Wyoming has 391 federal parks, recreation areas, and campgrounds in our database. Most "best parks" lists rank by name recognition; ours ranks by what each unit actually offers — campsite capacity, documented activities, and how thoroughly it's catalogued on Recreation.gov. The result is a ranking that surfaces a few well-known names and a few that punch above their reputation.
Wyoming holds the Grand Tetons, Yellowstone's thermal-and-bison plateau, the Wind River Range (arguably the country's most beautiful alpine wilderness), and the Bighorns. Yellowstone, Grand Teton, Devils Tower, plus Bighorn and Shoshone NFs and the Bridger-Teton anchor a premier federal portfolio. The Tetons and Wind River Range produce some of the country's most committed backcountry hikers; Jackson is the cultural hub.
Our rankings here are data-driven — pulled from the 391 mapped entries OutsideAtlas tracks in Wyoming — but the data has limits worth being honest about. Park rankings here weight campsite capacity, documented activities, and the presence of official media — data-completeness signals that correlate with how well-funded and well-run a facility is. Beautiful but data-sparse parks may rank lower than their reputation; that's a limitation of relying on Recreation.gov metadata.
The Ranking
Ranked from #1 to #10. Click through any entry for the full trail page — map, elevation profile, weather forecast, and direct OpenStreetMap source link.
#1. Shoshone National Forest Christmas Tree Permit
Topping the list, Shoshone National Forest Christmas Tree Permit earns its #1 spot through a combination of trail access, campsite capacity, and how much of its programming is actually documented in federal databases. Programming and amenities are documented enough to plan a basic visit. Reservations open six months in advance on Recreation.gov; popular sites disappear within minutes on opening day. See the full facility page for current campsite availability, photos, and direct booking links.
View the Shoshone National Forest Christmas Tree Permit facility page →Campsites, activities, photos, and direct Recreation.gov links.#2. Tail Race Campground
Tail Race Campground comes in at #2 — a campground in Wyoming with enough mapped detail to plan a trip without guesswork. Programming and amenities are documented enough to plan a basic visit. If you're flexible on dates, a midweek shoulder-season visit is the easiest way to score a campsite and avoid the worst traffic. See the full facility page for current campsite availability, photos, and direct booking links.
View the Tail Race Campground facility page →Campsites, activities, photos, and direct Recreation.gov links.#3. Shirley Basin Reservoir
Shirley Basin Reservoir comes in at #3 — a facility in Wyoming with enough mapped detail to plan a trip without guesswork. Programming and amenities are documented enough to plan a basic visit. Backcountry permits (where required) are usually a separate system from frontcountry camping — check both before assuming you have everything you need. See the full facility page for current campsite availability, photos, and direct booking links.
View the Shirley Basin Reservoir facility page →Campsites, activities, photos, and direct Recreation.gov links.#4. Wheatland Reservoir #3
Wheatland Reservoir #3 comes in at #4 — a facility in Wyoming with enough mapped detail to plan a trip without guesswork. Programming and amenities are documented enough to plan a basic visit. Spring and fall trips tend to be the best balance of weather and crowd density; peak summer fills both campgrounds and parking quickly. See the full facility page for current campsite availability, photos, and direct booking links.
View the Wheatland Reservoir #3 facility page →Campsites, activities, photos, and direct Recreation.gov links.#5. Twin Buttes Reservoir
Twin Buttes Reservoir comes in at #5 — a facility in Wyoming with enough mapped detail to plan a trip without guesswork. Programming and amenities are documented enough to plan a basic visit. Reservations open six months in advance on Recreation.gov; popular sites disappear within minutes on opening day. See the full facility page for current campsite availability, photos, and direct booking links.
View the Twin Buttes Reservoir facility page →Campsites, activities, photos, and direct Recreation.gov links.#6. Lake Hattie
Lake Hattie comes in at #6 — a facility in Wyoming with enough mapped detail to plan a trip without guesswork. Programming and amenities are documented enough to plan a basic visit. If you're flexible on dates, a midweek shoulder-season visit is the easiest way to score a campsite and avoid the worst traffic. See the full facility page for current campsite availability, photos, and direct booking links.
