Curt Gowdy State Park draws bikers, campers and year-round visitors

Curt Gowdy State Park finished 2025 with nearly 600,000 visitors, the second-highest total in its history. Set between Cheyenne and Laramie along Happy Jack Road, with access near I-80 and I-25, the park folds biking, fishing, camping and hiking into one state-park destination.

A park built for repeat trips

Curt Gowdy has been part of the county’s outdoor identity since 1971, when it opened as Granite State Park. Wyoming renamed it Curt Gowdy State Park in March 1972, honoring Curt Gowdy, who was born in Green River and grew up and started his broadcasting career in Cheyenne. The park began as a roughly 11,000-acre site and has grown since then.

A park that sits 24 miles west of Cheyenne and 24 miles east of Laramie keeps people moving through Albany County instead of past it, and its year-round schedule creates repeat visits that can spill into fuel stops, meals, gear purchases and overnight stays. Curt Gowdy is open 365 days a year, with 24-hour access for campers who have a permit.

Why cyclists keep coming back

Biking is the park’s marquee draw. The Curt Gowdy Trail System includes about 35 miles of trails connecting Granite and Crystal reservoirs, plus four mountain bike play areas and skills areas. The International Mountain Bicycling Association gave the system its Epic designation in 2009, and Wyoming remains home to the state’s first and only IMBA Epic route.

The park had about 50 miles of trail overall in 2026.

What works best by season

In spring, Curt Gowdy is at its most flexible. Hiking, wildlife viewing, geocaching and shoreline fishing all fit the shoulder season well, and the park’s trails suit a wide range of skill levels. Kate’s Trail, a 1-mile concrete route that starts and finishes at the visitor center, gives people with disabilities a way to see natural areas without needing to tackle the park’s more technical terrain.

Summer is the time for the full mix of biking, camping and water use. Granite Reservoir offers rainbow trout and kokanee salmon fishing, Crystal Reservoir adds shoreline fishing for brown trout, rainbow trout and kokanee salmon, and the park’s boating and paddleboarding options keep the reservoirs busy as temperatures rise. The park also hosts 178 reservable RV campsites, while tent camping includes 179 campsites and cabins, with some sites first-come, first-served in the off-season.

Fall is often the best time to slow the pace down. Cooler weather makes the trail system easier to use for longer rides and hikes, and anglers can still spread out across the three reservoirs rather than crowding one shoreline. Winter keeps the park useful in a different way, with skiing, snowshoeing and winter sports among the available activities.

What a day trip costs

For Wyoming residents, the 2026 state park fee schedule lists day use at $7 per vehicle. Nonresidents pay $12 per vehicle. If you visit often enough that the gate fee starts to add up, annual day-use permits are $48 for a first vehicle for residents and $96 for a first vehicle for nonresidents, with additional-vehicle options also available.

Camping costs are separate and vary by site, and electric service adds $10 per night. Curt Gowdy’s RV campsites are reservable only, and camping is available year-round, although some tent sites shift between reservation and first-come, first-served status depending on the season. There is no trailer dump station at the park, so campers need to plan for the two nearby dump stations in Cheyenne and Laramie, both about 24 miles away.

How to avoid the usual bottlenecks

The easiest way to dodge congestion is to visit early, on weekdays, or outside the peak summer window. Traffic counters recorded 97,432 visitors in June 2020 alone, a 130% jump from June 2019.

If the main bike system looks crowded, North Crow Reservoir can be a practical pivot for anglers, even though it is unimproved and has no picnic tables, water supply or comfort stations. The visitor center and Aspen Grove trailhead also give you useful entry points for planning a different route before you commit to the busiest parking areas.

What comes next

Wyoming State Parks is now developing a master plan for Curt Gowdy to guide recreation, management and investment decisions for the next 10 to 15 years. The agency is asking visitors and community members what they value most, what gaps they see and where improvements are needed.