Curt Gowdy State Park Reviews

Drove this amazingly beautiful park in mid morning when the lakes were populated by many Canadian geese. Many antelope & deer spotted. Rock formations & beautiful lakes everywhere, could not stop taking pics!

I love camping out at curt gowdy. Its great for family bbq's and offers plenty of group spaces. Lots of hiking trails too.

With a wide range of outdoor activities ... camping, bicycling, hiking, boating, fishing, and equine trails ...

very accessible to reach most of the facilities.

We've been coming up to this area for decades. It's a convenient spot for many outdoor activities not too far from Cheyenne.

We take our kids (ages 2, 4 and 6) here to hike and run around and they love it. Make sure you hike all the way to hidden falls.

My family and I made a day trip to Curt Gowdy to see the hidden falls. The scenery and the views where unlike anything my central Illinois self had ever encountered. Everywhere you looked was more beautiful then the place before. Our kids had a blast climbing rocks and posing for pictures. The hike to falls from where we parked was approximately 1.5 miles there and 1.5 miles back. Although we were winded because the elevation difference is substantial it was definitely worth it!! The water was freezing but was welcomed by the time we got to the falls. I can't wait to go back!!

Stone Temple was our favorite, but there are many other great trails here. Take a side trip out to Hidden Falls (some hike-a-bike) to cool off. Campground was nice, although it should be noted that there are no showers or flush toilets in the campground and the RV dump is permanently closed. We had a great site, right on the lake. Beautiful.

This is an interesting geographic area and there are good campsites as well as fishing. But where the park really shines is in its outstanding and varied trail system, especially for mountain biking. There are well designed trails from beginner to super expert, most of which take good advantage of the terrain.

An awesome place for a day trip or a camping outing. Beautiful scenery, lovely little places to stop with picnic tables and bathrooms in close proximity. There is a small fee, but worth every penny. The staff at the lodge were very helpful.

We stayed here one night on our way to Grand Teton. We had a large pull through site right on the side of the lake. The sites are well spaced out with lots of privacy. We were able to ride our mountain bikes on trails that were right on the park. Beautiful scenery. Would definitely use this campground again.

If you are a nature buff then this is one place you surely do not want to miss viewing. Enjoy the quiet day and picnic alone watching the wildlife and enjoying my desserts. There are plenty of picnic areas. Plenty of places for couples to unwind. The views are fabulous.

What an amazing park. We stopped and went for a 6 mile hike. We thought we would take a look at the waterfall located at the end of the trail. The falls we're not worth the long hike like other night say. We were not impressed, but the beautiful views were amazing and priceless. It was amazing and great to see nature and wildlife along the trail. Loved the difficulty of the path. Would love to come back!!!

My boyfriend and I went kayaking on the beautiful lake as well as going on about a four mile hike. The park does cost to get in (I think it was around 6 dollars for each of us), but its well worth it to walk around & hike at the least--especially to hidden falls. There were a lot of people camping, too & it looked like a blast. It was all along the lake so they had a great view. The visitor centers is nice too & very informational. Something here for everyone. Will be returning perhaps with my dogs, they'd love it. Overall, beautiful place--dont miss it!!

A decently equipped, large size kitchen, bathrooms with two stalls, plenty of tables and chairs (cloth chairs rather dirty), cleaning supplies and garbage bags supplied, upstairs beds with a divider available in the storage shed. Good heat downstairs but cold upstairs. Nice scenery outside for photo ops.

We had not planned to stop here on our trip but so glad we did. What a beautiful park! There is no entrance fee unless you plan to stop along the way. Just to get out of the car requires a fee. That did not deter us...we just enjoyed the drive through the park.

Ok I loved the hike, the water was cold and felt really nice after the hike to the falls. I’m from Illinois so the altitude change was a factor for me, also a Senior citizen, I would recommend hiking poles for my generation for balance to help over boulders. We were told the hike was easy, a little changeling but worth the fun. Park is beautiful and was great to see people enjoying the water for paddle boarding and kayaks.

The Visitor Center had taxidermized mounts of animals. They were well done.

Outside there was a huge playground.

We decided to take the trail of the rocks. We met a lot of interesting rocky cliffs and boulders. Whenever we continued, we saw more of them. Among the rocks, there were lots of trees.

We could see the lake all the time we were walking.

It was sunny and we stopped at the lake to take a few pictures.

That walk was perfect for us.

Worthwhile to see!

I visited this park in June 2014 with my Class B RV. I was in Tumbleweeds loop
and the sites are tiered so that everyone has a lake view. Each site has water and
electric in this loop and trash bins were abundant. The view of the lake was so peaceful
as it was early in the season and not too much activity was happening on the lake.
The shower house is up the road in the new Visitors Center and is on the lower level and is
very clean and spacious.
Unfortunately, some of the other campers did not abide by the no dogs in the lake nor the
required leash rule. This was somewhat annoying as these roamers would wander into
my site and pester my small leashed dogs. I wish the rangers had been around more for this issue.

When we first moved to Wyoming, We didn't really hear about this park until we decided to drive around Cheyenne, looking for something to do on a weekend and places to take some pretty pictures. Boy, were we lucky to find this place! There are two lakes: Crystal resevoir and granite resevoir. Both lakes are gorgeous! You can fish, ice fish, they have picnic tables and the surrounding area is filled with deer and antelope! they also have camping grounds (for when it gets warmer to camp). needless to say, this place is a hidden gem and I highly recommend to check it out if you are into the wilderness.

Loved my 3 day stay at this campground. It offers peaceful reservoir for fishing, trails for hiking & biking, informative Visitor's Center and easy access to both Cheyenne & Laramie. The only caution that I mention is for storm warnings. Had snow in late May. Storms come in from the west and dump on this park after hitting the nearby summit. As a result, weather can be more severe at Curt Gowdy than at nearby Laramie. I hope to return here again.

Fabulous place to hike. Enjoyed the Hidden Falls Trail but which i had know to take water shoes as it was hard on my feet to walk around once you actually get to the falls.

Whether you like mountain biking, hiking, camping, archery, fishing or just being in the great outdoors - Curt Gowdy State park has something for you. About 25 miles outside of town on Happy Jack Road this State Park is gem on the Front Slope of the Rockies. Sadly it’s been discovered and most weekends there are more folks from Colorado than Wyoming and it can get crowded. The hike to Hidden Falls is a must during Spring to Fall. Stop by the visitor’s center for maps and information and enjoy one of the best locations in SE Wyoming.

Curt Gowdy's signature was on my first ever professional paycheck, so I popped by here on a day trip to Cheyenne. I didn't know what to expect, but the ride is desolate and so beautiful. The park is gorgeous. The relatively new visitors' center has great hands-on exhibits explaining the legacy of Curt Gowdy and explaining the features of the park. I'm not much of a camper, and didn't have much time, but I would love to return some time to hike or fish. The woman in the visitors' center was very nice (Peggy, I think) and she gave me some Wyoming visitors stickers, which was a nice touch. Come by here if you're driving between Laramie and Cheyenne. You won't regret it.

Hiked Crow Creek to Hidden Falls. Moderate uphill climb. Trail had some snow and icy stretches in late March. Crampons advisable if ascending shady side of Crow Creek. I returned on opposite bank sans snow and ice. Melinnial hikers and young families frequent this trail. Bring drinking water. Area RR locked in off season.

We live in Alaska. So I wasn't expecting much from a hike near Cheyenne. Man was I wrong. This is on the the best trails I've ever hiked. Notice the gold flecks in the dirt- the cacti growing alongside evergreens- the butterflies everywhere! I could go on and on. Watershoes at the end would have been nice- I walked in the water barefoot anyway.

Its in the Laramie Mtn Range approximately 20 miles west of Cheyenne. The state park is a small part of the unique area. The park itself encompasses camping at the edge of Granite and Crystal lakes. The camping spot is popular with local families and can be crowded, especially on weekends and holidays. There is fishing, mountain biking, hiking, camp fires an archery range and many other outdoor activities.
Near by is a small part of the Medicine Bow National Forest. You can camp in non developed areas. Lots of hiking, atv trails, wildlife observation (Moose, Pronghorn, Deer, Elk, Fox, Coyote and lots of small game and bird life). The area has numerous, unusual rock formations for climbing and rappelling. In the fall through winter season you can target shoot and hunt wild game.

This state park is extraordinary! The fishing is great, the wildlife, the hiking and the scenery is magical. I would recommend this place to all who enjoy the outdoors!

Good fishing for trout, some spots are good for camping, you have to reserve for camping spots. They have a archery ranged that is good. Clean bathrooms.

Beautiful area, but laid out for RVers. No tent pads. Toilets and water often far away from the sites.

Once there you will find that the good amenities are in the Visitor Center which is open 24/7 - water, flush toilets, showers and WiFi. But don't try to shower in the PM as the line for the two showers in very long.

Our first time here in our small 25’ RV. While we were checking in at visitor center, the lady at the desk was rude and unhelpful. She confirmed we had a water/electric site, but said there is no dump at the campground. Closest ones are Laramie & Cheyanne, both quite a distance away..
She finally did give us a map of the campground with no other directions. The map is useless with tiny arrows and microscopic type. We had to drive all over the campground to find our spot. Dirt, dusty rough roads, poor signage, very unlevel site, and water source a LONG way from our site.
The pit toilets were fairly clean, but there were NO showers in the campground, only in the basement behind the visitor center. You have to pay quarters to use showers, which looked dirty so we passed. Showers are open 24/7 even though visitor center closes at 5…there is no entry code, so what keeps just anyone from using them?
Signs everywhere saying “NO SWIMMING”. Pretty lake, a few boats and people fishing. Wonder if they’ll keep fish they catch out of water not safe for swimming?

Nicely spread-out state park to enjoy camping, fishing, boating, hiking and so much more. There are plenty of facilities and well-maintained roads. Maybe a few more play areas for the children would be nice, but still a great place to bring the whole family.

This is a real jewel in the Cheyenne area. Very clean, beautiful scenery and the camping was exceptional. We have camped there several times and enjoy the amenities (showers!) and hiking the area. It was windy and therefore dusty as we were camped near the back entrance which has a dirt road. Next time we will find a place closer inside or near the water. Also, worth a mention, very nice people work here!

