Curt Gowdy adds camping amenities

“It’s a brand-new campsite that will have electric and incredible views,” said Superintendent Patrick Harrington. “It offers lot of those amenities that people want in the park, that folks keep asking for.”

Harrington became the park superintendent last spring. He was previously the program director for Wyoming Conservation Corps, which is based at the University of Wyoming.

The park is also adding four walk-in campsites, which offer a backcountry feel for campers. Instead of pulling right up to the site, campers will walk to a secluded area a quarter-mile or so from a parking area. Harrington said a trail now in development will pass the location, and one of the sites will be ADA accessible.

Four new cabins will be available for visitors this spring. Each one has a bedroom with a queen-sized bed and another bedroom with two sets of bunkbeds. They have heating and cooling for year-round access, and they’ll sit on a hill overlooking the reservoir.

“They’ll have a nice shaded view of the reservoir in the afternoon, which is always a coveted thing here at Curt Gowdy,” Harrington said.

With visitation last year at about 250,000 people, Curt Gowdy was the second-most popular state park in Wyoming. It offers about 200 campsites, half of which can be reserved up to four months in advance. The other half are available on a first-come, first-served basis.

“It’s very common for us to be full on the weekend,” he said.

The park’s upgrades were undertaken using visitor fees and in response to visitor surveys and public comment. Visitors wanted more sites with electrical hook-ups for recreational vehicles, they wanted a backcountry experience and they wanted cabins, he said.

“They’re folks’ desires coming to fruition,” Harrington said.

Reservations can be made at www.wyo-park.com or by calling (877) 996-7275.