West Tensleep Lake

Bighorn National Forest — lakeside, fishing, hiking

Location: WORLAND, WY, WY

Price: From $18.5 per night

Rating: 4.4 out of 5 (78 reviews)

Season: May through October

West Tensleep Lake Campground is located on West Tensleep Lake on the west side of scenic Cloud Peak Skyway, near the Cloud Peak Wilderness Area. The Bighorn National Forest offers a wide variety of activities, including hiking, fishing, scenic driving and a number of historic sites. The administering organization is Rustic Freedom / Gallatin Canyon Campgrounds; e-mail: support@rusticfreedom.comFor facility specific information, please call (307) 431-7446.The campground offers single-family site

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

Amenities: Fire Rings, Picnic Tables, Vault Toilets, Drinking Water, Dump Station, Fishing

Availability alerts: Set a free cancellation alert at camperwatch.org/campground/west-tensleep-lake to be notified when sites open up.

West Tensleep Lake Campground offers stunning scenery near Cloud Peak Wilderness Area with highly-rated facilities. Google reviews consistently praise it as one of the best campgrounds, with well-maintained vault toilets and beautiful remote location.

Wildlife alert: Moose, North American Porcupine, American Red Squirrel, Yellow-bellied Marmot, American Pika, Western Wood-Pewee, Mallard, Barrow's Goldeneye, Chipping Sparrow

Insider tips for West Tensleep Lake: Book early — this is a federal campground with only 10 sites and high demand Campground is 6-7 miles off main highway on Forest Road 27; worth the drive for isolation and scenery Non-motorized watercraft only on West Tensleep Lake

Skip West Tensleep Lake if: You need RV hookups — no hookups available. You require full facility amenities — vault toilets only. You visit outside May-October — seasonal operations.

Best time to visit West Tensleep Lake: May-October — Campground operating season as listed.

Nearby campgrounds: Island Park Campground (Worland, WY), Sitting Bull (WORLAND, WY), Willow Park (WORLAND, WY), Lakeview Bighorn (WORLAND, WY).

Cell Phone Coverage at West Tensleep Lake

Cell signal at West Tensleep Lake (WORLAND, 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.

CamperWatch
CamperWatch›WY›West Tensleep Lake
West Tensleep Lake — photo 1
West Tensleep Lake — photo 2
West Tensleep Lake — photo 3
See all photos
Bighorn National Forest — lakeside, fishing, hikingLive availability via Recreation.gov· synced every 30 min

West Tensleep Lake

Share:
WORLAND, WY, WY★ 4.4 (78 reviews)From $18.5/nightFederal campground · book on Recreation.gov
On this page ↓OverviewConditionsPlan Your TripCommunity

West Tensleep Lake Campground is located on West Tensleep Lake on the west side of scenic Cloud Peak Skyway, near the Cloud Peak Wilderness Area. The Bighorn National Forest offers a wide variety of activities, including hiking, fishing, scenic driving and a number of historic sites. The administering organization is Rustic Freedom / Gallatin Canyon Campgrounds; e-mail: support@rusticfreedom.comFor facility specific information, please call (307) 431-7446.The campground offers single-family sites each equipped with a picnic table and campfire ring with grill.

Best for:AnglersHikersBoatersWildlife watchersFamiliesSites:TentRV
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
Max RV45 ft
HookupsNo hookups. Suitable for self-contained RVs.
PetsAllowed
CampfiresAllowed
Max/site6 people

Amenities

RIDB /facilities /campsites · owner-verified
Essentials
Fire RingsDrinking Water
Recreation
Picnic TablesDump Station
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 RV hookups — no hookups available✕ You require full facility amenities — vault toilets only✕ You visit outside May-October — seasonal operations

Insider tips & when to go

CamperWatch intel · hand-curated entry

Book early

this is a federal campground with only 10 sites and high demand

Campground is 6-7 miles off main highway on Forest Road 27; worth the drive for isolation and scenery

Non-motorized watercraft only on West Tensleep Lake

Best: May-October

Campground operating season as listed

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, North American Porcupine, American Red Squirrel, Yellow-bellied Marmot, American Pika, Western Wood-Pewee, Mallard, Barrow's Goldeneye, Chipping Sparrow

Location

Leaflet · OpenStreetMap tiles
Open in OpenStreetMap ↗
406-587-9054· Bighorn National Forest
Getting there →

From Worland, Wyoming, take U.S. Highway 16 east 49 miles. Take West Tensleep Road (Forest Road 27) seven miles to campground.

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

Frequently asked questions

RIDB facts + intel · FAQPage schema, speakable
How much does West Tensleep Lake cost per night?+
West Tensleep Lake costs $18.5 per night. Hookup options: No hookups. Suitable for self-contained RVs.
What season is West Tensleep Lake open?+
West Tensleep Lake is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.
Does West Tensleep Lake have hookups?+
No hookups. Suitable for self-contained RVs.
What is the maximum RV length at West Tensleep Lake?+
West Tensleep Lake can accommodate RVs up to 45 feet.
How do I make reservations at West Tensleep Lake?+
West Tensleep Lake 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 West Tensleep Lake?+
According to FCC coverage maps, cell signal at West Tensleep Lake is rated none. FCC maps show theoretical coverage — actual signal in remote or heavily forested areas may be weaker.
What season is West Tensleep Lake open, and what are check-in times?+
West Tensleep Lake 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.

$18.5 /night★ 4.4 (78)
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 West Tensleep Lake cost per night?+
What season is West Tensleep Lake open?+
Does West Tensleep Lake have hookups?+
All 7 questions →

Nearby Campgrounds

Island Park Campground

Worland, WY

From $18.5/night

Sitting Bull

WORLAND, WY

From $20/night

Willow Park

WORLAND, WY

From $20/night

Lakeview Bighorn

WORLAND, WY

From $20/night

Own a campground nearby?

List free on CamperWatch — we take 5% only on bookings we send. No monthly fee.

List your campground →
$18.5 /nightNo booking fees
+TRIPCheck availability