Really enjoyed a day's visit here, very well marked (apart from slight confusion at the junction of Crow Creek and Pinball trails but it all worked out OK!

Camped near the Causeway. Some real good sites there in the boating "quiet zone". Sites at the water's edge. The facilities were all very clean and the staff helpful. Mid week, near the end of August it was quiet and peaceful. We had reserved our stop, but that would not have been necessary. Hiking nearby and my wife tried out her new iSUP right from our campsite.

Half way between, Cheyenne and Laramie (20 miles to both).

The scenery is stunning with several lakes. Caters to mountain bikers as they have many trails for them. The main downer was that maps showing hiking paths were not readily available and paths were not marked. Several fishing and boat areas. Near Medicine Bow Park.

The new visitor center is large comfortable with great information and the place to start on a short day hike.

If you pick the weather correctly you can spend all day at this State Park. Take a picnic Basket and bring the kids. Lots to see and do. Great walking trails.

Hiked the Crow Creek Trail!! Perfect hike for casual hikers! Great views and lots of places to take pics!! The hidden falls at the end of the trail are truly hidden but the water is great!

from the water to hiking trails, playgrounds and camping, love this place! It's amazing. Great little escape, not far from home.

We saw more wildlife in Curt Gowdy than we did in Estes Park several days later. INCREDIBLE scenic overlooks - abundance of wildflowers and scenic overlooks, rock formations, lakes, etc. If we were still camping this is the place I would want to stay for several days.

A nice park located close to Cheyenne with forests, lakes and hiking trails. Most of the trails are easy and appropriate for the family. Since this is the water shed for the City of Cheyenne, people and dogs are not allowed in the reservoirs.

My wife and I visited the park for the first time and we were amazed at the 3 lakes, the well developed camping sites, and the extensive trail system for hiking and biking. The place was jumping - since it was the first nice weekend of spring. I looks like you need to plan ahead if you want to camp here. We're local, so it didn't matter to us. Toilets everywhere, showers available, camp store. We were absolutely surprised to see such a well-developed park with such extensive uses.

The park has trails with ample signage and an excellent visitor center with info on the local flora and fauna. The hike to hidden falls is well worth it, the falls were beautiful in the summer and the cold water was a refreshing break from the heat at the time. There are also lots of nice mountain biking trails of you prefer that to hiking. Stop in and check it out if you're passing through!

This is a beautiful park. 30 min. from downtown Cheyenne. Lots of wonderful campsites along the water. We hiked to "hiden falls", a 3 or 5 mile hike depending on your choice of trails. Very steep and rocky. We used walking sticks and were glad we took them. Saw some deer and other ground animals. The falls is small and hidden, but it was a fun hike and the scenery along the way was great. We did this as a way to stretch our legs since we had driven for over 8 hours that way. . It was great, we headed to town for dinner and then to sleep, for our next leg of our journey.

We've been going hiking here for the past couple years. There are a variety of trails to take but if you are not a mtn biker you might choose your trails carefully. Sometimes the bikers come upon you quickly on the trail but usually they are respectful that hikers have the right of way. The trail to Hidden Falls is fun and scenic but also popular with bikers. The view at the end is worthwhile. Camping here on summer weekends gets full and it's very popular for people fishing on the lake. Come early if you want a choice spot. New Visitor Center is nice but small.

Well laid out, easy to find a great camping spot. Many different hiking/biking/riding trails for many different levels. Reasonably priced. We are from Colorado, but have come up here several times because it's so great!

This is a lovely spot for Mountain Biking and boating, but sadly not swimming. Beautiful, unique panoramic views. Check out the visitor center for unique hike ideas.

I was new to Cheyenne, and not sure what to expect for the Mtb. scene - but very surprised by this trail system. It is really good singletrack, with a lot of options due to the criss-crossing of trails.

Visited with friends who were camping. They had teens who got to do water sports, bicycle trails, hiking, etc. Best part is that we all were mostly unplugged and actually did life, not Facebook. Beautiful area with fishing and camp sites. It is a State Park and is patrolled and safe. Highly recommend.

This was suppose to be just a "convenient stop over" after a long day of driving from Jackson Hole. We were not expecting much but turns out it was one of the best campgrounds we stayed at during the total 2 weeks out west. First the campsites are all great views of the lake with level surfaces to park the rv. Each site had great fire pits and picnic tables. While the restrooms were definitely "rustic", it wasnt a problem for us as we had a fully self contained RV. The views were amazing, great birds visited our site and it was incredibly relaxing. Although there isnt much for kids to do, there was a nice playground on site

Locals recommended we visit "Crystal Granite" lake. This State Park has rolling hills & meadows as well as steep granite formations. Very picturesque! It also houses 3 reservoirs: Crystal, Granite & North Crow. Apparently you can fish for rainbow or brown trout & Kokanee salmon. There are picnic tables scattered around various camping areas with ready water supplies. There's also a fancy schmancy Visitor's Center with bathrooms & showers on the lower level that were open & accessible, despite the main part of their Visitor's Center being closed.

We spent a few hours leisurely hiking around, enjoying the views. Weather was for the most part overcast but we got some moments of brilliant sunlight in there too! There is a parking fee $6 for day use non-resident vehicles, with discounts for local residents etc. Up at their new & modern Visitor's Center the parking is free.

We thoroughly enjoyed our visit that Saturday afternoon, definitely worth the short drive out from their downtown area. I think it was about 25 miles west of their city center.

Admittedly, I arrived too late to enter the costly Visitor Center that serves no purpose. I approached the entrance fee tube and stuffed a $20 bill into an evelope to set-up a tent overnight. There was no map of the location of non-electric, un-reservable tent sites. Although the campground was nearly empty, I spent a half-hour driving around, searching for a campsite without electric outlet, near a water faucet, toilet, shower building, and trash container for which a mandatory 48-hour reservation was not required. The RV park was laid-out with water taps and electricity at each site. The tent site that I found was on the shore-line, actually too close to the reservoir to provide watershed and wildlife protection. I was not near a toilet, trash barrel, or water tap. I discovered that there was no shower building. If less money had gone to build a fancy Visitor Center that is not open when long-distance travelers arrive, then there would have been money to provide hot showers for the campground. Nebraska State Parks have showers, no fancy Visitor Center. Tent sites were cast about without orderly planning of infrastructure.

We were there for the Xterra Triathlon last weekend. What a beautiful place! The terrain was brutal but the event was well managed. Family friendly and extremely clean, next year we'll try to secure a camping spot to avoid the drive.

We only had a half day to explore, but we hiked up Crow Creek on a drizzly day with high water. We saw and enjoyed watching five deer and met some other nice hikers. Would like to come back and camp. Staff was friendly and welcoming!

Spent a long weekend here camping, mountain biking and exploring. Trails here are top notch and they even offer a shower facility up front at the main office building--outstanding! They have a central area where a food truck/trailer operates at some times, but I suggest you bring hour own food/supplies as town is pretty far (30 minutes or so). Did not get to do any boating, but they also rent kayaks etc--awesome park and cool scenery. Will be back!

Hey, I get it. Everyone wants to enjoy the outdoors. We all just have our own ways to go about it. It seems that Curt Gowdy State Park has become a mecca for mountain bikers ....and the hikers on the trails are always getting interrupted to move out of the way for the bikers. It's pleasant to meet fellow hikers on the trail and visit for a minute about how far the next fork is, or the next landmark, or if they saw anything interesting...and it's easy to pass a fellow hiker. The most I hear from mountain bikers is "On your left!" as they come up behind me without warning. Hikers usually have to vacate the trail when a mountain biker comes barreling down the path toward them...sometimes there's even a large group of them and the hiker has to stand and wait until they've all cleared the path. Trail etiquette states that bikers yield to hikers ...and yes some do. But even when the courteous ones do, their bike wheels are still on the trail and in the way and are a tripping hazard.

I understand we all have to share the park. As I understand it, the park hosts events for mountain bikers and a number of trails are closed to pedestrian traffic. I wish the park would do the same for hikers for 1 week out of the month, at least one weekend. Maybe close the most popular hiking trails to mountain bikers for that period of time so hikers can enjoy their hike without having to dodge mountain bikers. They may have something like this in place already, but if they do I haven't found any information on it ...and believe me, I've looked! Maybe they could designate some trails "hiking only" while designating others "mountain biking only." Or alternate what kind of traffic is allowed on certain trails from week to week. But "something" definitely has to be done about it!

I've spoken to park officials before and they basically said that these bike clubs bring in a lot of money, so it boils down to the dollar ...not equal enjoyment of the park. By the way, I've checked on this... most of these bike clubs (if not all) come up from Colorado! They overtake a Wyoming State Park to ride their bikes. Doesn't the state of Colorado have bike paths of its own?

My wife and I were driving the Happy Jack and we ran into the Curt Gowdy State Park so we decided to make a stop. $6.00 per car to get in and it was worth the fee. We drive from one end of the park and the views were great. Being from the east coast we don't have parks this back east. If your in the area take a couple minutes and go through the park.

I spent a couple of days and nights at the campground. I always enjoy being in the outdoors taking hikes and fishing. The camp sites were very clean. For the most part, the area of camping that I was in was quiet. I enjoy being able to look at the stars at night. Sometimes one can even make new friends. Glad I was able to go and can't wait until the next time I head out to Curt Gowdy State Park.

A good place to hike but not with little kids under the ages of 4 if they haven't hiked before. There is a nice little lake at Curt Gowdy. There is a nice playground in the area for the kids who are not use to hiking.

10 guys on a weekend trip to Curt Gowdy State Park had a great time, outside of the 50mph winds we attempted to camp in. (only one tent had poles snap)

We went for the mountain biking and were very impressed. A large new trail system has been built over the past few years with hundreds of thousands of dollars invested. Great for all skill levels. We rode everything in just over a day of hard riding, and we'd have re-rode a few sections had we had time. Great area, easy to access, very little for ammenities...if your looking for showers or plumbing of any sort, you're in the wrong place. Only 25 minutes from Cheyenne and 25minutes from Larimie, very convenient to reach from I-25 or I-80.

