Bow River Ranger Station

BOW RIVER RANGER STATION in WY — photo 4

Bow River Ranger Station

About this campsite

Overview

The Bow River Ranger Station (sleeps 10) is an all electric cabin featuring one full bath equipped with one shower, a double sink and toilet, and a 1/2 bath with a toilet and sink. The cabin boasts a large kitchen equipped with basic pots, pans, dishes and silverware, a small living room, and two bedrooms. The first bedroom provides two bunk beds, and the second bedroom offers two bunkbeds and two twin beds. Outside you will find a vault toilet and an outdoor seating area complete with a fire ring and picnic tables. The facility is handicap accessible including a ramp for entrance to the front door. Guests are expected to clean the facility before leaving. No trash service. Please practice pack in and pack out your trash.

Cell phone coverage is fair depending on you carrier. Host is located on site.

Recreation

The Upper Medicine Bow River flows past the back yard and provides fishing and wildlife viewing.

Facilities

Cell phone coverage is fair depending on you carrier. Host is located on site

Natural Features

The house sits on the national forest boundary where sagebrush meets the forest.

Nearby Attractions

Medicine Bow River, Turpin Reservoir, Sand Lake and Bow River Campground are all nearby.

Location

BOW RIVER RANGER STATION•WY

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Weather Forecast

via Open-Meteo

MON🌦️

22° / 8°

💧 37%

TUE🌧️

19° / 10°

💧 40%

WED🌦️

21° / 11°

💧 5%

THU☀️

22° / 11°

💧 2%

FRI☁️

24° / 13°

💧 4%

Nearby Campsites

within 50km

2.1 km away

Bow River Campground

Campground: Bow River Campground. Operated by US Forest Service.

19.9 km away

Lincoln Park Campground

Campground: Lincoln Park Campground. Operated by USFS.

20.7 km away

Brooklyn Lake Campground

Overview Adventurers love sleeping under the towering trees and night sky of the secluded Brooklyn Lake Campground in the mountains of southeastern Wyoming. Located eight miles northwest of Centennial, Wyoming, the facility is situated along a small, picturesque lake at an elevation of 10,500 feet. This campground will have a mix of reservation sites and first-come, first-served sites for the 2026 season. If you are not reserving your site, you may be able to pay for your campsite(s) by cash or check once you are at the campground. Modifications on reservations are not allowed for this site. This is due to limited capacity to update reservation placards when concerning last minute modifications as well as limited functionality with the modifications feature in recreation.gov which has only an ON or OFF toggle for site managers and no feature allowing modifications up until a certain time frame. Recreation Popular activities include hiking, fishing and non-motorized boating. The 36-acre lake is a nice canoeing spot with calm water. Non-motorized boats are allowed on Brooklyn Lake with carry-down access for small recreational watercrafts. There is no boat ramp and trailered vessels cannot be used at this location. Fishing is good for brook trout. From the campground, hikers can access the Sheep Lake and Lost Lake Trails. Sheep Lake Trail also allows horseback riding. Facilities Brooklyn Lake Campground has 19 campsites, 5 of which can accomadate longer or trailered setups in a pull-through site. Sites are equiped with campfire rings and picnic tables. All sites have access to two water handpumps, two vault toilets, and trash collection. No electrical hook-ups, water hook-ups, or black water hook-ups are available. Handpump water is typically available in this campground from July to September. These dates may vary due to weather, well and/or pump maintenance, and water testing requirements. As such, we encourage you to bring your own water or call ahead. Natural Features The scenery at Brooklyn Lake can't be beat. Pine forests and grasslands surround the lake, and the snow-capped Browns Peak protrudes into the crisp, blue summer sky. The Medicine Bow-Routt National Forests and Thunder Basin National Grassland encompass nearly 3 million acres from central and northeastern Wyoming to north-central Colorado. Black bear, bobcat, coyote, elk, mule deer and moose are just some of the many animals that inhabit these rich and diverse lands. Nearby Attractions Visitors can find many more outdoor opportunities in the surrounding national forests and grasslands, including hiking, biking, camping, horseback riding, fishing, hunting, sightseeing and winter sports. Charges & Cancellations Modifications on reservations are not allowed for this site. This is due to limited capacity to update reservation placards when concerning last minute modifications as well as limited functionality with the modifications feature in recreation.gov which has only an ON or OFF toggle for site managers and no feature allowing modifications up until a certain time frame.

20.8 km away

Sugarloaf Campground (WY)

