer route to your destination but the views! Cons: the wind and near the highway but offset with river sounds.
ScoutLots of different options to choose from on lake or on river...my favorite is the one right next to the tunnels. Plenty of wildlife to watch come down to river in the evening or early mornings. Kids love the train that runs thru the canyon.
LegendLot going on at this campground. Lake view a an extremely long train going through a mountain. Wild!
LegendBeautiful views, big old train going through the tunnel of a mountain. Wild little spot.
Tent camping near Lysite, Wyoming offers a chance to immerse yourself in stunning natural landscapes while enjoying a variety of outdoor activities. With several well-reviewed campgrounds in the area, you'll find the perfect spot to set up your tent and unwind.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Lysite, WY?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Lysite, WY is Buffalo Creek Campground with a 5-star rating from 2 reviews.
What is the best site to find tent camping near Lysite, WY?
TheDyrt.com has all 3 tent camping locations near Lysite, WY, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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