This state park, so close to Cheyenne, is great. We hike year-round on the trails. There are beautiful vistas galore. Don't miss Hidden Falls; even in the winter, it's really pretty!

Nice place to enjoy a picnic, fish, and hike to some small waterfalls at Granite Reservoir. Take the back road (a dirt road) from Granite to Crystal Reservoir for a peaceful drive. It's quintessential Wyoming.

The state park has campsites around two different reservoirs. There are areas specifically for RVs and others for tents. Some allow you a view of the water and others do not, but no matter which site you choose you have a view of mountains and the big sky found in Wyoming.
Since it's pretty windy in Wyoming and we were camping in a tent we tried to select a site that provided some protection from the wind. We weren't right on the water but could see it from our site. Our site was situated off the main road which was nice. A picnic table and fire pit with adjustable grill grate was at each site.
There are several trails in the park for hiking and mountain bike riding which offer beautiful views. The state park also has a archery range and horse back riding. You can fish in the reservoirs but are not allowed to swim and pets aren't allowed in the water. There are boat ramps if you wanted to fish from a boat. A concession stand is in operation from 8-8 each day. I didn't visit it but know that it offers ice and you can purchase a fishing license there.
Bathrooms are spaced throughout the park and are very basic (toilet and sink only). There is a visitors center close to the entrance of the park that has very nice bathrooms and showers available 24/7. You have to pay to use the shower, approximately $1.25 for 7.5 minutes. There is a bill changer outside of the bathrooms.

So amazing to have the opportunity to drive through the park on a winder day when the park was virtually empty. Being able to actually take in the scenery without the touch of humans around. Frozen rivers, scattered snow, absolutely breath taking. So happy we made the day trip.

Great hiking and scenery. Trails can be tough in places if you have any physical challenges. There's a small "hidden" waterfall you can visit with a 2 mile hike each way.

Curt Gowdy State Park is a popular park for Cheyenne and Laramie residents as it's a short drive from both cities.
This lake offers wonderful hiking trails, small motor boating, and kayaking is also popular. Although there is no swimming allowed, camping is allowed, and many locals spend the weekends here. It's also a wonderful place to take a drive on a weekend afternoon.
There are bathrooms for the public but they're closed in the winter.

I really love it here .it's very peaceful and the people that work there are just awesome it's a great place to camp or just hang out for the day

I just did a quick drive through the park. They were busy with a lot of campers and I couldn't find a good place to park.

While the rangers weren't super helpful with the first-come, first-served camping spots (which are all dry), I still ended up with a cozy spot on my own little knoll overlooking the lake. Apparently, the sites with hookups are only by reservation. Did the Stone Mountain circuit the following morning - a great way to start the day.

Gorgeous park with pristine lakes and excellent hiking. The trail to Hidden Falls is outstanding, well marked and beautiful views.

We entered the park after driving the Happy Jack Road to Laramie. Found the Hidden Falls waterfall at the end of Crow Creek Trail. The falls were great and not to be missed. Kids loved wading in the water towards the waterfall.

My only recommendation would be to bring some water shoes if hiking to the falls.

We had a great time and would have liked to explore some of the other trails...but time was not on our side.

It is winter, January, and cold. happy Jack Road is a sight and the state park is frozen over. But, it really is something to see and the ice fishermen are just crazy, don't they know its cold.

Very poorly managed from a boating stance. The lake is absolutely not big enough for boats to be running 30 to 40 mph. It is very unsafe once you put 3 or boats that run the 3/4 of a mile length of the lake where wake is allowed. They run back and forth at full speed, with jet ski's running back and forth between them, all while other people are just leisure boating. This lake is a disaster just waiting to happen. Nobody really travels around managing the users. Jet ski people use the boat docks as if they were made just for them. They tie their ski's up and sit on the dock for hours in chairs they have set up with absolutely no regards for anybody else that may need to unload or load their boats.

We are from Arizona and we went to this park not knowing what to expect. We were pleasantly surprised. It is very pretty with rolling hills, trees and the lake. It looks like a wonderful place to camp, fish, kayak, paddle board, archery coarse, etc. We stumbled on a beautiful 4 mile hike and enjoyed it thoroughly. We would definitely go there again if we were in the area again. The visitor center was very nice too.

Curt Gowdy State Park has a lot to offer. There is boating, fishing, camping, hiking, mtn. Iking, horseback trails, archery shooting area, & even a couple of play ground areas.
The camp sites offer great views with convenient hookups. The trails are marked, but most are hilly, not flat, so combined with the altitude, provide good exercise. There are some pens to hold horses at the horse trail areas.
In the summer & fall the campsites fill up fast, so plan ahead & come early or you won't find a site.

We were alone in the park except for the two bull moose that visited us and hung around our camp all morning. They were kind of like land sharks on the perimeter. Exciting!

If only I had more time I would have liked to stay for a day or an overnight. I stopped at the visitor center which is located in a beautiful building featuring a rear wall of windows overlooking the reservoir and surrounding plains. Inside the center is a small museum which is packed full of information about the area. I did have the opportunity to take a short walk along a nearby path which provided me with some wonderful vistas of the area. The volunteer staff here is exceedingly friendly and knowledgeable. It’s only about 30 minutes drive from downtown Cheyenne, but seems worlds away.

The park is beautiful, clean and even better, close to my house. There is a archery range area for those who would like some practice shooting. The lakes are large and pretty. The roads were very well maintained even with winter snow everywhere.

Living in Cheyenne, Wyoming Curt Gowdy is a beautiful little state park. Curt Gowdy was a famous sportscaster for Major League Baseball and the NFL in the 60s and 70s. With the southern section of Wyoming being mostly flat, Curt Gowdy offers some amazing landscape views with lakes and nature. This state is open all year round. Sometimes during harsh winters the roads may be closed, so check before heading out this way.

Really nice and clean state park. Plenty of trails. If your mountain bike this would be a great place. Nice water fall at the top of one of the trails which you can swim in. Do not remember what the fee to enter was but it was not bad. We would return.

We needed a place to stay while enjoying CFD Rodeo. We booked online our camping site and when we arrived it was ready for us. Picnic table and grill was clean. The lake was beautiful and clean. Kids were fishing and renting paddle boards. We didn't have electricity but some sites do. There is no dumping or water so be prepared before you arrive.

I love hiking the trails in the CSP. Great cross country skiing, too.

Was told by the reservation people that this park had a dump, but did not say it was not working and won't be repaired. Some electric sites, but only by reservation and even if you show up and they are not reserved 48 hrs ahead and are empty you can't use them!
Was not told this either by res agent. The electric sites are not shaded and all jammed together with no privacy. We drove around to find a site but the only sites you could use without a prior reservation were the worst sites. We left as it was also muddy and the roads were barely graveled if it all.

Thought this park had hiking/biking trails but was hard pressed to find any. I bet this place is great and buzzing in the spring/summer. Wyoming is a beautiful state - it's not all flat land and wind. Enjoy!

We went for an afternoon picnic and fishing with my wife, our daughter and son in law. Found a spot for the afternoon and caught a nice Rainbow Trout on my first cast. Thanks to the Loon who came by...nothing after that. Great spot for campers.

Curt Gowdy has been the best part of my commute to UW from Cheyenne. It is always beautiful, especially when the road is not. On my last trip, I even spotted three moose! The best days are those that I have time to stop at the park and hike.

My fiance vacationed in Cheyenne during Cheyenne Frontier Days 2017. During our five day stay we spend two afternoons at Curt Gowdy State Park. We really enjoyed the scenery and appreciated how clean it was. We wanted to hike to see the Hidden Falls since it was a must see on things to do in Cheyenne. We went to the visitor center and wanted a map of the trail. We were told by our AirBnB hosts that the hike would be like a little over a mile. We started from the long trail, via our directions from the visitor's center. We probably didn't get back into the Hidden Falls for two hours because we went the long way. The long route had missing postings and signs making it very difficult to follow the map we were given. On the way back we realized that we were on a long route and that if we just walked up the road to the main road and down to our car we would cut out an hour of walking. It was enjoyable to see the scenery but we were not prepared with enough water to do the long route and wish we were given better directions. All the troube was worth seeing the Hidden Falls, although.

We stopped on our way from Cheyenne to Laramie to look around and take a short hike. What a great camping area, with beautiful sites, numerous bathrooms, and great hiking/biking trails of all levels.

Our little group did about 20 miles of hiking on 3 of the many trails - in one word, "wow!". Some trails are hiking/horse only but plenty of bike/hiking trails. Camped in Tumbleweed (second-closest to park entrance). Very large spaces - ours right on lake (#33 - no electric/water) - other sites had water and electric. Only odd thing is they charge each "tent" or camper at a site the full amount (i.e. paid to camp in our trailer and friends had to pay same price to share our site in a tent) - this seemed pretty odd (usually max of X people - sometime $5 for a second car, etc.) Other than that, it's a terrific park - about 30 minutes from either Laramie or Cheyenne. Has small "camp store" but did not use it (sodas, ice, etc.).

Had a great time here, hiked the hidden water falls w all ages 2yr to 50s. Camp sites where spaced out which was awsome so neighbors weren't close. Wish when checked in they would have told us where the showers where... we got stinky but over all great trip

We almost didn't visit . . . the information online makes the park appear . . . uninteresting.

We stopped at the information center at the entrance to the park. The nice woman at the counter gave us a map and suggested a couple of hiking trails (different routes with the same destination - a waterfall). We were pleasantly surprised. The hike began at the west end of the reservoir and followed the shoreline for about 1/2 a mile - very scenic. It then disappeared into the forest, following a creek that had carved its way through rock formations similar to Vedauwoo (just not as visible because, well, its in a forest). The Crow Creek trail ends at a short, but impressive waterfall - literally carving its way through one of the interesting rock formations.

There are multiple trails to explore through the forest / rock formations. And there are miles and miles of other trails - probably more suitable for mountain biking than hiking.

Definitely worth the trip!

