Bow River Campground (Wy)

Medicine Bow-Routt NFs & Thunder Basin NG — lakeside, fishing

Location: WY, WY

Price: From $14 per night

Rating: 3.8 out of 5 (5 reviews)

Season: May through October

Bow River Campground hosts 13 campsites and is located on the upper Medicine Bow River. The campground is located next to Bow River in a wooded forest of Lodgepole and Spruce pines and some young Aspen. The campground is quiet and tranquil.

Cell coverage (FCC estimate): none signal. Actual signal may vary in remote areas.

Amenities: Fire Rings, Picnic Tables, Vault Toilets, Drinking Water, Camp Host, Fishing

Availability alerts: Set a free cancellation alert at camperwatch.org/campground/bow-river-campground-wy to be notified when sites open up.

Bow River Campground offers 13 quiet, tranquil campsites in a wooded forest of Lodgepole and Spruce pines along the upper Medicine Bow River. The campground provides essential amenities including fire rings, picnic tables, vault toilets, drinking water, and fishing access.

Wildlife alert: Moose and American Black Bear present in area; also Mule Deer, Snowshoe Hare, Canada Jay, Dusky Grouse, American Three-toed Woodpecker, and Sandhill Crane.

Insider tips for Bow River Campground (Wy): This is a pack-in pack-out campground with no trash service; plan accordingly Pick up a motor vehicle use map for free at the Ranger station in Saratoga Expect slow driving conditions on Forest Road 100; allow extra travel time from Saratoga

Skip Bow River Campground (Wy) if: You need hookups; no hookups available at sites. You prefer year-round access; seasonal operations May through October only. You dislike booking in advance; federal campground requires early booking.

Best time to visit Bow River Campground (Wy): July-October — Campground operates May through October; OHVs can explore Campbell Lake Loop after July 1 (approximately 9 miles south).

Nearby campgrounds: Bow River Ranger Station (Saratoga, WY), Deep Creek Campground, Medicine Bow-Routt (WY), Brooklyn Lake Campground (Laramie, WY), Sugarloaf Campground (Wy) (Laramie, WY).

Cell Phone Coverage at Bow River Campground (Wy)

Cell signal at Bow River Campground (Wy) (WY): none overall signal based on FCC broadband data.

Coverage data source: FCC Broadband Data Collection (BDC). Actual signal may vary due to terrain, tree cover, and distance from towers. Camper reports are more reliable than coverage maps in remote areas.

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Medicine Bow-Routt NFs & Thunder Basin NG — lakeside, fishingLive availability via Recreation.gov· synced every 30 min

Bow River Campground (Wy)

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WY, WY★ 3.8 (5 reviews)From $14/nightFederal campground · book on Recreation.gov
On this page ↓OverviewConditionsPlan Your TripCommunity

Bow River Campground hosts 13 campsites and is located on the upper Medicine Bow River. The campground is located next to Bow River in a wooded forest of Lodgepole and Spruce pines and some young Aspen. The campground is quiet and tranquil.

Best for:AnglersWildlife watchersFamiliesBackpackersSites:Tent
LIVE · weather + fire + AQI + availability + wildlife

Verified facts

RIDB / Recreation.gov official database
Check-in2:00 PM
Check-out12:00 PM
SeasonMay through October
Stay limit14 days
HookupsNo hookups.
ToiletsVault toilets
PetsAllowed
CampfiresAllowed
Max/site6 people

Amenities

RIDB /facilities /campsites · owner-verified
Essentials
Fire RingsDrinking Water
Recreation
Picnic TablesCamp Host
Family & Pets
Vault ToiletsFishing

Straight talk

CamperWatch intel · curated from camper reports

Known issues, each with the workaround. Read before you book.

Known issuesFederal campground — book early. No hookups at most sites. Seasonal operations.
Skip it if:✕ You need hookups; no hookups available at sites✕ You prefer year-round access; seasonal operations May through October only✕ You dislike booking in advance; federal campground requires early booking

Insider tips & when to go

CamperWatch intel · hand-curated entry

This is a pack-in pack-out campground with no trash service; plan accordingly

Pick up a motor vehicle use map for free at the Ranger station in Saratoga

Expect slow driving conditions on Forest Road 100; allow extra travel time from Saratoga

Best: July-October

Campground operates May through October; OHVs can explore Campbell Lake Loop after July 1 (approximately 9 miles south)

Things to do nearby

RIDB /activities /recareas + intel

Conditions today

Live
at campground coordinates

Cell signal

FCC BDC · quarterly dataset
T-Mobile
4G · 0%
Verizon
4G · 0%
AT&T
4G · 0%

FCC maps are theoretical — camper reports confirm signal.

