Boondocking near Boysen Reservoir

If you haven’t seen or heard of Thermopolis, WY or literally “Hot City” check out our previous blog post. We spent the afternoon taking in the park’s sites. Unfortunately, it was very hot and humid during our stay so we skipped visiting one of the open bath houses for a soak.

Afterwards, it was time to head towards an overnight parking spot. I was aware of the Boysen Reservoir which has a few state campgrounds but for a simple overnight dinner and sleep, we prefer to locate a boondocking spot. Nice to find BLM or USFS area close enough to the highway to be a quick find but also far enough off the highway so it’s quiet. Even better if it’s a rough road so we know we’d most likely be san company.

We traveled just over 30 minutes and turned East on Birdseye Road. Drove Birdseye Rd. a total of 2 miles. Had to also watch for our turn off on an unmarked trail. Very doable with a downloaded offline map and my phones GPS.

I suspect this spot was unpopular for regular use. I initially found it using the iOverlander mobile app. I looked up the GPS coordinates to review the area on both google maps and also OnX Offroad maps. OnX gives me the ability to confirm that it is indeed on public land. That information if a big plus. Then I can review satellite mapping and usually see mapped road vs unknown trails.

The coordinates were definitely BLM land which was good (Note: not all individual contributions into the camping review sites reflect public land usage correctly and it’s always a good idea to double check).

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I could make out the dirt track turnoff we’d need to take off of Birdseye Road. Which was good. Our google maps navigation had us continuing on the main road and we would’ve missed the turnoff. Using my OnX Offroad downloaded map of the area kept us on track.

As we approached the specific GPS coordinates, we did pass by a very obvious and well marked established camp site with a fire pit and an eye catching tree branch flag pole of sorts. We contemplated making camp there, but the site was not level, making it undesirable for our truck camper. I did capture a picture on the drive out the next morning.

The coordinates were next to the dirt track we were traveling on, level, and not overly used. Perfect!

Perfect – NOT! We discovered that taking Mr. Cooper out to do his business can be dangerous for the 2 legged folks. The flies were huge, swarming and ornery. We did not return unscathed and basically shut ourselves inside for the night.

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As the sun set so did the flies making it possible to get outside and capture these colorful shots.

Campsite Summary

• GPS: 43.38063, -108.08588
• Easy to locate: Yes – just don’t miss the dirt trail turn
• Public Land: Yes – BLM
• Cell: limited data but signal for calls was available
• Crowded: not at all – we were all alone
• Clean: mostly clean
• Bug Level: Terrible
• Would we stay here again: Maybe another time of year with less bugs

The next morning we had a caravan of cars drive pass us as we drove out. Not sure where they were headed but, I imagined there are trails to explore towards the end of the road where it runs into the creek. It was funny to see 6-7 vehicles, with one driver each. Social distancing?

Surprise Stopping point

Hell’s Half Acre was a turn off that appeared when we needed a break. It is along HWY-20 as we were heading towards Rawlins, WY. It is one of those geological oddities you only get to see by chance unless you’re hunting down the obscure roadside attractions. From the view point you can’t see all the detail but Wikipedia describes deep ravines, rock formations and caves being present. Definitely a made for the movies landscape.

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Where to Next?

We are spending time in Wyoming visiting family and take care of a variety of projects. The plan is to sit tight until the work is done and then we really don’t know…so stay tuned.