We are RVers and often look to stay in state or federal parks. Curt Gowdy is between Laramie and Cheyenne. This park has a great selection of camping spots. Ours overlooked the reservoir. If you like hiking, horseback riding, bicycling, fishing or just a gentle stroll around the reservoir, this is the place for you. The park fills quickly - so get a reservation if you plan on staying overnight. The park museum was not very informative and not worth going in. Pay attention to the weather. We were there in September and a bitter cold storm came up.

I was visiting Cheyenne, WY on business recently and I'm quite a nature lover and big fan of State and National Parks, so I really wanted to visit Curt Gowdy SP. It was well worth the trip! Amazing drive out Happy Jack Road and the park was just beautiful all white with snow!
A really pretty place! And a very nice Visitor's Center as well. I highly recommend this State Park and I personally cannot wait to visit it again sometime.

Curt Gowdy State Park is west of Cheyenne and great place to visit for outdoors adventures. Very pretty and plenty of trails. Just be aware that you must pay a usage fee since it is a State Park. You can pay the 5 dollar day usage fee or buy a year long permit that allows usage of all State of Wyoming Parks.

We visited Curt Gowdy State Park as a day trip while in Cheyenne. It’s such a beautiful place. Great hiking. We took the Crow Creek trail to Hidden Falls. Our girls enjoyed a quick swim at the falls. The trail is well maintained and marked. Our girls are 10 and 13 and had no trouble keeping up.

Reservoir Aquatic on-site 307-316-2267 rented me a kayak as a single gal traveling alone. They gave lots of info about the trails and made the kayak rental easy. Equipment was good. Best of all, they called to make sure I made it back to hotel when I had trouble with my Uber pickup. The kindness of strangers prevailed

The mountain biking trails here are epic. Seriously, IMBA has ranked Curt Gowdy Park as one of their "Epic" trails systems. Stone Temple Circuit (Counter clockwise) is my personal favorite, although Middle Kingdom looks good. Have not had a chance to ride those yet. But I will very soon. I will be up there as long as there is no snow.

Beware, weekends are packed. Most of Colorado comes up on the weekends to ride so I recommend the week for solitude. I used to to go on the lake and have fun, but it is just too crowded anymore so I play on the trails and avoid the place on the weekend. After work on a wednesday is the best! They have done a lot to keep the trails maintained and are doing more each summer.

Great place to camp, fish, mountain bike and hike. We have ridden all over the country and the mountain bike trails here are some of the best (if not the best) we have been on. Plenty of options for riding, hiking and fishing right from your campsite with various distances on the trails. The camping is affordable and there are showers up at the visitor's center for tent campers. The landscape in the park varies greatly from the small forests and rock formations near Granite Reservoir, to rocky canyons near Crystal Lake. We love this place and have come the last three years because it is so great. Hike or ride to the top of the Slabz trail and have breakfast/lunch/dinner at the overlook. Sunset colors can be amazing!

Curt Gowdy has a a trail system designed for mountain bikers. Many of the trails are for advanced and expert riders, but there are enough intermediate trails to enjoy a solid day of riding. In June the area is drop dead gorgeous with lush grasses and lots of pine forest. It has lots of camping spaces and two lakes for fishing, but no swimming or water skiing since both lakes are the Cheyenne water supply.

The State park is a great local spot for hiking and camping. The hiking trails are nicely maintained and the park staff are always very friendly. Great spot for fishing, horseback riding and camping. Worth a trip in any season, it's always very pretty.

This review is of the Cliff Hanger Trail which is accessed from the Volin trail head located on the North west side of Crystal reservoir. This is an intermediate level hike with awe inspiring views! The trail is clean and extremely easy to follow. It runs along the side of the cliff giving you wide sweeping views of the lake and rocky hills on the opposite side. At one point the trail is narrow enough that the park installed chains for you to hold for security. However that section is very short (maybe 20 feet or so) and the trail is still wide enough that I never felt uncomfortable or scared. This trail is not a loop. It connects to a couple others so we hiked out a ways and then turned around and returned on the same path.
One of the prettiest hikes I’ve ever done.

Curt Gowdy is a wonderful place to go hiking or mountain biking. The lakes are so beautiful and the hidden falls is a little hike, but a beautiful one.

This park was recommended by a local in Cheyenne. So glad we made the trip. The visitor's center is new and wonderfully done. The park offers camping and hiking. We took the hike to Hidden Falls. Not an easy hike, but worth the effort. Lots of other beautiful trials. We saw deer, rabbits, ground squirrels, humming birds, and lots of birds. I wish we could have stayed for another day to see more.

My Husband I drove 1.5 hours to go Hiking at Curt Gowdy State Park. The website says it is $6.00 for non WY residence, however they have raised the price. No big deal it is now only $9.00 of non Residence. Then we asked for a map to the hiking trails, they said they have been out for a few weeks now. Ok, so we asked "how do we get to the trails", we were told to download the map. We told the lady at the payment shack we don't have service, she told us to go back up to the visitor center. We went back up and that lady was no help either. She was very rude and no information at all, at one point she even said "Honey I don't know what else to tell you,". She just keep saying use the qr code and download. Our phones wouldn't bingup the maps, she then handed us an old tattered map and said to take a picture. We did, but still the tattered map didn't give us directions to the trail head also we couldn't read it. Then all of sudden she says the trail head map will be better to read once you get there. I said thats what we have been asking for, just directions to the trail head. That's when she pulled out a map to the trail head and gave it to us. about 40 minutes of trying to get things to work, why didn't she just hand that to us in the first place. She kept saying drive straight you cant miss the big parking lot. But you can. Make sure you turn off the main road at the Aspen grove parking and follow it all the way back to the back. Don't pull off at the small parking lot on the main road. Once you get back to the very back there is a huge parking lot and the trail head information is very easy to read. The hike was great the water fall was awesome, better if you walk through the water and get to the fall it self, we did and had a wonderful hike. The experience of the ladies at the park were horrible.

The hiking trails are excellent for walking running and biking. Great day get away and close to town.

I caught this Rainbow Trout at Curt Gowdy (Granite) on 6/21/10. 24.5" 6 pounds. I enjoy camping there, in spite of the full fire ban at this time. I take a thermos of coffee - the spot is great for just watching the stars.

There are several hikes, different levels in this park, but we chose the Hidden Falls trail...about 3.6 x 2...listed as moderate with some hard parts, we found it quite easy (only one spot we had to climb over a rock, and then rocky near the falls). Lovely hike, would be more crowded on weekends, and summer, but fall during colors was FAB! No falls to be seen (due little water)..so I took off my shoes/socks and waded in the FREEZING water back into the canyon...could hear but not see the falls. Suspect spring would be spectacular! Lovely, well maintained trail.

We visited this park for the day to hike some of the trails. The scenery here is absolutely beautiful. We walked the trail that took us back to the waterfall, so I think a total of 3.5 miles. It was a great afternoon walk/hike (needed to do a little bit of climbing of rocks), and it was only $6 per car for the days use of the park.

This place is only 30 minutes from Cheyenne and is gorgeous. Although small in general, there are great campsites and better than average trout fishing during certain times. Just a note: there is no swimming or dogs allowed in the reservoirs.

The campsites were close together and crowded. The only level place to put out tent was on gravel. There was no water available near the campsite. The majority of the campers we saw were in RVs.

This was a destination while we traveled the Happy Jack Road. Being from New England, how could we not stop? This Sate Park is beautiful and quite. Don't blink or you will miss the sign leading to the park. Folks were camping in their RVs in May when we visited.

Beautiful Picnic and camping areas available, 24 miles from Cheyenne, Wyoming. Hiking trails to pick from, Snow was there when I visited on 3/1/17. Awesome stone vistas and many climbing opportunities for kids of all ages.

We visited the state park and hiked to the hidden waterfall and along the lakeside. Beautiful area with camping and biking trails as well. There was a $6 entry fee into the park that we payed at the visitors center which I recommend stopping at before you enjoy the park.

Beautiful park midway between Cheyenne and Laramie off of the beautiful Happy Jack Road. We camped here at a beautiful (if dusty) site overlooking the lake. We will be coming back here again when we can spend more than one night. Hiking, biking, boating and fishing in a beautiful mountain location with breathtaking view of dark night skies. What more could one want?

We camp here every year, it's a family tradition! I'm at complete peace when I am there. So much beauty there. During the warmer months I drive up every chance I get to spend the day in the area!!

Plenty to do there, affordable, easy to get to. If you're in or near Cheyenne it's an easy drive for a day away or if you want to camp, reasonable number of sites.

This place north of Cheyenne, WY has trails, lakes, camping..something for everyone. For me, Im not a big hiker, but I hikes to Hidden Falls and really enjoyed it (I walk slow). Its not that hard and lots of fun. There is food for sale there, restrooms, nice fishing lake, and if you are quick enough a place to wade in to cool off. Pet friendly.

Stoped through on our trip through Wyoming, what a gorgeous park! Looked like a great place to camp out, kayak/canoe/SUP, hike, and enjoy the sites. Did a short hike by the water and up one of the hills, stunning scenery. Definitely stop by when in the area

No matter what you want to do, this park can accommodate you and it is not overcrowded.

Curt Gowdy State Park is one of Wyoming's premiere state parks featuring miles and miles of biking and hiking trails. It was named as an "Epic" park by the International Mountain Bicycling Association. As well, there is plenty of camping space, access to Vedauwoo and the possibility of renting the Hynds Lodge by calling Wyoming State Parks in early October. The lodge is an old Boy Scout lodge, has a full kitchen, sleeps 24 upstairs and is located in a beautiful secluded area. Reservations go fast in the fall for the following summer! Contact the superintendent at 307-632-7946. You will also want to visit the Curt Gowdy State Park Visitor Center -- named, as is the park --for the late Curt Gowdy, sportscaster and former Wyoming son.

Curt Gowdy primarilly offers hiking, activity on the lake, and vegging out while camping. The facilities are pretty basic: fire pits, outhouses and the like. Still, if you want to do any of the above on a holiday weekend, you'd better go early since the locals from Cheyenne and Laramie will definitely be there the next morning.,

Wonderful place to relax with family & friends. Great fishing and to enjoy the quiet open spaces of Wyoming.

Awesome best kept secret for camping and mountain bike trails. Spent a day here in the Fall and would have liked to stayed for more fun. Nice location.

