U.S. Forest Service · Bighorn National Forest · Buffalo, WY

Hettinger Group Area

Hettinger Group Campground is located 14 miles west of Buffalo, Wyoming on the east side of scenic Cloud Peak Skyway, near the Cloud Peak Wilderness Area. The surrounding Bighorn National Forest offers a wide variety of activities, including hiking, fishing, scenic driving and a number of historic sites.

Closed for the seasonReservable · Recreation.gov1 siteFrom $90 per night50 ft maxNo hookupsFires ok

More like this: reservable in Wyoming · big rigs in Wyoming · group sites in Wyoming

Check availability on Recreation.gov ↗
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Photos courtesy of Esther Fishbaugh · Recreation.gov
1fire
active
Pk · 34 mi away · 1,645 acres
Interagency incident data as of 2026-10-16
Incident details ↓

Site mix

Group sites1
This site is booked as a single unit on Recreation.gov. The booking page shows which dates are open and how far ahead they release. How the booking window works

Site guide

Will my RV fit

The longest site here provides 50 feet of vehicle capacity. Most sites are shorter.

Have the trailer VIN? It carries the trailer length.

1 site. Tap a filter to narrow the list; the map follows.

SiteEntryFits, ftSurfaceShadePeople / vehiclesFires
01Back-in50GravelFull150 / 20Yes

Per-site records as published by the managing agency on Recreation.gov. Blank cells mean the agency listed nothing for that site. Check-in 11:00 AM, checkout 10:00 AM.

Amenities & rules

HookupsNone
Max vehicle length50 ft
EquipmentRVs & trailers, Tents
CampfiresAllowed, subject to restrictions
FeesGroup rates: $90 for 1-35 people, $110 for 36-60 people, $130 for 61-120 people, $160 for 121-150 people (150 is maximum). A fee for exceeding the number of people listed in the reservation will be collected at the campground. Firewood may be purchased from the campground host.

The campground offers one group site that can accommodate up to 150 people, and can be used for overnight camping or day-use picnicking. The site is equipped with picnic tables, grills and a campfire circle. Vault toilets, drinking water and trash collection are also provided. The nearest dump station is 18 miles away on Powder River Pass.

Individual sites vary. Confirm on Recreation.gov or with the managing office.

Season & status

StatusClosed for the season. Forest Service sites close for the season; check the official page for the reopening date.
SeasonMemorial Day - Labor Day
ForestBighorn National Forest
BookingThis site can be reserved by calling Toll Free 1-877-444-6777 (International 518-885-3639 or TDD 877-833-6777) or on-line.
FeesGroup Fees: $90 for 1-35, $110 for 36-60, $130 for 61-120, $160 over 120 (150 people maximum) 1 reservable site.
Rules14 day stay limit

Bighorn National Forest recreation page ↗

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Hettinger Group Area20°30°40°50°60°70°80°January: 0.23 inches of precipitationFebruary: 0.24 inches of precipitationMarch: 0.73 inches of precipitationApril: 1.46 inches of precipitationMay: 2.73 inches of precipitationJune: 2.07 inches of precipitationJuly: 1.63 inches of precipitationAugust: 0.75 inches of precipitationSeptember: 1.17 inches of precipitationOctober: 1.01 inches of precipitationNovember: 0.36 inches of precipitationDecember: 0.17 inches of precipitationJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 27.5°F averageFebruary: 27.3°F averageMarch: 35.9°F averageApril: 42.9°F averageMay: 52.0°F averageJune: 61.9°F averageJuly: 71.3°F averageAugust: 69.9°F averageSeptember: 59.8°F averageOctober: 46.2°F averageNovember: 35.0°F averageDecember: 27.0°F average0 in1 in2 in3 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Buffalo Johnson Co AP, 13 miles from the campground at 4,967 feet, station USW00094054 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 13 inches a year.

Getting there

From Buffalo, Wyoming, take U.S. Highway 16 west for 14.5 miles.

Nearest townBuffalo, Wyoming
Coordinates44.2972° N, 106.9511° W · Directions ↗

Good to know

  • The administering organization is Rustic Freedom / Gallatin Canyon Campgrounds; e-mail: [email protected]

Charges and cancellations

This cancellation processing fee is retained by the reservation service contractor along with the non-refundable reservation fee. All requests for the return of the non-refundable reservation fee and the cancellation processing fee will be declined by the campground concessionaire as they did not receive these fees (these are the fees retained by the reservation contractor, a different entity).

Fire nearby

  • Wildfire
    Pk

    34 mi from the campground · 1,645 acres · 85% contained

Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Call the managing office before you drive.

