Camping Near Casper, Wyoming
Camping is one of the best ways to experience nature. Whether you’re in a tent or an RV, setting up camp and sleeping far from the lights and noise of the city lets you immerse yourself in the splendor and tranquility of the natural world. You have time to slow down, notice more, and settle into a different rhythm.
For those seeking a place to get away from it all, Casper is an ideal jumping-off point. From well-equipped RV parks on the edge of the city to the solitude of dispersed backwoods camping in sprawling national forests, your next camping adventure is within easy reach. In this post, we’ll take a quick tour of what’s available in the area along with key details to help you plan your trip.
Camping Opportunities Close to Casper
You can’t get any closer than right on the edge of town, and that’s where you’ll find Fort Casper Campground. With full hookups available and onsite amenities like showers, laundry, and a playground, this could make a great home base for RV campers to explore the many things to do in Casper and the surrounding area. Find similar facilities about five miles north of town at Casper KOA Journey.
Casper sits at the base of Casper Mountain and its plentiful forests and hiking trails are an easy reach from town. Natrona County Parks and Recreation runs five campgrounds (Elkhorn Springs, Tower Hill, Beartrap, Skunk Hollow, and Deer Haven) clustered on the top of Casper Mountain, each of which can be reached in 20-30 minutes by car from downtown.
The facilities are basic, with each site including a fire ring and picnic table. No water is available. Most of the campgrounds are small, including fewer than ten sites, and are situated in pristine natural settings. You’ll find hiking trails and other recreational activities nearby.
Heading another 15 minutes further south to the Muddy Mountain area, the Bureau of Land Management runs the Rim and Lodgepole campgrounds. Each has 15 sites and includes pull-through sites for RVs. The Muddy Mountain trailhead is easily accessible, and this is some of the area’s most affordable camping at just $7 a night.
To the southwest of Casper lie the Alcova and Pathfinder reservoirs. Here you’ll find a cluster of campgrounds that get you close to the water and the abundant fishing and boating opportunities that are the area’s big attraction.
Pete’s Draw Campground, on the North Platte River just before you reach the Alcova Reservoir, is run by the BLM. Natrona County administers a number of other campgrounds on the shores of the Alcova and Pathfinder reservoirs, several of which feature boat launches. Sites at any of these facilities are a very reasonable $10-$12 a night for basic sites. One campground includes full RV hook-ups for $35/night.
Camping in Nearby National Forests
If you’re willing to drive a bit further, you’ll gain access to an incredible variety of camping experiences in the region’s national forests. Casper sits roughly in the middle of a triangle stretching from Bighorn National Forest to the northwest, to Black Hills National Forest to the northeast, and to Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest to the south.
The national forests encompass vast stretches of wilderness, with each landscape having its own unique character, from the flowered alpine meadows of the Bighorns to the rocky, arid peaks of Medicine Bow. They all contain many miles of hiking trails and scores of campgrounds. As noted above, they also give you the opportunity to experience dispersed camping, finding your own quiet spot to soak in the beauty and stillness of the landscape.
You can reach Buffalo, the eastern gateway to the Bighorn Mountains in under two hours, Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest in just over two, and the edge of the Black Hills in about two hours and 45 minutes.
Here’s where you can find out more about camping in each national forest:
Living Close to Nature
In Casper, opportunities to spread your tent or park your RV and enjoy the rugged beauty of Western landscapes abound right outside your doorstep. That’s part of what makes this such a great place to visit. It’s also part of what makes this a desirable place to live, where proximity to nature joins the cultural amenities of a vibrant downtown (including some amazing places to eat) for a lifestyle that gives you access to the best of the West. The new Nolan Townhouses, boasting contemporary styling for discriminating tastes, put you in the heart of it all. Discover what it can look like to call Casper home.