Went on a 5+ mile hike on a bright winter day. The place is beautiful and very few people will be met on the trails. The Hidden Falls were totally frozen which was very nice to see.

We took a hike down the Canyon Creek trail to the hidden waterfall. Beautiful fall scenery and a moderate walk. The waterfall is a peaceful little area. I'm sure we'll be back when we drive through Laramie again.

We stopped at this state park to take a hike while we were driving through the area. We paid the $6 out of state entry fee and went to the visitors center. The lady on duty asked what we liked to do and recommended the hike to the hidden waterfall, which she said was the highlight of the park. The park looks new and well maintained. It looks like a nice place to camp with sites overlooking the water. The road to the park between Cheyenne and Ft. Laramie, The Happy Jack Highway, was very scenic.

We stayed @FE Warren AFB for 2 days and looking for some place to go.

This state park has great reviews and only 23 miles away.

On the way to this park, the view already remind of me of old western tv show. I could almost see a cowboy on the top of the hill and when we got there.... what a breathtaling view.... still cover with snow, cool crisp air,and beautiful resvoirs reflect everything around.
Totally defferent where we from Florida!

We seriously hope come back here for camping.

The visitor's center was new and clean. The staff were very helpful.

Must go place!!,

Curt Gowdy State Park is located off Wyoming Hwy. 210 "Happy Jack Road". It is approximately 30 minutes east of Laramie, WY or 30 minutes west of Cheyenne, WY.. The park encompasses around 3500 acres. The average elevation is around 7400 feet. Daily Park fees are $4.00 for Wyoming residents or $6.00 for non-residents.There are numerous hiking trails from easy to expert. Biking Trails are also numerous with varying degree of difficulty. There are 3 beautiful lakes with excellent fishing. Only one of the lakes allows speed boats & skiing. These lakes were built to store water for the residents of Cheyenne, Wy. Today they provide 75% of the water for Cheyenne. The park also has an excellent Visiter Center which is open Tuesday thru Sunday from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. The Visiter Center provides an excellent view of the valley & lakes below.

One of the popular hikes is the 3.5 mile round trip to "Hidden Falls". The hike is considered "Moderate" in difficulty. This trail is also one of the better shaded trails and follows the rapidly following stream for approximately 1/2 of the trail to "Hidden Falls".
There are trails considered "Easy" that follow the lakeshore. There are many more trails ranging from "Easy" to "Expert". The trails have lots of wildflowers. Large granite boulders add character to the entire park. A new, mostly paved handicapped accessible trail originates from the Visiter Center as a loop trail just over a mile long.

There are many, many campsites. Water, restrooms & picnic tables can be found throughout the park. The roads are mostly gravel except for the entry area. We spent an entire day on the hiking trails and at the Visiter Center. There was much more to explore if we had more time available. If you are traveling to this part of Wyoming, make this Park a must visit!

We shared a great afternoon walking the park, lake and trails. Beautiful rock formations, lots of great pictures! taken!

I wanted to stop here before the snow flew. There is a new, excellent visitor's center staffed with people who are very helpful. Lots of camping spots for the summer and hiking and biking trails for any time of the year. It's a gorgeous area and easy to find. Just take the Happy Jack exit in Cheyenne and head west.

Great place for camping, hiking, fishing, water skiing and any thing else you can think of. Decent bathroom facilities are kept up with. Beautiful place

We were greatly disappointed in the Curt Gowdy State Park camping. The high ratings are not justified when compared to their peers in other states. While we loved the reservoirs and the general scenery, the facilities and actual camp sites were subpar.

We stayed at the Crystal Reservoir which was 4.5 miles down the worst rutted dirt road we have ever driven. (It reminds me of the Outback of Australia.) It beats the heck out of your vehicle and generates a lot of dust. Most of the campsites are close to the dirt road so everything gets covered in dust in no time. Locals drive fast of the road which makes the dust even more unbearable. We stained our clothes by sitting at the picnic table.

Their toilet facilities are really spread out. Also access to drinking water is poor. There are flush toilets and pay showers but only at the reception building when you enter the park. We only found out about the showers on our last day by accident.

We did enjoy the hike behind the reservation building. It was well worth taking and much better than the ones we tried at Crystal.

For the high fees charged, Wyoming needs to invest in the Park’s infrastructure. Top of the list would be paving all 4.5 miles of poor dirt road. Second would be adding some flush toilets and showers at convenient locations at all reservoirs. We will never come back to this park in its current poor state. It is a shame since the park could be a top showcase attraction for the state if it was up to national standards. Now it looks like a poor cousin compared to Windmill State Park in Nebraska, which even costs less and has top of the line facilities.

This park is a must see! Pack for a day and go hiking. The trails were well kept. We hiked 7 miles! Saw all kinds of wildlife and enjoyed the Hidden Falls! It was amazing!

I hiked the Hidden Falls trail and loved the rock formations along the way. The trail follows the creek and ends in a short walk through the water to see the falls. It was beautiful and an easy hike.

We decided to camp here well we attended the Cheyenne Frontier Days and though it was a ways from Cheyenne it was so worth the drive each day. Loved all the deer and antelope we seen each day. The park itself was beautiful with so many trails to take. We choose to take the trail to the water fall and was worth the hike. Though it looked like there were quite a few people staying at the park it was so quiet and relaxing. The bathroom facility and showers were nice, had to drive to get to it and was concerned about having to pay for the showers but could get a decent shower with 75 cents so not bad at all.

My date and I went hiking on several of the trails, which are all connected in a somewhat convoluted way. Signs with clear maps are pretty frequent. I would recommend hiking here because multiple trails can be hiked without going to different trail heads. There's a small waterfall, too.

We are local to this park but never went thought thought, what's a between way to kick off summer than going camping, hiking, and kayaking! Since I could barely find any information on the 4 cabins that can rented, this review will focus on that.

We stayed at the Osprey Cabin and it was a great way to readjust to camping. The cabins are relatively new and has a queen size bed in the main room along with a mini fridge, a microwave, a small table with four chairs, and a trash can. The back room has two sets of twin bunk beds, each bunk has its own outlet with the bottom ones having a window. Each room has their own thermostat for heating and cooling. All windows come with blinds for privacy, including the entry door. There is a small porch that overlooks Granite Lake. Outside there is a picnic bench and that I can describe is a fire oven instead of a ring.

Pros:
- electricity
- close to toilets and trash bins
- secluded from RVs
- great views of the lake
- walking distance to non-motorized launching and playground
- There is a small flat grassy area adjacent to the parking pad that would be perfect for a tent

Cons:
- no lock on door (door code to open checks you in and you put the code in when checking out). Door does lock from inside
- fire ring is more like "fire oven" with a heavy lid that blocks view and gets hot
- no lighting on outside, which made it difficult to find the cabin at night
- toilets are about 50 feet away and not lit on outside or inside
- previews showed these cabins very close to the water, I would say they are about 50 yards away.

Overall our experience was positive. We brought a camp kitchen with a shower bag to use for running water inside of the cabin. We kept valuables locked in the vehicle or hidden inside of the car. We had a super bright lantern for using the toilets.

If these were to be improved, it would be nice if they locked from the outside to secure it. There was list on what to do when checking out, so we swept and wiped the surfaces with what we had. A low wattage light on the names of each cabin would be helpful to find them at night.

I would place these cabins between a tent and RV camping wise. You are not totally roughing it, but it isn't a home away from home.

Conviently located off Happy Jack Road between Laramie and Cheyenne, Curt Gowdy State Park is a local jewel that only cost $6 for out of state cars. It is extremely popular with mountain bikers who are very courteous on the trail. We did the Hidden Falls hike from the Aspen trail head. It is a scenic non-strenuous hike that takes about an hour to get to the falls. Be prepared to wade about 50 yards down a narrow canyon to actually see the 15 foot or so falls which truly are hidden from view. The water was less than knee deep at the end of June but locals said it can be waist high. I hope that was helpful!

Beautiful location and campsites. Awesome mountain biking. Very expensive camping for overnight out-of-state guests--especially if there is an extra vehicle involved. Left early as we were not aware that dogs could not go in the lake and it was miserable for our furry friends who were hot and needed a cool down. Would be nice if this were posted very clearly on reservation sites. For many of us that camp with our pets, we would likely not choose this location if we knew this information. In addition, the ATV's were buzzing about the campsites well after the 10:00 quiet time. Abandoned our camping plans early (and the significant camp fee)

If you want some great scenic views then this is the place to go. It is just a nice green area, peaceful and nice lakes and great walks. Had a great time. I would definitely go back. Husband went water skiing and he loved it.

We had a great time exploring the mountain bike trails in Curt Gowdy State Park. There are well-marked trails for all ability levels, from green for newbies and younger children to reds and blacks for advanced riders. The lake is lovely, the campground is clean and quiet, and our whole group was very happy.

This is a very scenic park with lots of walks and camping near a large lake. The facilities for camping, walking and water sports are good and there is a modern visitor centre where staff will advise on suitable walks etc. We enjoyed an afternoon stroll along the shore on our way to Cheyenne.

Nice new visitors center that depicts what the nature of the park is all about. A nice salute to CG and to all the outdoor sports he embraced.

A beautiful setting with great trout fishing. The pull-through campsite could have been more level, but the space between sites allowed for privacy.

My family and I wanted out of the house so we drive to Curt Gowdy. It is a beautiful drive on Happy Jack as well. We stopped at the visitor center and the ladies in there were very nice and helpful. We then left and went down into the park area. We decided to park at Aspen Grove. We were getting ready to hike to Hidden Falls. It was a nice fun hike into the Falls. Once at the Falls we had a blast playing in the ice cold water. All the trails are marked and kept clean and clear. Most definitely will be back to hike others.

My husband, 21 year old daughter, and I drove here after reading about the Hidden Falls hiking trail online.

There is a small day use fee, which we gladly paid at the entrance and received a helpful map. We drove through the park a bit, and it was busy even during Covid-19. However, we got to the trailhead parking area pretty early in the morning to try to beat the heat and crowds.

What a great hike to Hidden Falls! An easy hike with slight elevation gain, but lots of fun rocks and areas to explore along the way. We only met a few other groups on the trail, and at one point we were the only ones at the falls. Beautiful! No mosquitoes that we noticed.

