State Park · Wyoming
A reservoir park on the North Platte River with a landmark CCC-built museum, stone trails and shelters, swimming, boating, fishing, and abundant camping.
Field briefing
Guernsey State Park starts with access, not mileage.
Before you go
Plan it as a camping and boating weekend with a strong rainy-day backup: see the stone museum and shelters, hike the bluff loops, and use the reservoir for the rest.
The landmarks worth the trip. Tap any photo to enlarge.
Weather, crowds, and what the season changes about the trip.
Windy and variable, with cool water and quiet campgrounds before the summer rush.
Pack Wind shell, layers, and footwear for stone trails.
Hot and busy, with reservoir recreation, packed weekends, and high camping demand.
Pack Sun protection, water, swim gear, and an early arrival plan for weekends.
Cooler days, lower crowds, and good hiking before the museum closes for the season.
Pack Warm layer, wind shell, and a headlamp for shorter days.
Cold and quiet, with reduced services and lower reservoir use.
Pack Insulation, traction, and a plan for limited facilities.
Guernsey Museum and CCC stonework
A 1930s Civilian Conservation Corps trailside museum of native stone and timber, the park's signature landmark, open seasonally from May through September.
CCC trail system
About ten miles of restored CCC trails loop the bluffs above the reservoir, linking stone shelters and overlooks of the lake and dam.
North Platte reservoir recreation
Swimming beaches, boat launches, and fishing along the Guernsey Reservoir shoreline.
Lock the boat, ferry, tide, or water access first, then fit the route list around that schedule. For one day in Guernsey State Park, make Guernsey Museum and CCC stonework the non-negotiable, add CCC trail system only if the first stop runs clean, and keep North Platte reservoir recreation as the flexible finish.
Turn Guernsey's conditions into water, pack, and sleep-system decisions.
Build around access
Plan the transfer before the trail list.
Plan your trip
4 quick tools, already seeded for Guernsey State Park. Tune the route, pack weight, weather margin, and overnight setup after the access plan is real.
Start with the gear decisions this park changes: footing, weather, camping, and water.
Kit Authority
Guernsey State Park packing list
0 of 22 packed. Check items as you pack, then take this list to the store, trailhead, or campsite.
Pack planning
Use this as a constraint check while you are still shaping the trip. The active checklist becomes useful once your route, dates, and sleep plan are set.
Checklist mode
22 items, grouped for the trip you are actually taking.
The buying guides that match what Guernsey asks of your kit, with our current top picks across budget and use case.
Camp in the park, which has many campgrounds and hundreds of sites spread along the reservoir and up in the bluffs. The town of Guernsey, just below the dam, has basic services, and Wheatland and Torrington offer more lodging within a reasonable drive when sites are full.
Camping reservations
The park spreads roughly 250 campsites across many campgrounds, from reservoir-level sites to bluff-top loops, so it rarely fills the way a small park does. Summer holiday weekends are still the high-demand window.
Reviewed June 11, 2026
Booking window
Wyoming State Parks campsites are reservable through the Wyoming reservation system, with first-come sites in the off-season. Camping is generally limited to 14 days in any 30-day period unless posted otherwise.
Where to book or verify
Official Wyoming reservation portal, or call 1-877-996-7275.
Official park page with campgrounds, museum hours, and fees.
Check for federal campground, backcountry, tour, and permit inventory tied to this park.
Campgrounds to know
Make the transfer plan before the trail plan.
Weather windows, boat schedules, flight buffers, and backup days shape what is realistic.
Getting there
Car strategy
Guernsey State Park sits just north of the town of Guernsey in eastern Wyoming, a short drive off US 26 and roughly two hours north of Cheyenne.
Car strategy
Most visitors arrive by car and base at one of the reservoir or bluff campgrounds, then drive between the museum, beaches, and trailheads inside the park.
Pair this with lodging: the best base is the one that protects the departure window, pickup point, or weather buffer.
Guernsey is known for its reservoir recreation and for some of the most striking Civilian Conservation Corps architecture in the country, including a native-stone trailside museum and a system of CCC stone shelters and trails built in the 1930s.
No. The historic CCC museum is open seasonally, generally from May 1 through September 30. Verify current hours with the park before planning a visit around it.
Yes. The park has many campgrounds and roughly 250 campsites along the reservoir and in the bluffs, reservable in season through the Wyoming system and first-come in the off-season.