Overview At an elevation of 10,800 feet, Sugarloaf is the highest elevation campground that the Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest has to offer and it is one of the highest elevation campgrounds in the United States. The sites at this location offer a breathtaking panorama of the Snowy Range which peaks out at 12,000 feet. There is little or no shade in the campground due to elevation, the pine beetle infestation, and the removal of hazard trees. This campground will have a mix of reservation sites and first-come, first-served sites for the 2026 season. If you are not reserving your site, you may be able to pay for your campsite(s) by cash or check once you are at the campground. Modifications on reservations are not allowed for this site. This is due to limited capacity to update reservation placards when concerning last minute modifications as well as limited functionality with the modifications feature in recreation.gov which has only an ON or OFF toggle for site managers and no feature allowing modifications up until a certain time frame. Recreation Sugarloaf Campground is near a variety of hiking trails and two crystal clear snow-melt lakes: Libby and Lewis Lakes. Non-motorized craft can be used on these lakes but you must carry your boat to the water's edge. Both Libby and Lewis lakes contain brook trout and splake (a hybrid of a male brook trout and female lake trout). Lewis Lake is annually stocked by the Wyoming Game and Fish Department (WGFD). Use of live-bait fish is prohibited in lakes and streams within the Forest. Three popular trailheads originate in this area that range in difficulty level to accomadate visitor's interests. Savage Run Wilderness and Platte River Wilderness are nearby to the south for visitors that desire a more remote setting. Facilities Sugarloaf Campground has 16 sites and can accomodate small trailers up to 22 feet long. Sites are equipped with tent pads, picnic tables, and fire rings. Tents must be set up inside the provided tent pads. All sites have access to a water handpump, a vault toilet, and trash collection. No electrical hook-ups, water hook-ups, or black water hook-ups are available. Handpump water may be available in this campground from July to September. These dates may vary due to weather, well and/or pump maintenance, and water testing requirements. As such, we encourage you to bring your own water or call ahead. Natural Features The campground sits on a spruce and fir-lined hillside in the midst of a fisherman's paradise of 102 recreational lakes. This is a rustic, picturesque campground where every site has delightful views of the Snowy Range. The Medicine Bow-Routt National Forests and Thunder Basin National Grassland encompass nearly 3 million acres from central and northeastern Wyoming to north-central Colorado. Black bear, bobcat, coyote, elk, marmots, moose, mule deer, and pikas are just some of the many animals that inhabit these rich and diverse lands. Nearby Attractions The campground is 1.5 miles from the Libby Flats Observation Area. Visitors can find many more outdoor opportunities in the surrounding Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest including hiking, biking, camping, horseback riding, fishing, hunting, sightseeing, and winter sports. Charges & Cancellations Modifications on reservations are not allowed for this site. This is due to limited capacity to update reservation placards when concerning last minute modifications as well as limited functionality with the modifications feature in recreation.gov which has only an ON or OFF toggle for site managers and no feature allowing modifications up until a certain time frame.

21.7 km away

LITTLE BROOKLYN LAKE GUARD

Overview Little Brooklyn Guard Station is located nine miles west of Centennial, Wyoming just off the Snowy Range Scenic Byway at an elevation of 10,340 feet. The guard station was constructed in 1931 as housing for Forest Service employees. Today, it is a unique year-round lodging experience for guests seeking recreation and relaxation in southeastern Wyoming. During the dry, summer months, guests can drive directly to the cabin; however during the snowy months, access is limited to snowmobiles, skis or snowshoes. Guests can expect to travel about three miles from the parking lot at Green Rock Recreation Area. Access is limited during the shoulder seasons of spring and fall when snow isnt deep enough to snowmobile on, but too deep to drive in. Please understand these limitations before deciding to reserve the cabin during this time of year. The cabin offers many modern amenities, but guests should be prepared to pack in some of their own supplies and gear, especially in winter. As stated above, please be aware that there may be snow in the area until mid-July and the road can be muddy, bumpy, or inaccessible; we recommend calling the USFS Laramie Ranger District office at (307) 745-2300 prior to your reservation to receive the latest weather and road conditions. Recreation A vast hiking trail system that accesses the highest elevations of the Snowy Range is available within 2 miles of the cabin. Hikers may attempt to summit Medicine Bow Peak, the highest peak in the Range at an elevation of 12,013 feet. Sheep Lakes Trail and Glacier Lakes Trails are also nearby. Fishing is available at many alpine lakes and streams, including Brooklyn Lake and Little Brooklyn Lake, which is within walking distance of the cabin. Winter brings deep powder snow for the snowmobiler, snowshoer and cross-country skier. Opportunities exist for hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding and hunting in designated areas nearby. Facilities The cabin measures 28x22-ft. and has three rooms. It can accommodate up to seven people with two sets of bunk beds, one single bed and a double sofa bed. The cabin is heated by a wood stove and equipped with propane lights, propane cook stove, cookware and utensils for eating and cooking. The Forest Service supplies the propane and firewood. The firewood will need to be split. A maul and axe are provided. Please leave a good amount of split firewood for the next guest. If there is a problem, report it to the Forest Service. Drinking water is available during the summer months from a pump located outside the cabin. No running water is available inside the cabin. Water from the pump may freeze during the winter months, so guests must bring their own supply of water or melt snow for drinking, cooking and cleaning during this time. A vault toilet, grill and picnic table are located outside the cabin. Saddle or pack stock belonging to the renter may be kept in the meadow north of the guard station for an additional fee. Only certified weed-free hay or processed feed may be brought into the National Forest. Guests need to provide their own food, sleeping bags, lanterns or flashlights, linens, towels, dish soap, matches, first aid kit, toilet paper and garbage bags. All trash and food must be packed out, and guests must clean the cabin before leaving. Natural Features From valleys and canyons that rise steeply to jagged ridges, the area around the cabin boasts alpine lakes and a mixed forest of spruce, lodgepole pine, subalpine fir and aspen. In the summer, guests can enjoy a view of wildflowers spilling down the meadow in front of the cabin to the edge of serene Little Brooklyn Lake. In winter, this same meadow is blanketed in pristine snow. Wildlife is abundant near the cabin, including elk, deer and coyotes. Migratory birds, squirrels and an occasional black bear f