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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.
Legend
Free. Camped here one night in early September 2024. Except for the views, there is nothing remarkable about this primitive BLM campground. This is a good overnight stopover for those driving on the beautiful South Bighorn/Red Wall Back Country Byway. It appears that the campsites have not seen maintenance in a while. The his/hers vault toilet was okay and supplied. I did not see any trash receptacles; cleaned up the mess left behind by previous campers. No cell service in this remote region. There are no established hiking trails, although one can explore a few of the tracks in the vicinity. Stayed at the site just past the vault toilets. Dirt surface; can get muddy. Not exactly level but close enough for my campervan. Unless you area hunter, I don't consider this to be a destination. However, the journey along the byway makes it worth while to camp here. The byway was in great shape; no issues for my AWD van.
Guide
We camped here in early October. The skeletal remains of the buildings were on private property, however the roads and such were on BLM land so we parked right across from the buildings and set up the Truck Camper. There’s a plaque that explains the history of the town up the road from the buildings, and just beyond that a ways is the cemetery. It was sad to see all the graves as they were children and infants who died from the Spanish Flu or Diptheria. One gentleman we ran in to said the town wasn’t merely bulldozed but also buried! We had fun walking around and camping there for the night. There were no sounds! It was VERY quiet! No birds, crickets, insects, or wildlife. Just the gentle breeze, and one lone coyote at about 2 am.
There are no toilets or water, so prepare accordingly.
There was also a burn ban in effect so we used our portable camping stove. Make sure to check burn bans before you camp! We had so much fun, and hope other people visit too. Please be respectful of this historical relic so it can be around for as long as it can! Don’t damage your History!
Definitely recommend 4 wheel drive to traverse this area. The roads are rocky, rutted, and worn down!
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
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!
Ranger
Booked 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
Traveler
Stayed 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.
TravelerFriendly owner, water, no restrooms.
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.
Guide
We stayed here 3 nights in our RV and rented a cabin RV for family. I will start with the rental RV. It is pretty run down with no heat, hot water for a two minute shower and a wobbly toilet. Definitely disappointing fir $85 a night. While the showers and restrooms are dated they were clean and worked well. At one point the manager was going to have a very large bus RV with slide outs next to us which would have blocked our table and grassy area. The manager said we could just sit in the front of our camp. Well after a bit of discussion he moved them to a larger slot. We were not bothered by the road noise. There are a few full time residents who were very nice. I would recommend Eagle RV down the road if you can otherwise this is good for a quick stop.
TravelerWas the only person there when I stayed on a Sunday night. Rough road to get out there, but my Rav4 with no 4WD made it. Will be on your right with some wooden posts around the gravel area. Felt very remote which made me a little nervous as a solo female traveler, but would be a great spot with others or as a confident solo camper.
Scout
If you want Cleanliness, organization of the camp, functionality of facilities, availability of staff, provisions for toilet facilities, upkeep of grounds THEN THIS IS NOT THE PLACE THAT YOU WANT TO SPEND YOUR MONEY. THE TOILETS WERE FILTHY , THERE WAS NO TOILET PAPER, THE TOILET LEAKED AT ITS BASE AFTER FLUSHING, THE GROUNDS WERE UNKEPT, OF THE FOUR LAUNDROMAT NONE FUNCTIONED . TWO OF THE FOUR SHOWERS AVAILABLE WERE IN OPERABLE, AND THE OTHERS WERE FILTHY. I had booked for two nights, but I went to the office at 10 AM and no one was there. I came back later in the afternoon and requested a cancellation of the second night, and I explained why I was leaving. I do give them credit for giving me a refund.
It is unfortunate that this park is in such a state of disarray as its location and pool facilities made for a an attractive setting. Due to the overall filthiness of the facilities, I did not bother to swim in the two pools that were there. I could not recommend this facility for Camping.
Traveler
We stayed here overnight in our truck camper (July 2023). This spot is basically a large fenced in gravel parking area right off U.S. Highway 26. No bathroom or official sites at this location, just an open lot. Only one other person camping with their trailer, otherwise it was very quiet. We were a little worried we would receive the dreaded knock, but had no issues. Should be good for an overnight bivy if needed.
