Discussion: Laramie Daze: where to stay

any recomendations if say one comes for the last weekend of the fest?

I usually stay at the Travelodge (in Downtown Laramie) or the Super 8 next to I-80 on the west side of town.
I know there's camping (both developed and primitive) off Happy Jack Road, but I can't really comment on it.

The Hampton Inn would be a good choice, but it appears it may already be sold out. In fact, accomodations in Laramie might be pretty tight for both 3 and 4 September, due to Wyoming playing its football opener on 4 September. Cheyenne is farther away, but would likely have plenty of possibilities to choose from in the event everything in Laramie sells out.

The Yellow Pine (national forest) campground is the one most central to all the meet locations, and the one by far most favored among orienteers in the past. Curt Gowdy State Park has a few more amenities, and is located just off the east edge of the national forest. And dispersed camping is allowed pretty much anywhere in the national forest.

Yesterday a little green bird swung by my window and sang a song. If I heard it right, it was saying that Yellow Pine Campground is closed.

I know it was only a little green bird, but its heard every sound there ever was, so this bears checking into, and so I will.

If true, it doesn't come as a complete surprise, because of all the beetle killed trees. I thought the Forest Service has been prioritizing cleanup of campgrounds and removing hazards, etc., but maybe not.

that is too bad. I guess if I don't make up my mind quick there'll be camping with the beetles!

hopefully you can get the straight scoop on Yellow Pine so that we can plan something else if needed ... free range camping looked pretty nice but no water and facilities

It's on my list, Ian.

And Curt Gowdy will be solid.

One possibility that could work well for some who don't mind camping "free range" is to check out camping areas off of 705F. This is a shortish stub road that is popular enough that there is usually at least someone camped there on any given summer weekend, but there are a number of pull-offs and camping spots there that have come into use over the years. It's just a few hundred meters down the road from the Headquarters Trailhead parking lot w/ pit toilet, and a few hundred more meters up the road is the Visitors Center w/ toilets and water. Not perfect, but not too bad either.

To get there, drive past the Visitors Center at the Summit exit, cross over the cattle guard, and follow 705 to the first possible left (after the trailhead parking area).

Another possibility is to consider the area off of the Blair-Wallis road a little past and south of the *east* Headquarters Trail trailhead and parking area.

There are several short roads onto flat ground with many spots much used for camping during the summer, with enough space for even quite large groups. There is a developed spring, and while the Forest Service doesn't vouch for its potability, it is said to be good (it must be said it's mostly used for horses, however, and that's really why it's there.) This is all on the Plains of Despair map.

Bringing jugs or coolers and refilling them at the rest area works well for drinking and cooking.

I have 2 solar showers which generally warm up well on the roof of the van during the day.

I have surveyed the Yellow Pines Campground, and, frankly, the situation does not appear to be promising. The gate is down across the road, for one. Then, in the campground itself, there are myriad signs saying that this or that camping spot is closed, and there are tapes across the drives into each camping space. This would seem to be unnecessary given that the gate is down and nobody can drive up to the campground itself anyway, but I imagine more powerful minds than mine have been working this crisis.

In addition, massive numbers of dead trees have been taped--I presume to mark them as culling candidates.

All of this seems to have been done some time ago, and there were no signs or indications that any actual work to remedy the dead tree situation was in danger of soon commencing. Moreover, none of the newly infested trees--this year's crop--have been marked or flagged, as an additional indication that activity at the campground has waned.

My guess is there's no chance whatsoever that Yellow Pine will be opened in time for Laramie Daze, but whadda I know?

Best bets for campgrounds are therefore Veadauwoo and Curt Gowdy State Park. And dispersed camping always works.

That Travelodge does not sound too bad out of the sudden :)

Camping with orienteers is the second best part of Laramie Daze. Let's pick a common site (organized or dispersed) and gang up. Since I'd be paying anyway to stay at Yellow Pines, I would be happy to invest it instead in a table or shade canopy to make our chosen spot more gemutlich.

I agree with the idea of a common site out in the forest..... there would be some measure of "safety" (from other less green groups with generators and ATV's roaring away ) . I will be arriving on Wed so would like to get the designated area then .

I will again suggest an area I mentioned earlier, on the Happy Jack map and near the Visitors Center. There are a number of spaces used for camping along the road, and I would guess in midweek they would be mostly or all empty. As an added bonus, this will be very close to the Happy Jack day start/finish.

From publiken

Please join Ardis and I down Happy Jack Road for camping. Look for the hammocks.

Also, Advantage car rental at the Denver airport has amazing rates right now.

Click for larger versions:

So where is everyone staying this weekend? and how much does camping cost?

From my perch high up on a rocky ridge late this afternoon, I spotted some kind of wagon train type thing, all circled up for protection against moose, cattle, and ATV's, at a guess. It was right where the Day 1 start/finish had been. It was hard to be sure, but I think it was a bunch of camping Daze desperadoes.

Camping costs nothing in the National Forest, unless you're in a developed campground.