Cottonwood Group Picnic Site

Bridger-Teton National Forest — lakeside, hiking

Location: AFTON, WY, WY

Price: From $20 per night

Rating: 1 out of 5 (1 reviews)

Season: May through October

Cottonwood Group Picnic Site is located next to scenic Cottonwood Lake on the Salt River Mountains, surrounded by the forests of western Wyoming.The lake offers great canoeing and boating for smaller craft, as well as fishing for brook and cutthroat trout. Hiking, mountain biking, off-road vehicle and horseback riding trails are in the area.This day-use picnic site can accommodate up to 25 guests and 8-10 vehicles. Vault toilets and drinking water are provided.

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

Amenities: Fire Rings, Picnic Tables, Vault Toilets, Drinking Water

Availability alerts: Set a free cancellation alert at camperwatch.org/campground/cottonwood-group-picnic-site to be notified when sites open up.

Cottonwood Group Picnic Site offers scenic camping next to Cottonwood Lake in the Salt River Mountains with access to excellent recreation including canoeing, fishing for brook and cutthroat trout, and nearby hiking and mountain biking trails.

Wildlife alert: Moose, Snowshoe Hare, White-tailed Jackrabbit, American Pika, Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel, Western Tanager, American Barn Owl, Eared Grebe, Gray Partridge, Western Terrestrial Garter Snake, and Wandering Garter Snake documented in the area.

Insider tips for Cottonwood Group Picnic Site: Book early as this is a federal campground with limited availability Site accommodates up to 25 guests and 8-10 vehicles Access road has forest boundary approximately 1 mile from entrance

Skip Cottonwood Group Picnic Site if: You need hookups — no hookups available at this site. You're visiting outside May through October — seasonal operations only. You want individual tent sites — only 1 site total available.

Best time to visit Cottonwood Group Picnic Site: May-October — Campground operates seasonally May through October only.

Nearby campgrounds: Cottonwood Group Campsite (AFTON, WY), Cazier Cabin (AFTON, WY), La Barge Guard Station (KEMMERER, WY), Allred Flats Group Picnic Site (Kemmerer, WY).

Cell Phone Coverage at Cottonwood Group Picnic Site

Cell signal at Cottonwood Group Picnic Site (AFTON, 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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CamperWatch›WY›Cottonwood Group Picnic Site
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Bridger-Teton National Forest — lakeside, hikingLive availability via Recreation.gov· synced every 30 min

Cottonwood Group Picnic Site

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AFTON, WY, WY★ 1 (1 reviews)From $20/nightFederal campground · book on Recreation.gov
On this page ↓OverviewConditionsPlan Your TripCommunity

Cottonwood Group Picnic Site is located next to scenic Cottonwood Lake on the Salt River Mountains, surrounded by the forests of western Wyoming.The lake offers great canoeing and boating for smaller craft, as well as fishing for brook and cutthroat trout. Hiking, mountain biking, off-road vehicle and horseback riding trails are in the area.This day-use picnic site can accommodate up to 25 guests and 8-10 vehicles. Vault toilets and drinking water are provided.

Best for:HikersWildlife watchersFamiliesSites: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.
PetsAllowed
Max/site6 people

Amenities

RIDB /facilities /campsites · owner-verified
Essentials
Fire RingsDrinking Water
Recreation
Picnic Tables
Family & Pets
Vault Toilets

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 this site✕ You're visiting outside May through October — seasonal operations only✕ You want individual tent sites — only 1 site total available

Insider tips & when to go

CamperWatch intel · hand-curated entry

Book early as this is a federal campground with limited availability

Site accommodates up to 25 guests and 8-10 vehicles

Access road has forest boundary approximately 1 mile from entrance

Best: May-October

Campground operates seasonally May through October only

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, Snowshoe Hare, White-tailed Jackrabbit, American Pika, Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel, Western Tanager, American Barn Owl, Eared Grebe, Gray Partridge, Western Terrestrial Garter Snake, and Wandering Garter Snake documented in the area.

Location

Leaflet · OpenStreetMap tiles
Open in OpenStreetMap ↗
307-886-5300· Bridger-Teton National Forest
Getting there →

From Afton, Wyoming, take Highway 89 south approximately 7 miles to Smoot and watch for signs for the Cottonwood Lake Campground. The forest boundary is about a mile up the access road, and the campground is 6 miles beyond that. Continue past the west first loop of the campground, then go right at the 'Y' intersection toward lake. The group picnic area is on the left side of the road.

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 — Bridger-Teton National Forest fills fast in peak season.
  • Check current road conditions at Bridger-Teton National Forest before arrival — seasonal closures common.

Frequently asked questions

RIDB facts + intel · FAQPage schema, speakable
How much does Cottonwood Group Picnic Site cost per night?+
Cottonwood Group Picnic Site costs $20 per night. Hookup options: No hookups.
What season is Cottonwood Group Picnic Site open?+
Cottonwood Group Picnic Site is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.
Does Cottonwood Group Picnic Site have hookups?+
No hookups.
What is the maximum RV length at Cottonwood Group Picnic Site?+
Cottonwood Group Picnic Site is primarily a tent camping facility.
How do I make reservations at Cottonwood Group Picnic Site?+
Cottonwood Group Picnic Site 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 Cottonwood Group Picnic Site?+
According to FCC coverage maps, cell signal at Cottonwood Group Picnic Site is rated none. FCC maps show theoretical coverage — actual signal in remote or heavily forested areas may be weaker.
What season is Cottonwood Group Picnic Site open, and what are check-in times?+
Cottonwood Group Picnic Site is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.

Official resources

Print Facility Map
Compare campgroundsPlan a multi-stop trip
●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.

$20 /night★ 1 (1)
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 Cottonwood Group Picnic Site cost per night?+
What season is Cottonwood Group Picnic Site open?+
Does Cottonwood Group Picnic Site have hookups?+
All 7 questions →

Nearby Campgrounds

Cottonwood Group Campsite

AFTON, WY

From $45/night

Cazier Cabin

AFTON, WY

From $50/night

La Barge Guard Station

KEMMERER, WY

From $60/night

Allred Flats Group Picnic Site

Kemmerer, WY

From $25/night

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