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NORTHWEST REGION
Yellowstone
Road Construction
Road construction in Yellowstone continues... check out the park's
website: http://www.nps.gov/yell/planyourvisit/roadclosures.htm
New Visitor Center
at Old Faithful
A new visitor center at Old Faithful in Yellowstone is now open and
you have to check it out. Here's a link in case you can't get there in
person: http://mms.nps.gov/yell/ofvec/index.htm
Togwotee Pass
Road Construction
The 10-year construction project on HWY 26/287 between Moran and Dubois
is well underway... expect up to an hour or more delay when driving along
this stretch this summer.
Shoshone National
Forest Campgrounds (North Unit)
Big Game
Campground, a Forest Service camp west of Cody, has been renovated and
now offers electric service at some sites. Fox
Creek Campground has also received a massive overhaul. It now includes
34 long parking spurs and electric hookups. All this comes with a fee
increase: $20.
Grand Teton National
Park Additions
The new Craig Thomas Discovery & Visitor Center is open in Moose (near
Jackson). If you're anywhere near GTNP, be sure to stop by this gem. Also,
a grand new aerial tram at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort is also now operating
- go take a ride!

SOUTHWEST
REGION
Shoshone
National Forest Campgrounds (South Unit)
Some of the camps in the Shoshone National Forest (as well as the
BLM camps between Pinedale and Lander) are being effected by the pine
bark beetle. You'll find that the forests have been thinned (or will be
thinned). Fortunately, many of these camps have a diverse forest of aspen,
spruce, and fir, so they shade can still be found. One closure this season
is Big Sandy Campground north of Farson; the popular trailhead is still
open, however. Nearby Scab Creek Campground/Trailhead (toward Pinedale)
is a good alternative.
CENTRAL
REGION
Plenty of water at Glendo State Park
The Wyoming Division of State Parks and Historic Sites has set up temporary
campsites around Glendo to help mitigate anticipated flooding of existing
campgrounds this summer. The area has received record snowfall and the
North Platte River is running nearly 175% of average.
Campground flooding
at Dugway Campground
This BLM camp between Seminoe Reservoir/Miracle Mile and Rawlins usually
sits right along the North Platte River. Unfortunately, as of early July,
it was the river. Pretty impressive sight. A BLM ranger predicted that
it would be opened by the end of July. Watch for rattlers!

Changes to Guernsey
State Park
Spring Creek Cove campground is permanently closed and Sitting Bull
Campground has been converted to a day use-only area.
Changes to Seminoe
State Park
Some motorized restrictions have been put in place in recent years
to help mitigate out-of-control ATV and dirt bike use, though there is
still plenty of good sand riding just outside of the park. Looking for
more places where you can ride? Check out our new WYOMING
BACKROADS book, which has 145 backcountry drives, 4WD routes, and
ATV trails.
Laramie Range
The Laramie Range has been especially beautiful this summer and with all
the snow up in the Snowy Range, campers have been coming here instead.
Here's a photo of Esterbrook Campground (a great family camp) this season:

Louis Lake Road
near Lander
The steep switchbacks above Sinks Canyon State Park outside of Lander
have been paved to the turnoff to Worthen Meadows Campground. It's now
easier than ever to get up into the eastern/southern portions of the Wind
Rivers. Here's a picture taken this month from the Louis Lake Road:

NORTH-NORTHEAST
REGION
New Guidebook for
the Black Hills
One thing learned over the years is that a lot of Wyoming campers
incorporate the Black Hills into their trip. We now have an all new 180-page
guidebook that focuses on the dozens of public campgrounds in northeastern
Wyoming and western South Dakota. While a lot of free Black Hills campground
info can be found on the web, you'll discover that it's incomplete, inaccurate,
and just spotty. This new book is an answer to that. http://www.campingblackhills.com

Campground flooding
at Medicine Lodge Archaeological Site
The archaeological site west of the Bighorns, near Hyattville, is
currently flooded and closed.
Bighorn Lake (Horseshoe
Bend Campground) Update
Abundant precipitation has helped refill depleted Bighorn Lake in
northern Wyoming. The marina has been open the last two years as well
as a tour boat service operated by Hidden
Treasure Charters that allows visitors to experience the deep canyons
that make this area incredible. The campground at Horseshoe Bend has also
been renovated and now offers better parking spurs with water, electric,
and windbreaks. Go check it out!
Bighorn National
Forest Campgrounds
In the northern Bighorns, Upper Paintrock Lake is closed, possibly for
good--not a big loss considering there are two other camps right next
to it. In the southern Bighorns, Bull Creek (near Meadowlark Reservoir)
has been permanently closed due to dangerous timber conditions. South
Fork (near Crazy Woman Canyon) should be open in 2011 following renovations
last year.
SOUTH-SOUTHEAST
REGION
Washouts
in the Medicine Bow National Forest
During heavy rains on July 19, South Brush Creek washed out these three
roads on the Saratoga side of the Medicine Bow Mountains (near Ryan Park):
Forest Road 100, 225, and HWY 130 (Snowy Range Scnenic Byway). The highway
is now open again with a single-lane bridge.
Curt
Gowdy State Park Campgrounds
Tumbleweeds campground, along the north shore of Granite Reservoir,
is a new trailer-friendly camp with paved parking spurs and water hydrants
at each site.
Medicine Bow National
Forest Visitor Center Closure
The small visitor center just west of Centennial is closed this season
and next while they build a larger one. This was a popular place for hikers
to buy our Medicine Bow hiking
book, so if you need to get a copy when you're there, stop by the
JN Mercantile on the edge of Centennial. The Brush Creek Visitor Center
(on the west side of the mountain range) will still be open this year
- and the Forest Service says they'll have their Laramie heardquarters
office open on Saturdays to help offset the closure.
Sugarloaf
Campground is improved
The highest campground in the state, found in southeast Wyoming's Snowy
Range has been renovated to accomodate longer camping units. The parking
spurs had been best suited for the shortest of camping units, but can
now accomodate modest-sized trailers or RVs. These sites can now be reserved
on www.recreation.gov.
Tie City Campground
Open in Medicine Bow National Forest
The campground located on Pole Mountain between Cheyenne and Laramie is
open again after a couple of seasons being closed. However, the group
site on Pole Mountain appears to be closed in 2011.
Medicine Bow/Sierra
Madre Campground Closures
The campgrounds in the Medicine Bow National forest have suffered
from extensive bark beetle damage and the trees are now prone to falling
or blowing over. The Forest Service response is to either clear out the
trees or just permanently close the camp altogether. Silver Lake Campground,
Boswell Creek, and Haskins Creek Campground have all been permanently
closed. Camps that are closed now (2011) but may open again include Bobbie
Thompson, Miller Lake, and Hog Park (day use still allowed). Camps that
have already been cleared (of all trees) or thinned include North Fork,
Ryan Park, Bottle Creek, and Rob Roy Reservoir (a dozen sites open).

Hazardous tree thinning
at North Fork Campground, July 2010
Correction (First
Edition only): The driving directions for Silver Lake (now closed),
Ryan Park, Brush Creek, and Lincoln Park Campgrounds (pages 353-356) falsely
state to drive west on HWY 130 from Saratoga. The directions should read
"east."
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