Guernsey State Park is a 6,000 acre state park surrounding Guernsey Reservoir that provides a variety of water recreation, day use and overnight camping opportunities. The rugged and scenic landscape of the park offers scenic vistas and overlooks, hiking and biking trails, rock climbing and wildlife viewing opportunities. In addition to an unlimited number of outdoor recreation activities that can be found at Guernsey, the park is also a national historic landmark. Guernsey State Park provides one of the finest examples of Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) work in the Rocky Mountain area. While the park has long been known as a haven for boating, camping, hiking and picnicking activities, it’s real treasure may lie in the exceptional CCC work that can be seen throughout the park. CCC projects in the project include hiking trails, bridges, roadways, overlooks and buildings. The Guernsey Museum and the “Castle” are just two of the must-see Guernsey CCC structures and facilities that can be found at this unique and beautiful park.
History:
Workers finished building a dam across the North Platte River in 1927 creating Guernsey Reservoir. The reservoir and the thousands of acres surrounding the reservoir provided the backdrop and the perfect natural canvas for the Bureau of Reclamation and the Civilian Conservation Corp to develop a park. The CCC worked at Guernsey State Park from 1934- 1937 and took a rugged and undeveloped landscape and turned it into the unique and picturesque park that we see today. The park came under state management in 1957 and is one of the many sites currently operated and managed by the Wyoming State Parks, Historic Sites and Trails Division (SPHS&T).
Guernsey State Park has 188 reservable campsites (electric hookups and non-electric available), 4 yurts and 2 Day Use Shelters that may be reserved by contacting the SPHS&T Reservation Call Center at 877-996-7275 or booking online.
Regular campsite reservations are accepted for arrival dates between May 1st - September 30th, 4 months in advance.
IMPORTANT SILT RUN INFORMATION! Please take into consideration the Guernsey Annual Silt Run when booking reservations. The reservoir at Guernsey State Park is subject to one silt run each year as determined by the federal Bureau of Reclamation with often very little advance information. It typically occurs after the July 4th holiday but this may vary from year to year.
A silt run reduces the water level in the reservoir to a degree that water recreation activities are typically completely restricted. Any change and modification fees associated with reservations apply throughout the silt run.
Guernsey State Park provides 19 campgrounds and 250 campsites. All campgrounds include comfort stations, picnic tables, and fire grills. We also have a trailer dump station located at the south entrance to Guernsey State Park. This park provides the finest examples of Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) work in the Rocky Mountain area. Built by the CCC, the Guernsey Museum, the Castle and Brimmer Point are available to explore. The museum is perched on a high cliff, overlooking the water. The building itself is made of hand hewn timbers and hand forged iron. The roof is framed with the timbers and covered with split cedar shakes, and the floors were formed by pieces of smooth flagstone. The Castle, with its giant fireplace and winding steps, leads to an observation area for a spectacular view of the park.
An extensive network of trails was originally planned and partially built during the operation of the CCC camps. Ever since that time hiking and trail use has been a major feature at Guernsey State Park. Approximately 14 miles of CCC trails have been restored on the park. Starting point for the trail system is at the Brimmer Point turnoff. The trail system consists of several loops which provide a variety of scenic views of the park, reservoir and the dam. Most of the trails are moderately physically demanding.
The Oregon Trail was one of the primary routes used by the immigrants' westward migration across the plains from 1841 to 1869. Today, in many parts of Wyoming, remnants of The Oregon Trail can still be seen. Some of the best examples are the "ruts"; located just 1/2 mile south of the town of Guernsey, off Highway 26.
Register Cliff located two miles southeast of Guernsey provided travelers with a "chalkboard" where they placed their names for those who followed. The landmark still remains much the way it looked to pioneers on wagon trains journeying West.
Motorized vehicles shall be operated only on the designated roadways of the park. A valid driver’s license is required.
Use of firearms and fireworks is prohibited.
Camping in designated campsites only. Camping is restricted to one camping unit (tent, travel trailer, or motor vehicle designated for camping) plus two licensed vehicles (car or boat, ORV/jet ski trailer) plus a maximum of 10 people.
Camping is permitted for a maximum of 14 days in a 30 day period. valis permits are required.
Quiet hours shall be maintained in all camping areas from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.
All pets must be kept on a leash. Pets prohibited on designated beaches.
Glass containers must be used in vehicles or camping structures.
Fire are permitted only in provided fireplaces, grills and metal fire rings and must be extinguished before leaving.
Fishing and Boating are permitted subject to regulations of the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission.
No fishing within 20 yards of any boat ramp/dock or designated beach area.
Park dumpsters and trash receptacles are for park refuse only- litter and trash must be disposed of in provided containers.
A complete list of SPHS&T rules and regulations are available at park headquarters and entry station booths.
View Places on Wyoming Map 
View Full List of Wyoming State Parks 
View Full List of Wyoming Historic Sites 
Wyoming Trails Program 
View Full List of Activities & Amenities 
Archery Range 
Beach 
Biking 
Boat Dock/Ramp 
Boating 
Cabins/Yurts 
Camping - Tents 
Camping - RVs 
Dump Station 
Enclosed Lodges 
Events & Wedding Spaces 
Fishing 
Fishing Pier ADA 
Geocaching 
Gift Shop 
Group Picnic Shelters 
Hiking 
Historical Features 
Horseback Riding 
Horse Facilities 
Horseshoe Pits 
Hunting 
Marina 
Museums & Interpretive Centers 
Off Road Vehicles 
Overlooks 
Paddleboards 
Petroglyphs 
Picnic Areas 
Playground/s 
Research Library 
Restroom Facilities 
River Access 
RV Hookups 
Self-Guided Interpretive Trail 
Shower Facility 
Skiing & Snowshoeing 
Snowmobiles 
Swimming 
Visitor Center 
Volksmarch 
Volleyball Courts 
Wildlife Viewing 
Winter Sports 
Other 
Wyoming Outdoor Recreation 
Sunscreen Sponsorship 
Our Apps 