The falls alone made it worth the 1.25 hour drive from Northern Colorado. What a gem.

Tips:

- Go early to beat the heat and fewer people
- There are multiple trails - consider the Crow Creek to Hidden Falls trail. Get a map so you can choose your trail. The trail was pretty well marked but we got "lost" at a couple junctions and the map really helped.
- There are restrooms at the trailhead near the stables.
- Bring plenty of water in summer - much of the trail is sunny, with some delightful shady spots.
- Lots of areas on boulders where you could enjoy a snack or lunch and feel pretty secluded!
- I recommend water shoes if you want to keep shoes on while wading to the waterfall. The water was below knee level in mid July and some folks went barefoot, but I was happy I wore my Salomon mesh hiking shoes because it was rocky/pebbly on the bottom.

I can't believe I have lived nearby in Colorado for 30 years and had never been here! Enjoy!

Wow! This place has hiking, fishing, camping, etc. plus it is breathtaking. The fees are reasonable and it is very clean.

This place was beautiful. There were activities for all ages and abilities. There were trails for the out of shape with bad knees like myself and trails for the experienced hikers. There were kayakers and picnickers and campers. You could drive around and stop for pics. We enjoyed it.

Was a nice spring day, but a long drive and not really a lot when I got there. Not a lot of history to describe the area.

This park was not on my list to visit but glad we did. It's a great park to drive through, to stop and take pictures, and just enjoy the beauty of the area.

This is favorite for the locals. There is camping, both tent and RV sites available, many trails you can hike on and fishing at one of the two lakes. The hike to hidden falls worth the hike.

Beautiful lots of camp grounds & hiking, bathrooms available in many places, take a jacket, temp can change drastically fast

This park is literally in the middle of no where which makes it even the more better, great hiking and moderate to extreme biking trails. Great incredible camping spots right on the 2 reservoirs. Beware though lots of 4 wheeling and people smoking.

nice close in option for camping, hiking, and biking if you're in the Cheyenne area. a lot of options, not too far from home, and reasonably priced

We were heading east on I-80 and needed a place to camp near Laramie, WY. We checked out the KOA in Laramie which was nestled in between old mobile homes. We kept going and turned onto HW 210 just east of Laramie. The fog was so heavy we could hardly see, but what we did see for the 15 or so miles to the park was beautiful. We were in the Laramie Mountains. The state park surrounds a reservoir. The sites are large and beautiful. Since the weather was so bad, we almost had the park to ourselves. You can pick electric or not. Great trails. Incredible views and the ranger was extremely helpful. I hope we can return in better weather, but then we won't have the park to ourselves!

Loved Curt Gowdy. The hiking trails are outstanding. If you get a chance, take the crow creek trail back to the waterfall. It was well worth the trip. We did a three hour hike through well marked trails with our teenage daughter and her friend. They loved every minute of the hike also. Curt Gowdy is a nice place to spend the day and enjoy the beautiful Wyoming landscape.

The hike to Hidden Falls was alone worth the trip. Mildly challenging trail with a nice mix of sun and shade, glimpses of wildlife and impressive views. Rent a kayak or paddle board -- relaxing end to a great day. This park is a true gem and worth a drive out of the way.

Curt Gowdy State Park is beautiful and quiet if you can manage to get there during the week. The park has trails for hikers and bikers and plenty of places to drop your line and fish and plenty of wildlife to see. The campgrounds are nice with a picnic table and plenty of room in between. The restrooms are clean and roads a passable by car. Not far from Cheyenne Wyoming so if you need anything you don't have to go far.The cost 4 dollars for a day or 10 dollars a night to champ.

This is the solution to all of those rocks and hillsides along Happy Jack Road you want to hike up to but they are on private property. This park has great vistas, lakes, and plenty of big rocks on each side of the road.

Despite being a large state park, this was a quiet, peaceful retreat. We only went for a few hours and sat by the water, reading. It was lovely. We will definitely go back to walk/hike and maybe camp. My daughter is 11, so not a young child or a teen. There are a couple of small playgrounds here for the little ones. There are plenty of bathrooms. There is also a concession stand near the entrance. We didn't stop there, though. The only down side for my compact car is the unpaved roads. We chose to leave the park and return to Cheyenne via a different route and it was a bit grueling. It would be fine in an SUV.

Was looking for something in nature to do around Cheyenne. This State Park did not disappoint. It’s about a 30 drive from Cheyenne. It cost $9 for a day use pass. I’m 39 my Mom is 71 and my boys are 11 & 7. We walked the Crow Creek trail which took us to Hidden Falls. It’s a 4 mile round trip hike on well marked and maintained trail. It took us about 3 hours to complete the hike. We took our time pulling off the trail. The park itself is very clean and well maintained.

We are so pleased that we found this park. We hiked many of the trails and had a grand time doing so. Next time we are hoping to bring our bikes and do even more. This park is very well kept, and the trails are extensive.

We stopped here as we needed a place to camp for the night. The camping is spread out over a huge area surrounding two reservoirs. Many of the campsites are pull-throughs along the main gravel road, creating a lot of dust right in the campsite. There are nice sites on "fingers" going down to the lakes, but in many cases, there is no where to turn around. Some sites are right on top of each other, others quite spread out. Some of the roads were washed out, making it difficult to maneuver a RV. The dump site has been removed. Unfortunately, there appears to be a lack of funding.

I offered a yoga retreat in Curt Gowdy and it offered us the opportunity to hike and paddleboard. Paddleboards can be rented right there or bring your own, keep in mind on a windy day going out is easy coming back in takes time and work. Bike trails are easily accessible and are well maintained. The Visitor Center is gorgeous and you can shower there.

I must go out here at least once a year. So close to town yet the feel of being way,way out of town. The aw
King is easy and gorgeous the flowing streams are wonderful. A fun pleasant picnic area,wonderful.....

This is absolutely one of our favorite places to camp. There is so much to do with hiking, fishing, boating, archery, and mountain biking. We go here every year and honestly it's the best Wyoming has to offer!

just of the "happy jack road" take the time to stop here , even in the winter it was worth it for the views

Stopped here on a trip from Laramie to Cheyenne Really enjoyed this park . Went for a trail run for 6 miles. Quiet, clean , the air felt so fresh. would definitely come back, and explore some other trails, especially around the lake

I seldom stay in campgrounds, but stayed in the campground this time to visit friends and enjoy talking about old times around a campfire. We also were there for the convenience of being able to camp right next to the reservoir, which allowed us to park the boat at our campsite. We enjoyed tubing and water skiing. There are also some awesome rock outcrops all around the area - great for climbing, bouldering, and rappelling off of. We camped in the South Causeway Campground at site 112.

Be sure to stop at the Visitor Center before you enter the park. Very informational. They even have coin-op showers for campers or anyone. I've never seen that anywhere else. A real classy improvement to an already excellent state park. Cheyenne native Curt Gowdy would be very proud.

Went here with local friends. Lots of trails to choose from and activities ranging from hiking to mountain biking. Hidden Falls is worth the effort. Excellent kayaking and camping spot.

Fishing was great when we were there. The trails are top notch and good for both walking and riding bikes. There were in great shape and 99% of the park was very clean. The camp sites were adequate but few have full hook-ups

The VC is great, and they are improving the facilities for camping. Nice adn quiet during the week adn the fishing is pretty good

There is a major problem making reservations through Reserve America. First, The campground staff wants nothing to do with helping campers. Also 12-15 are sitting empty each night which costs the state of Wyoming about $100,000 a year just for this one campground because of Reserve America booking practices. I suppose it’s more cost efficient not hiring a couple of Wyoming citizens to do the booking by using an outside agency which is probably outsourced overseas. But I would personally rather have the jobs go to locals and not pay the extra 8 dollar fee to use Reserve America. Many states have dropped them as a booking agent and I wish Wyoming would do this too and pay local people who may need a job and can provide better service to folks who are on vacation. This is a great campground and would be better if they would get not only the additional funds for the Parks, but also provide additional jobs for locals who can actually help customers have a great vacation in Wyoming.

We were staying in fort collins, so i took took this opportunity to enjoy the bike trails at curt gowdy. It was a beautiful park. I wish we would have camped here for a few days. The trails are well taken care of and well marked. It was still a bit confusing. One day isnt enough time to truly explore all the beautiful area.

Nephews had a blast in the big outdoors of this park. One nephew is considering becoming a park ranger.
We walked allover the park

We drove out from Cheyenne not knowing what to expect. It was wonderful. Great hiking trails that are well marked for hiking levels.

It is a quiet time of the year so not very crowded. We enjoyed it and highly recommend if your interested in getting out in the Wyoming countryside.

This is not a horse friendly facility! They cannot not even provide water at the corrals for the horses. We were told it had not been operational for 2 years!! But, they provide air pumps for bikes and tools. If they advertise this as a horse friendly park they need to provide adequate water sources for the horse lover!!

I have been going here since I was a little boy. Its just minutes away from town. There is fishing, archery, hiking, biking, camping and picnicking all in one area. Great way to spend some time out side.

This was a pit stop on us for a road trip and we spent 2 days enjoying the area. The reservoirs are gorgeous, a hike to hidden falls is a must and the mountain biking is a ton of fun. It is an iMBA trail system so trails are well maintained and sort of well marked. We stayed during the week and the campgrounds were not crowded at all. It does get hot in the summer.

As I was growing up my family and I used to come to these lakes almost every weekend during the summer. But now that I have my own family I can not even fathom the thought of taking my kids there with all the trash and glas, fishing lines just thrown everywhere. No where to really camp anymore unless you want to camp on top of your neighbor. Crystal lake use to have suclusion when camped now there is absolutely no privacy. I hate it. Along with the fact most of the peop that come here are from Colorado and the people from there don't care how they leave Wyoming parks. I don't even want to get fish from there as I don't know what kind of desease they are caring from all the waste that is being thrown into the lakes. Granite is ok, but again, no where to comfortably camp.