Wildlife nearby

iNaturalist · research-grade · 8 km
Alert: Moose and American Black Bear present in area; also Mule Deer, Snowshoe Hare, Canada Jay, Dusky Grouse, American Three-toed Woodpecker, and Sandhill Crane.

Location

Leaflet · OpenStreetMap tiles
Open in OpenStreetMap ↗
307-326-5258· Medicine Bow-Routt NFs & Thunder Basin NG
Getting there →

Directions: From Saratoga, WY take the Snowy Range Highway east 20 miles to Forest Road 100. Turn onto Forest Road 100 and drive approximately 20 miles to the Bow River campground. This is a slow drive. From Elk Mountain, WY take Carbon County Road 101 south to the National Forest boundary. Continue on Road 101 to Forest Road 100, approximately 2 miles. Turn onto Forest Road 100 and watch for the campground in less than .5 mile.

Campground entrance

Google Maps API

Community

#community · posts, photos & Q&A · AI-moderated (Claude Vision)

Pro tips

  • Book on recreation.gov exactly 6 months ahead at 10am ET — Medicine Bow-Routt NFs & Thunder Basin NG fills fast in peak season.
  • Check current road conditions at Medicine Bow-Routt NFs & Thunder Basin NG before arrival — seasonal closures common.

Frequently asked questions

RIDB facts + intel · FAQPage schema, speakable
How much does Bow River Campground (Wy) cost per night?+
Bow River Campground (Wy) costs $14 per night. Hookup options: No hookups.
What season is Bow River Campground (Wy) open?+
Bow River Campground (Wy) is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.
Does Bow River Campground (Wy) have hookups?+
No hookups.
What is the maximum RV length at Bow River Campground (Wy)?+
Bow River Campground (Wy) is primarily a tent camping facility.
How do I make reservations at Bow River Campground (Wy)?+
Bow River Campground (Wy) is a federal campground — book 6 months ahead at Recreation.gov. Set a free CamperWatch cancellation alert to be notified the moment a site opens.
What is the cell service like at Bow River Campground (Wy)?+
According to FCC coverage maps, cell signal at Bow River Campground (Wy) is rated none. FCC maps show theoretical coverage — actual signal in remote or heavily forested areas may be weaker.
What season is Bow River Campground (Wy) open, and what are check-in times?+
Bow River Campground (Wy) is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.
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●Data sources on this page
Recreation.gov — Live site availability — updated every 30 min
recreation.gov · RIDB API
National Weather Service — Live hourly forecast + active alerts
api.weather.gov · open-meteo.com
Google Air Quality API — Live AQI at exact campground coordinates
airquality.googleapis.com
iNaturalist — Research-grade wildlife within 8km
api.inaturalist.org
Google Pollen API — Today’s tree, grass & weed pollen forecast
pollen.googleapis.com
FCC Broadband Map — Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile 4G/5G coverage data
broadbandmap.fcc.gov · quarterly
Sunrise-Sunset.org — Sunrise, sunset & golden hour for today
api.sunrise-sunset.org
Google Street View — Campground entrance & access road imagery
maps.googleapis.com
RIDB — ADA sites, hookups, toilets, pets, campfire rules, bear boxes, max RV, activities, contact, directions
ridb.recreation.gov · /facilities /campsites /activities /links /recareas

CamperWatch never fabricates data. Where data is unavailable, it is not shown.

$14 /night★ 3.8 (5)
SeasonMay through October
Check-in2:00 PM
Check-out12:00 PM
Reserve on Recreation.gov ↗
Dates full? Get an availability alert
FAQ
How much does Bow River Campground (Wy) cost per night?+
What season is Bow River Campground (Wy) open?+
Does Bow River Campground (Wy) have hookups?+
All 7 questions →

Nearby Campgrounds

Bow River Ranger Station

Saratoga, WY

From $135/night

Deep Creek Campground, Medicine Bow-Routt

WY

From $20/night

Brooklyn Lake Campground

Laramie, WY

From $20/night

Sugarloaf Campground (Wy)

Laramie, WY

From $20/night

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