🏕️ The Best Campsites for Wyoming Survival Preppers
As a seasoned survival prepper living in Wyoming, I’ve learned that the key to thriving in the wild is preparation. The Cowboy State offers a diverse range of terrains—from the towering peaks of the Tetons to the expansive plains of the east—each presenting unique challenges and opportunities for honing survival skills. Below is a curated list of 30 top camping sites across Wyoming, ideal for preppers seeking to test their gear, practice wilderness survival techniques, and immerse themselves in the state’s rugged beauty.
🏞️ 1. Jenny Lake Campground (Grand Teton National Park)
Nestled at the base of the majestic Teton Range, this campground offers breathtaking views and access to numerous hiking trails. It’s a prime spot for testing shelter setups and water purification methods.
🏞️ 2. Island Lake Campground (Beartooth Highway)
Located in the Shoshone National Forest, this remote campground is perfect for practicing navigation and off-grid cooking techniques. Its proximity to Yellowstone’s northeastern entrance makes it a strategic base for wilderness excursions.Camping Kiddos
🏞️ 3. Curt Gowdy State Park
Situated between Cheyenne and Laramie, this park offers diverse terrains for testing various survival scenarios. With over 170 campsites, it’s ideal for group training exercises.Lonely Planet
🏞️ 4. Glendo State Park
Known for its expansive reservoir, Glendo provides opportunities for water-based survival training and fishing practice. The park’s varied landscapes are perfect for simulating different disaster scenarios.PlanetWare
🏞️ 5. Vedauwoo Campground (Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest)
Famous for its unique rock formations, Vedauwoo offers challenging terrains for practicing shelter building and fire-starting techniques.Book Outdoors
🏞️ 6. Boysen State Park
Located near the Wind River Canyon, this park is ideal for testing water filtration systems and practicing fishing skills.
🏞️ 7. Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area
With both drive-in and boat-accessible campgrounds, Bighorn Canyon offers diverse environments for survival training, from dense forests to open plains.Wikipedia
🏞️ 8. Medicine Lodge Archeological Site
This historic site near Hyattville features ancient Native American petroglyphs and offers a unique setting for wilderness survival practice.Book Outdoors
🏞️ 9. Horseshoe Bend Campground (Bighorn Canyon)
Located in the South District of Bighorn Canyon, this campground provides a mix of forested areas and open spaces, perfect for testing navigation and shelter-building skills.Wikipedia
🏞️ 10. Afterbay Campground (Bighorn Canyon)
Situated in the North District, Afterbay offers a more secluded environment for practicing solo survival techniques and honing bushcraft skills.
🏞️ 11. Two Moon Campground (Glendo State Park)
As the largest campground in Glendo State Park, Two Moon offers ample space for group survival training exercises and testing various gear setups.
🏞️ 12. Sandy Beach Dune Campground (Glendo State Park)
This campground provides access to the reservoir’s shoreline, ideal for practicing water-based survival skills and fishing techniques.
🏞️ 13. Grayrocks Reservoir
A free camping spot near Greyrocks Reservoir, offering opportunities for fishing, wildlife observation, and testing off-grid living setups.YouTube+1Only In Your State+1
🏞️ 14. Castle Gardens Campground
Located near Lander, this campground offers a unique setting with nearby petroglyphs and opportunities for hiking and wildlife observation.Only In Your State+1Camping Kiddos+1
🏞️ 15. Cokeville Campground
A free, no-reservation campground in Cokeville, providing a peaceful setting for solo survival practice and nature immersion.Only In Your State
🏞️ 16. Encampment River Campground
Situated near Rawlins, this campground offers access to the Encampment River, ideal for practicing water purification and fishing skills.Only In Your State
🏞️ 17. Cook Lake Campground
Located near Sundance, this campground offers a tranquil setting with opportunities for hiking, fishing, and wildlife observation.
🏞️ 18. Slough Creek Campground (Yellowstone National Park)
A remote campground in Yellowstone’s Lamar Valley, Slough Creek offers opportunities for wildlife observation and practicing backcountry survival skills.
🏞️ 19. Pebble Creek Campground (Yellowstone National Park)
Situated in the northeastern part of Yellowstone, this campground provides access to hiking trails and opportunities for wildlife observation.