View the Lake Hattie facility page →Campsites, activities, photos, and direct Recreation.gov links.#7. Indian Bathtubs Trail
Indian Bathtubs Trail comes in at #7 — a facility in Wyoming with enough mapped detail to plan a trip without guesswork. Programming and amenities are documented enough to plan a basic visit. Backcountry permits (where required) are usually a separate system from frontcountry camping — check both before assuming you have everything you need. See the full facility page for current campsite availability, photos, and direct booking links.
View the Indian Bathtubs Trail facility page →Campsites, activities, photos, and direct Recreation.gov links.#8. Dome Rock
Dome Rock comes in at #8 — a facility in Wyoming with enough mapped detail to plan a trip without guesswork. Programming and amenities are documented enough to plan a basic visit. Spring and fall trips tend to be the best balance of weather and crowd density; peak summer fills both campgrounds and parking quickly. See the full facility page for current campsite availability, photos, and direct booking links.
View the Dome Rock facility page →Campsites, activities, photos, and direct Recreation.gov links.#9. Backpacker Parking Area
Backpacker Parking Area comes in at #9 — a facility in Wyoming with enough mapped detail to plan a trip without guesswork. Programming and amenities are documented enough to plan a basic visit. Reservations open six months in advance on Recreation.gov; popular sites disappear within minutes on opening day. See the full facility page for current campsite availability, photos, and direct booking links.
View the Backpacker Parking Area facility page →Campsites, activities, photos, and direct Recreation.gov links.#10. Pack Stock Staging Area
Pack Stock Staging Area comes in at #10 — a facility in Wyoming with enough mapped detail to plan a trip without guesswork. Programming and amenities are documented enough to plan a basic visit. If you're flexible on dates, a midweek shoulder-season visit is the easiest way to score a campsite and avoid the worst traffic. See the full facility page for current campsite availability, photos, and direct booking links.
View the Pack Stock Staging Area facility page →Campsites, activities, photos, and direct Recreation.gov links.Planning your Wyoming trip
A few pieces of context are worth keeping in mind specifically for Wyoming. July through mid-September is the high-country window; afternoon thunderstorms and grizzly activity are baseline conditions. Grizzly bears (carry spray), lightning above treeline, and unbridged stream crossings on Wind River routes are the standard hazards.
Reservation logistics for federal campgrounds in Wyoming run through Recreation.gov, with a six-month rolling booking window. Popular weekends fill within minutes of release; if you can shift to midweek or shoulder season, you'll have a dramatically easier time. We cover the booking playbook in detail in our how to score hard-to-get campsites guide.
If you're new to hiking generally, our beginner's guide covers footwear, layering, and the day-pack basics. For safety planning on bigger objectives, the ten essentials guide is worth twenty minutes of reading.
More Wyoming hiking guides
If you found this useful, the rest of our Wyoming coverage continues below.
- Top 10 longest trails in Wyoming — Multi-day routes and through-hikes ranked by distance.
- Steepest trails in Wyoming — Hikes with the most elevation gain in the state.
- Best beginner hikes in Wyoming — Easy, well-marked trails for first-time hikers.
- Most challenging hikes in Wyoming — Expert-rated routes for experienced hikers only.
- Best waterfall hikes in Wyoming — Trails leading to named falls, ranked by accessibility.
- Best dog-friendly hikes in Wyoming — Where leashed dogs are explicitly welcome.
- Best family hikes in Wyoming — Short, easy trails sized for kids and grandparents.
Park rankings are slippery — the "best" park depends on whether you're chasing solitude, accessibility, a specific activity, or just a quiet weekend. Use this list as a starting filter, not a verdict. If we missed a park you think belongs on it, the comparison data is all linked from our individual park pages.
Got a correction, a route we missed, or a question? Drop us a note via the contact page. We read every email and we'd rather hear it from you than miss it.