Curt Gowdy State Park is a real jewel. Many people in from Cheyenne, Laramie and the surrounding areas to there for a back to nature break. Only about 20 minutes from Cheyenne, Curt Gowdy sports two lakes, camping, picnic areas, out houses that are kept clean and lots of hiking trails. Granite Lake area has a archery area as well. People can even bring their horses and ride on trails located a Granite Lake area. There is an equine holding area to rest your horses while you take break for lunch near by. Wildlife in the area include but are not limited to deer, antelope, eagles, coyote, and jack rabbits. Fishing is allowed with a proper lieance.

Nice place. Lakes are small, but at least one is big enough for a power boat. Scenic area with camping, fishing, picnicking.

We had spent a few days in CO and we’re heading home. We were less than an hour from Cheyenne, WY and it wasn’t far out of the way so we figured we would check it out. The view of the reservoir area was stunning and we walked a little bit of the trail near the archery area. Breathtaking views and worth the trip to check it out!

A variety of biking trails! Black Diamond's can be more than just humbling so (unlike me) work up through them. Great views, still under utilized most of the year. The archery range appeared great for outdoor practice. Trail running the courses has since been good training for 13'ers & 14'ers since over half way there.
Head to 1264 Granite Springs Road.

Nice drive from Cheyenne. The lake is beautiful. We did the hike to the hidden falls. A very pretty hike. The path stays near the water lots of trees for shade and we had a good breeze that day. There are a lot of mountain bikes and people with there dogs on this trail.

The Curt Gowdy State Park is located along Wyoming Highway 210, a.k.a. Happy Jack Road that runs from Cheyenne in Laramie County. The altitude of the park is 7.500 feet, equal to 2.300 metres, which are excellent conditions to get in good shape. There are great hiking and bike trails as well as fishing oportunities. The wildlife in the park is magnificent and you may spot moose’s and wolfs, even though the latter are a rare sight. The area is great for camping at designated areas and there are barbeque facilities. I have seen Mother Nature shift in the park from winter, spring, summer and fall and all seasons have a special charm in the park. A weekend in the park is a great experience also for kids in all ages!

First off, this isn't a terribly civilized "park". You can't swim in the lake, there's a few play grounds, and a lot of roads are unpaved. That said, we love it! People are around, sometimes more than others, but you can find hideaways everywhere. Hiking trails galore. Amazing places for kayaking. You can boat and fish on the lake. And driving a few minutes west you'll find yourself at Vidauwoo, which has to be seen to be believed! The only other formation like it is found in Africa. Just beautiful here! If your seeking civilization and its amenities, you may not want to come here. If you love the outdoors and exploring, you'll never want to leave!

We were on a 4-day road trip and got to Curt Gowdy late in the evening, desperate for showers. We were able to find a spot to set up our tent, set up, and quickly find ourselves disappointed in the absence of plumbing. The spigot wouldn't turn on, and we were left with no drinking water.. So just a fair warning-- don't be expecting showers or a toilet when you enter the park. We drove around for a few miles and were futile in those attempts at running water as well. We hurried to leave the next morning, but it seemed like a good area to fish, though! Pretty area.

A lot of people from Cheyenne and the surrounding area come in to go camping at this park. However, they don't seem to have any regard for nature at all. Our camping neighbors were foraging through the woods for firewood, leaving trash behind, and being loud well into the night after.
Otherwise, the park was great. Lengthy trails that culminate with amazing scenery. Overall I would visit again.

Whether you are a biker or hiker, this place rocks. The trails are so well built and maintained and the scenery is just breathtaking. Make sure to ride or bike Granite Ridge. The views were spectacular.

For bikers, trail is an IMBA epic. Go shred.

I saw places for horses only trails so looks like they have it all covered. We did not camp here since they only have electric at the sites but for a weekend of tent camping, it’s the place to be.

We paid for a day pass and hiked to the Hidden Falls. We took about a mile detour because the trail was not too well marked, but enjoyed it anyway. I don't care much for sharing trails with mountain bikers, but everyone who was riding and had to pass us was very courteous. Overall a very nice place for all kinds of outdoor recreation.

WE just moved to Cheyenne from Colorado and were missing the hiking so we went to this state park on a day trip after Thanksgiving and found a trail right away with beautiful views, we are going again today to see more reservoirs.

It's always been a great place to fish and camping but the addition of the Visitors Center with coin operated showers make it perfect for roughing without actually roughing it. Close to Cheyenne and Laramie but far enough away. They have a mobile canteen that comes in for part of the day in the summer but don't depend on it. We had campsite 187 on Crystal Lake and loved it!!!!

Curt Gowdy has a lot of trails for hiking and Mountain biking.
Great Camp sites.
Good fishing in the reservoirs.
The hike to the hidden falls is a moderate hike and the falls are great.

We took one of the easier hiking routes, and were very impressed. In July, flowers were in bloom everywhere. Make sure not to miss the waterfall, tucked back around a rocky area. You'll hear it before you see it. I thought we saw it until I walked around the corner and then saw it beyond a large pool of water. Great!

Took friends from OH on the Hidden Falls trail. It was a great adventure for them to say they hiked WY. I’m also a beginner mountain biker. The lake trails are very enjoyable and fun!

Curt Gowdy State park is a wonderful place to camp. They also have many hiking and biking trails. Want some water fun....rent one of their kayaks or sup boards. They do have some unreserved sites, but mostly it would be best to reserve your place. They also have showers in the visitor center, which is definitely an added plus.

This park is closer to Laramie than Cheyenne, but not far from either. A fairly new park (visitor LEED-certified center completed in 2014), this is a gem. Over 35 miles of hiking and mountain biking trails, fishing, kayaking and paddle boarding on the reservoirs and creeks, an archery course, equestrian trails and camping sites, all well laid out in breathtaking surroundings.

One of our favorite trails is the El Alto Trail, ending at the scenic overlook. A Christmas card shot at the top, prefaced with an enjoyable hike along Crow Creek up through Albert's Alley. Can't speak to the camping options, but we could certainly spend many days here, especially in the early fall when temps are nice, Aspen are turning their special golden yellow, and crowds, at least during the week, are non-existent.

I really like hiking & kayaking at Curt Gowdy park, it's so close to Cheyenne, but you feel like your in another world!!

We took an evening trip out to the park (we are newcomers to Wyoming). We purchased a state park pass -- SO affordable -- and plan to use it again at this park. We enjoyed a picnic dinner by the lake and though we were unprepared for a hike, ventured out on the trail for a little hike. Lot of wildflowers -- watch out for cactus! The park rangers hold fireside talks in the summer. We enjoyed some live country music and s'mores, and they even had treat bags for the kids. What fun!

The scenery is breathtaking. Weather was perfect in early September which is after the busy season. The park was beautiful, clean, well designed and maintained. Highly recommend this if you are in the area.

With the choice of Crystal Lake and Granite lake you will likely catch some fish. It is a for sure trip if you have a boat. Fishing from the shore can be a challenge and I never have much luck unless I hoof it back to the canyon where the water is deep.

It's a really lovely park in the middle of the city. We picnicked there, and enjoyed the lake and scenery.

Nice location with great RV spots with electric hookups in some areas. Crystal reservoir is next to this reservoir. Also great good camping.

Good hiking trails, easy to moderate, scenic. The south part around Crystal Lake is best. The north part around the other lake is too crowded.

About 25 miles west of Cheyenne and an easy ride though rolling prairie, Curt Gowdy State Park sports a few interesting rock formations, some beautiful lakes, a fair number of hiking and biking trails, and campsites for $10 a night. Great place for stargazing, too!

We ( me, husband and dog) visited this park in early October on a weekday. Aside from a couple of anglers, we felt like we had the park to ourselves. We drove dirt roads around several lakes and trails. We didn’t stop to hike but made many stops to take in the views. Our dog thoroughly enjoyed himself as well. We aren’t campers but could see how this would be a favorite location for campers. It’s a beautiful park!

Lots of hiking trails and some opportunities to boat and kayak on Granite and Crystal. Overnight camping also available. I think there is also a company out of Colorado (wish it was a WY company) that offers SUP rentals and kayaks but they're usually booked so you have to wait or make reservations before going. You can get an Annual State Park Pass for like, $40 bucks at the gate, or pay the day/camping fee. State Parks just redid the visitor's center and it is very nice. Several playground areas for kids, in addition to the natural playground areas. Great place for a weekend camping trip, but book your spot early.

Called into the Visitors centre and the staff were very helpful, and explained if you are just driving through and not stopping for fishing, hiking etc than it is free. As we were out for just a drive this was nice to know. There is a pathway which leads from the centre to a look out/viewing point which overlooks a lake and surrounding countryside. We had a nice drive through the park and spotted various deer and what I thought was an eagle (only later on was it pointed out what I actually photographed was a turkey vulture) but I did manage to get a couple of smaller birds and a hawk in the park. It would probably be worth the entrance fee to stop for longer, but we were on a bit of schedule so what we did was fine.

This park has two lakes and lots of opportunity for hiking, fishing, and camping, with campsites right next to the lakes. It's a beautiful area. I recommend a stop at the visitor center, where they will give you a map, recommend hiking trails, and answer any questions you might have about activities in the park.

Even if you are just out for a scenic drive, this park makes a great place to visit. There is no fee to just drive through the park.

We had a great time. Weather was perfect in the morning but got a little warm near the afternoon. Trout fishing is good. Keep your eyes open for afternoon thunderstorms as they can pop up unexpectedly.

A beautiful area with many opportunities for recreation! Our first time here, our campsite was on Crystal Reservoir. I missed having my kayak with me but found out they rent kayaks and paddle boards. The reservoir was beautiful, especially when storm clouds moved in. We decided to return on our trip home and got a site in the Happy Jack campsite. No shade, but nice views of Granite Reservoir and right on one of the bike trails which proved to be a lot of fun, even for a novice single track rider. Only suggestion would be to expand offerings at the “camp store” - a trailer with limited items to purchase.

Take your bicycle. All levels of riding are available. This is beautiful park with great access for camping and boating.

Price Gouging! The state parks system is price gouging all visitors to Curt Gowdy State Park. 2x to 3x the cost of camping in other locations I have stayed. The lake was crowded, and people continued to walk and bike through camp at all hours. Day visitors allowed to park in camping areas right next to your RV or tent.