🏞️ 20. Bridge Bay Campground (Yellowstone National Park)
Located near Yellowstone Lake, Bridge Bay offers amenities like flush toilets and coin-operated showers, making it suitable for testing gear and practicing camp setup.Book Outdoors
🏞️ 21. Madison Arm Resort
A glamping option near Yellowstone, Madison Arm offers a mix of comfort and wilderness, ideal for testing luxury survival setups.cntraveler.com
🏞️ 22. Thorofare Campground (Yellowstone National Park)
One of the most remote campgrounds in Yellowstone, Thorofare offers solitude and a true wilderness experience for advanced survival training.cntraveler.com
🏞️ 23. Shoshone Geyser Basin Campground (Yellowstone National Park)
Accessible only by hiking, this campground offers a challenging environment for practicing navigation and backcountry survival skills.
🏞️ 24. Beartooth Lake Campground
Located near Cody, this campground offers access to Beartooth Lake and opportunities for fishing and wildlife observation.
🏞️ 25. Cliff Creek Campground
Nestled in the Hoback Canyon, this peaceful site offers easy access to trails, rivers, and steep terrain. It’s ideal for testing your gear in a rugged, forested environment where quick adaptation is crucial.
🏞️ 26. Granite Hot Springs Campground
Located southeast of Jackson, this campground offers a mix of backcountry adventure and natural relaxation. Practicing water collection, cooking, and cold-weather shelter setups in this geothermal region can teach you how to use the land’s resources wisely.
🏞️ 27. Gros Ventre Campground (Grand Teton National Park)
With panoramic views of the Tetons and abundant wildlife, Gros Ventre offers the perfect setting for food storage training, animal encounter protocols, and water filtration practice.
🏞️ 28. Buffalo Bill State Park
Just outside of Cody, this large park offers lake access and wide-open spaces for building temporary shelters, water transport drills, and fishing-based food plans.
🏞️ 29. Sinks Canyon State Park
Located near Lander, this site showcases underground river systems and unique geology. It’s an excellent location to practice water sourcing, shelter positioning, and navigation using natural landmarks.
🏞️ 30. Shell Falls Campground (Bighorn National Forest)
High up in the Bighorns, this lesser-known site is isolated enough for deep wilderness training—perfect for preppers working on long-term off-grid strategies.
🧭 Why These Sites Matter for Wyoming Preppers
Wyoming isn’t just another pretty state—it’s a prepper’s testing ground. With high winds, long winters, wildfires, and even seismic activity in the western region, it demands more than a bug-out bag. It requires field knowledge, tested skills, and mental toughness. These 30 campgrounds offer environments where you can simulate realistic survival situations and learn the true value of preparedness.
🔥 Prepper Tips for Wyoming Survival Camping
- Altitude Acclimation – Many of Wyoming’s best campgrounds are over 6,000 feet. Train your lungs and prepare for slower recovery during physical tasks.
- Wildlife Awareness – Learn how to hang food, store gear, and handle bear encounters. Wyoming is grizzly country.
- Water Sources – Know where to find clean water or how to filter from alpine lakes and glacial streams.
- Cold Weather Prep – Always pack for subfreezing temps, even in summer. Frostbite and hypothermia are real risks.
- Fire Building – Winds can reach 50 mph or more. Practice building wind-protected fires in various conditions.
- Solar Power Savvy – With few outlets and lots of sun, Wyoming’s ideal for testing solar chargers and portable panels.
- Camp Setup in Wind – Know how to secure tents with guy lines and heavy-duty stakes for 40+ mph gusts.
- Foraging & Edible Plants – Learn Wyoming’s wild edibles like cattail, wild onion, and dandelion. Never eat what you can’t ID.
- Map Reading – GPS is great until it’s not. Practice map and compass skills in the wilderness.
- Backup Communication – Cell service is nonexistent in many remote areas. Practice using satellite messengers or HAM radios.
🎯 Final Word from a Wyoming Survivalist
Camping in Wyoming isn’t a leisure activity for me—it’s a proving ground. If I can’t make it out here for three nights with just my pack, tarp, and tools, I know I’m not ready for a long-term crisis. That’s the mindset every survivalist should have: use nature now to train for later. You don’t get do-overs when the grid goes down.
The mountains don’t care if your gear fails. The weather won’t wait for you to figure out how to tie a tarp. Out here, you either adapt or you suffer. These 30 campgrounds are where you learn to adapt.
TheDailyChristian 