ScoutI had reserved site 54 through recreation.gov but at the time I thought it odd the site would not let me put in my rig size. So I just went with it. Mistake. My 30 footer wouldn't begin to fit since the pull off the road is shared between 54 and 55. I've never seen a CG where a pull through is split into 2-3 'sites'. So I drove around the park (which was mostly empty) and in spite of the giant signs screaming RESERVATIONS REQUIRED MAY 1-SEPT 30, I parked in very large site 71 which had midday sun for my solar and some shade in the late afternoon. Did the kiosk sign in thing and no one has bothered to check me out. The signage here is ridiculous, even in the bathrooms - lists of fines for everything! I guess they've had to put up with stupid, rude and inconsiderate people. Sad. No dump station (there's one at park HQ down the road south) but there are several water hydrants through the park. Mosquitoes were quite annoying along with a plethora of nonbiting flying critters my dogs enjoyed hunting. The Wind River runs along the park with a railroad on the other side. The 2x trains a day were NOT that loud and were gone in about 3 minutes. Road noise from the highway is moderate but most city folk won't notice it. Fishing isn't much fun because the river bank is steep with only 3-4 sets of stairs to the water. The birds, however, are numerous and very happy to be here. Had a momma turkey and 8 fledglings walk up to and under my trailer! I would stay here again but at a cooler time of year. The frequent breezes ameliorated the heat to a survivable level. No T Mobile here at all.
Scout
The owners go out of their way to make your stay as nice as possible. I was requested by my Dr. to get a chest xray and needed add an additional day to my stay, the staff did everything possible to make this happen. I can't thank them enough to make my stay here great.
GuideWe went in the winter so traffic was super low. Mostly just us at the park so we got the 2 giant hot spring pools to ourselves. Soak in mineral rich waters up to 110 degrees in some areas. Full hookups, but no water in the winter due to frozen lines.
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.
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.
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
LegendFountain of youth RV park definitely has its charm, but also could use some amenity upgrades.
Pros:
Huge hot spring pools open daily from 7am- 9:30 pm. Lots of space and can use floaties even kayaks on the pools. Free use of staying here. Cleaned pools one of the days we were here. Awesome to use at night under the stars.
The views from the pools are gorgeous.
Sites have enough space from one another and full hookups. The owner is really amenable and lets you choose your site.. this is great if you’re looking for more shade or space from neighbors.
There is laundry, showers, and toilets available for use.
Location is awesome—right near the state park, close to the dinosaur center, grocery store is less than a 10 min drive, lots of water activities close by (we went kayaking)
WiFi worked very well the entire time!
Cons:
The owner is definitely nice but runs the establishment by himself and therefore is hard to get a hold of initially and is very busy.
The showers are coin operated. So you have to pay one quarter for 2 1/2 minutes of showering. You can also hop over to the hot springs state park for a free soak in the bathhouse and free shower afterward!
The amenities themselves aren’t anything to write home about—laundry is fine, toilets are not amazing, nor are the showers—but everything works and there’s hot water!
Close to the road and a railroad so you can hear sounds of traffic, but it’s not crazy disruptive. Nothing earplugs can’t solve.
No Verizon or ATT service at the site.
Ultimately, I think the hot spring pools and location are well worth the $$ and loved my stay.
GuideOpen camp-sites (very little shade). Water, sewer, and electric hook-ups available. Flush toilets and coin operated showers. Garbage bins. The hot spring fountain and pools were amazing!!! Thermopolis was a friendly community with lots of fun things to do! We took in the dinosaur museum, and it was great! We were there in the middle of the week, and there were quite a few sites available.
We suggest you take in the Scenic Byway through Wind River Canyon just South of Thermopolis - it's amazing!
Guide
This is an amazing property. We stayed one night along the back fence. There were a few open sites all with 30 amp, and two with 50 amp. There was water next to the electric and a dump station on the way out. The owners invited us up onto the porch of the house where we also met the caretaker and other campers.
It is 20 minutes outside Riverton, WY for any fuel, groceries, food etc.
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.
Ranger
Lots of shade, says you have to reserve but camp host said just pick a spot and pay, if someone comes in and says they reserved your spot, just move.
Guide$55 night, full hook ups: electric, water, and sewage. Pull thru sites. All sites come with picnic table and fire ring. Sites are level. Not very private. Not a lot of shady trees so camper can warm up even with AC. Dog friendly.
Lovely big hot spring pool. it has different sections with different temps. They clean the pools bi-weekly so make sure to ask when reserving if its a cleaning week because you will lose pool time.
Didnt have much luck with wifi. at&t was very week, verizon was good in the area.
State park near by with more hot spring views and bison views. We did the spirit trail just over a mile.
Beware the whole area smells like rotten eggs due to the sulfer in the springs. It can be nauseating.
GuideShowers and bathrooms were very clean. Reasonably priced.
GuideLong drive out there with some pretty rough road towards the end. It’s 100% worth it. The view is amazing if you venture beyond the small dirt pad. Some great history and awesome camping. Lots of roads to explore. Be aware that It gets pretty windy up there.
TravelerBeautiful place, there was just another camper that night. Great if you want to stay in the wild. No amenities. Gravel road but ok 2 wheel.
Camping near Lysite, Wyoming, offers a mix of beautiful landscapes and friendly campgrounds. Whether you're in a tent, RV, or looking for a cabin, there are plenty of options to enjoy the great outdoors.
Camping near Lysite, Wyoming, has something for everyone, from families to solo adventurers. Just be prepared for the unique quirks of each campground!
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.