The lake was pretty, but not worth the cost!

Any time of year, take a drive and see wildlife. Venture off one of the dirt roads and have a picnic or take a walk with the family. Good fishing too. I'm smiling every time I go there.

Read some reviews and sounded like a nice place to camp/bike. My girlfriend and I both enjoyed our stay at the park. We came from Nebraska and brought both of our bikes with us.The bike trails were very well made. For the novice bikers, the shoreline trail is defiantly your best bet. The scenery was amazing from our campsite and the trails. If you are looking for a great area to get away with the family or another couple I would definitely consider coming to Curt Gowdy. The other positive was Vedauwoo was a short drive away, and was also an amazing experience.

Nice place to camp, fish,pickwick, with or without the kids. At visitors center there's nice hot showers.pay

loved the wild life every where, clean lakes and just a nice drive. the only draw back was a flat tire, stay on the paved roads. was a cold day and just drove around.

My family includes a 1 year old and a 7 year old. Curt Gowdy includes a beautiful sign over the road and a beautiful visitor’s center (which were majorly misleading). The VC was closed due to COVID. (Except for a table where we paid.)

We asked if there was hiking available, picnicking, wildlife, etc. We were told yes by a young ranger to all of the above.

You pay a $9 entrance fee just for entering for 30 minutes or an hour. We asked if we could pay an hourly rate and were told no. Hiking is out in the open and up and down some pretty good hills. There was not much picnicking. We ended up thankfully finding a group shelter to eat lunch under.

The only animal we spotted was a coyote from a distance.

Looked like a good spot for locals to fish/camp.

Hard to believe this place has almost 5 stars, unless people rating it are camping there.

Will not return.

As New Englanders and Red Sox fans, we could not believe we were seeing signs off Wy Rte. 210 for a park named after a radio announcer for the Sox back in the day. I surmised that it must be because he came from this area of Wyoming. We were right. The young man at the Visitors Center was most willing to share all we could do at the park, which is very large, but we were here to find out more about Curt Gowdy. There was a large photo of Curt with a fishing rod. We told the young man that is reminded us of Islamorada in the Florida Keys where Ted Williams of the Sox went to sport fish. It became a sport fishing capital of the States. The young man said "who is Ted Williams? We took literature and left.

I was told there was nothing to do in Southern Wyoming. Everyone was wrong, because this place is beautiful and incredible. Awesome hiking, beautiful views in the foothills. Camping spots that are already calling me back. Hidden waterfalls. Just beautiful.

Hiked w my 19 yo daughter. Beautiful peaceful trails - even on a sunny Saturday. Falls are not at their best at this time of year - most impressive in May/June I am told - but still gorgeous. Trails are manageable in decent sneakers, but not for those w any physical limitations. Be aware that shoes get quite dirty - not for your best white tennis shoes! Saw kids, teens, adults and seniors. Dog friendly as well. Would def visit again!

We wanted to spend the night in WY and found the camp site in this state park driving out of Larami. We had no idea what to expect, there is quite a long road leading up into the park and up to the camp site and we missed the park's main office. The reservoir was completely unexpected. It was the most stunning camp site we'd pulled into on our entire road trip. The layout was so beautiful, you don't feel like being in a camp at all! The ground is big and campers scattered around the reservoir in a vacation lodge style. We didn't have a reservation but the trooper helped us secure a site with electric connection, but no water, near the lake. This was labor day weekend, and the place was booked up very full. There is no shower on site but in the Park's main office, there are showers you pay with coins. Clean and well maintained facilities with very hot water and good pressure. There are many trails to walk around in the park but we simply chilled out on the campsite and enjoyed the beautiful scenery. Many boats and jet skis were zipping up and down in the water having loads of fun. And the night sky is something to be marveled at. Highly recommend to go out wrapped up in blanket and enjoy. The rolling hills and rock formations in the park were awesome and so cute to look at. I love this type of landscape. It is a place to really lie back and let a sense of peace take over.

My wife and I took our daughter and two grandchildren to Crystal reservoir for three days and two nights. The weather was cloudy all three days but it was still beautiful and my grandson spent two days trying to catch fish which he did catch a nice rainbow. We got to see a whole herd of deer bounding over the hills playing and having a wonderful time. We would recommend this area for anybody that loves to hike or camp.

Had a lot of nice scenery and some good hiking trails. Good place to fish & camp too. It was only $6 for a day

We stopped at the visitor center, just a note it doesn't open until nine. We're told about the Hidden Falls Trail which is the one we read about. We hiked up there no problem but really got turned around in by the falls. Took another path out and luckily ran into a park attendant. We managed to hike 4 miles but we did not come out the way we came in. Trail was marked perfectly until the very end. The volunteer gentleman at the visitor center was fantastic. It was an honor to watch him put up the flag.

Very nice place to visit and camp. 2point hooks ups only, no sewer dump available at this time. The only bad thing is the 4-5 miles down a washboard gravel road to get to Crystal Reservoir campground. 25mi. to Cheyenne.

We found the park too crowded for our liking but obviously others don't mind the crowds. Perhaps the experience would have been better had we tried to visit midweek.

An unspoken gem in Wyo, this place has miles of hiking trails for various levels of hiking experience.
The water is cold and crystal clear. There is a place to rent paddle boards, canoes or kayaks.
Lots of camping sites throughout.
The large granite hills are amazing!

Great fun for all ages. We took the kids on a hike to Hidden Falls and even our little 4-year old made it the whole way. It's about 1.75 miles each way if you start from the equestrian area trail head. The falls are beautiful and the walk there and back is scenic. Take a towel because once you get up there you have to jump in and splash around.

Hiked Crow Creek Trail to Hidden Falls. It was beautiful. A very nice park! Quiet with lovely views!

The trails are great. The locals and park are to be commended. Good camping. Beautiful scenery. But they almost hide the fact that DOGS MUST BE LEASHED ON ALL TRAILS AT ALL TIMES. And it is enforced. You can’t ride these trails with a dog tied to a leash. You will injure yourself, the dog, or both. And it isn’t fun for either.
I did my research before coming. Nothing in park regs mentioned dogs on leash on trails. Picked up map at visitor’s center when checked in for a camping site. Never told dogs must be on-leash. Later scouting nearby trails with our dogs walking with us - it was too wet to ride - a ranger in a pickup called us over and told us that dogs must be on leash. “It’s ok to have the dogs off-leash on the trails, though?” I asked. No, the dogs must be on-leash all the time in the park. I said you can’t ride that way. The ranger gave us a that’s-not-my-problem shrug, waited until we put the dogs on-leash, and then kept reappearing when the Shoreline trail came near the road. He seemed to be following us.
I picked through the brochure on mountain biking trails, and I didn’t find the requirement until my 2nd time through it. In the section called “Etiquette”, it stated, Dogs must be on leash at all time. That apparently meant on trails also. I asked some locals at the trailhead if the leash requirement was enforced, and each said yes.

Wow! What an amazing place, I went with my niece yesterday and we loved it. Vicky at the welcome center was so lovely and gave us an orange WY flag to take photos with. The views in the park were breathtaking and the park itself was very clean and well kept. I was very impressed and I look forward to coming back.

About half way between Cheyenne and Laramie, Curt Gowdy State park is great weekend escape. Granite reservoir allows boating and fishing. There is camping around the reservoir, but most of the camping areas are exposed, no wind protection. Crystal reservoir allows fishing, but not power boats. You can watch water flow over the dam. There are lots of hiking and biking trails. My personal favorite is the hike to Hidden Falls, approximately 4 miles round trip. There are reservable and group camping sites. It gets very crowded on summer weekends. The visitor center has showers and is a nice place to relax and learn more about Wyoming's wildlife.

I went on an exceptionally warm and sunny day for February and so there were a lot of people out but there are so many trails and different places to hang out that I only passed one person on a trail the entire time I was in the park (3 hours). There is mountain biking, hiking, camping, fishing, horseback riding, an archery range, or you could just drive trough and look at the scenery. Great views! There is also a visitor center but it was closed when I was there so I can't comment on its quality. And the price is unbeatable at $4 day pass for Wyoming residents and $6 for non-residents (you pay extra for some of the activities). If you come in on the road on the north side (Happy Jack Rd.) it's a nice well paved road. I drove on through and exited on the south side and that road is nice for a dirt road but washboarded in some places.

Fathers Day 2017 was a beautiful day so we went up to Curt Gowdy State Park (our first visit). We have three little granddaughters and went as a family in our cars for the day. We really liked the visitor's center and small playground for the kids. We then drive into the park $5/resident, $6/nonresident. We parked in the kayak/paddle board parking lot and decided to do a partial hike of an easy trail (Shoreline Trail) that wraps around the reservoir. The kids loved throwing rocks into the water and following the trail. We visited a few more playgrounds, looked at campsites and enjoyed the beautiful views and weather. The park was quiet and serine, loved it!

CGSP has had quite a bit of monetary and physical attention over the past couple of years, including a new trail system (bike trails covered on IMDBs official website), and a welcome center. I love to ride, hike, fish, and kayak this area. Looking forward to putting a sailboat on Crystal, ASAP (Granite allows motorboats, Crystal has motor restrictions).

Hiking is something my family does on family trips/vacations, so we decided to hike in Curt Gowdy State Park (about a 30-minute drive from Cheyenne). Having lived and traveled across the country, I can say that this is the best, most well-kept state park we've ever been to!

We first stopped off at the Visitor's Center to pay the park fee and pick up a map. After talking with the very friendly park receptionist there, we decided to hike the Stone Temple Loop, a 4-mile, fairly easy hike (the park rates it as moderate, but we thought it was easy). We had our two kids and three dogs with us.

This hike was beautiful! Our almost 4-year-old was easily able to walk it herself. There was so much beauty along the trail! Butterflies, small rodents, wildflowers, granite boulders...it was extraordinary! The smell of pines permeated the air, and the sun shone the entire morning.

This is a great hiking option for people who like the outdoors and who have children/dogs capable of easy-to-moderate hiking. Make sure to bring water and sunscreen, as the trails are very exposed much of the time.

My only regret: that we couldn't spend more time here!