Camping and hiking in Vedauwoo
The Vedauwoo is an area of large granite rock formations just off Interstate 80 near Laramie, WY. The granite is said to be 1.4 billion years old, and some of the oldest (and most fun, in my opinion) rock in Wyoming. It is here that we setup camp for the work week, just off a wash-boarded gravel road not far out of the official campground. With the Nautilus Rock climbing area as our backdrop, we endured through a never ending flow of passersby who stopped their cars – some parking in our camp site – to photograph the rocks from our angle, even if that meant walking directly into our camp. I guess that comes with the territory when you live *in* the scenic views that others want to photograph.
Through out the week we got out each morning to go for short strolls down a dirt road of trail, primarily as it would be the only times that Kerri would get outdoors each day. After work, on each day, we would crank up the generator and the Xbox so she could power through her Red Dead Redemption game that she started years ago. She would play until 10 or 11pm, without blinking. She is pretty hardcore about her gaming I must say… just another good reason to love her if you ask me.
Finally, and only on the last day here did we get out to hike the Turtle Rock trail. A four mile (starting and ending at our camp) trail that circumnavigates Turtle Rock which took us by surprise. We expected more of the same dusty, desert, rock-type landscape but it was the pine, aspen, and river, that we never saw coming. The hike was massively enjoyable with numerous awe inspiring views. The dogs, who did come with us, love it as well. Neither moved for the remainder of the day once we returned out of good old fashion exhaustion.
I am very new to dry camping but in your post you said that you pulled off the road and set up camp. How did you know you could park there? I understand you were in a federal park but I thought there was restrictions. Thank you for your response even though it is a dumb question
Most of the National Forest and BLM land is Public Land (it is ours, run but he government) and can camped on with some minor restrictions (pickup after yourself, etc). Not only can you camp there for free (your tax dollars pay for it all) you can hunt, target shoot, hike, backpack, off-road, etc.
The majority of these places have been in use, by campers, for years. They are clearly marked in many cases where to camp. In this case, it was a large pullout with a stone fire-ring that was the dead giveaway. Here are the places I have boonocked in the West – https://www.van-tramp.com/wp/confirmed-boondocking-locations/
“…we endured through a never ending flow of passersby who stopped their cars – some parking in our camp site – to photograph the rocks from our angle, even if that meant walking directly into our camp.”
Meanwhile, they were thinking, “Why are these people camped in the middle of our view instead in the campground like respectable people?”