Supplies & services

Dump stationLeigh Creek RV Dump Station ↗12.3 mi
Outdoor gearSportsman's Warehouse ↗32.9 mi

Locations © OpenStreetMap contributors. Call ahead; hours change seasonally.

Explore

Trails nearby

Forest Service trail data →
  • 0.2 mi
    Circle Park ATV
    0.8 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, motorcycle and 2 more
  • 0.6 mi
    Camp Roberts
    1.7 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 1.4 mi
    Parallel Us 16 ↗
    6 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, motorcycle and 2 more
  • 1.5 mi
    Tie Hack
    1.1 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 2 mi
    Elgin
    1.3 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, motorcycle and 2 more
  • 2.1 mi
    Oliver Creek
    2.8 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike

Trailheads within three miles

Trail and trailhead records are the Forest Service's. Distances are straight-line to the nearer trail end. Trail conditions are not tracked here.

Public land it sits in

On Wilderness Atlas →

Bighorn National Forest begins about 3.1 miles away, and it is the closest of these.

Each unit is published as a centre point and an acreage rather than a boundary, so this section stands it in for a circle of the same area. Whether a campground is inside, and how far it is from one it is outside, are both approximate.

On the National Register nearby

On Register Atlas →

Natural features

The campground is situated in a small meadow within a dense forest of lodgepole pine. Tie Hack Reservoir and several creeks are nearby.

Recreation

Tie Hack Reservoir is a short drive away, offering a great location for canoeing and fishing. Anglers cast for rainbow, cutthroat, brown and brook trout. A short trail leads from the campground to the lake. The Circle Park Trailhead is 3 miles from the campground. This beautiful trail accesses numerous alpine lakes and two 12,000' peaks within the Cloud Peak Wilderness. Many additional hiking trails are available in the area. Scenic off-road driving is available on nearby Elgin Park, Pole Creek and Crazy Woman Canyon Roads. Hiking and mountain biking are allowed on these roads as well.

Nearby

South Fork Lodge is nearby, offering dining options, lodging, guided horseback riding, a fishing pond and a small store with fishing and camping supplies.

Guidebooks for Wyoming

We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.

  • Camping Wyoming and the Black Hills
    Kenneth Lee Graham, 2023
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Moon Montana, Wyoming and Idaho Camping
    Becky Lomax, 2015
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Hiking Wyoming's Wind River Range
    Ben Adkison, 2023
    Find at Bookshop.org

Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.

Reference

Questions people ask

Do I need a reservation at Hettinger Group Area?

Sites at Hettinger Group Area are reservable on Recreation.gov. This site can be reserved by calling Toll Free 1-877-444-6777 (International 518-885-3639 or TDD 877-833-6777) or on-line. Any walk-up sites are listed on the booking page.

Source: Recreation.gov

How much does it cost to camp at Hettinger Group Area?

Group rates: $90 for 1-35 people, $110 for 36-60 people, $130 for 61-120 people, $160 for 121-150 people (150 is maximum). A fee for exceeding the number of people listed in the reservation will be collected at the campground. Firewood may be purchased from the campground host.

Source: Recreation.gov

What time is check-in at Hettinger Group Area?

Check-in 11:00 AM, checkout 10:00 AM.

Source: Recreation.gov

Is Hettinger Group Area open right now?

Closed for the season as of Oct 16, 2026. Season Memorial Day - Labor Day.

Source: Forest Service status

How many sites does Hettinger Group Area have?

1 site, including 1 group site.

Source: Recreation.gov

Will my RV fit at Hettinger Group Area?

The longest site here provides 50 feet of vehicle capacity. Most sites are shorter. The sidebar tool checks a trailer or motorhome length against every site.

Source: Will my RV fit

Are there showers or a dump station at Hettinger Group Area?

The nearest dump station is 18 miles away on Powder River Pass.

Source: Recreation.gov

Can I have a campfire at Hettinger Group Area?

Fires are allowed in the provided rings under normal conditions. As of 2026-10-16, there is 1 active fire within 50 miles, so check current restrictions before you light one. 14 day stay limit

Source: Fire nearby

What is there to do at Hettinger Group Area?

Tie Hack Reservoir is a short drive away, offering a great location for canoeing and fishing. The Recreation section on this page has the rest.

Source: Recreation

What is the nearest town to Hettinger Group Area?

Buffalo, Wyoming. South Fork Lodge is nearby, offering dining options, lodging, guided horseback riding, a fishing pond and a small store with fishing and camping supplies.

Source: Getting there

What if Hettinger Group Area is full?

The nearest public campgrounds are Middle Fork (0.3 mi), Tie Hack (1.1 mi), and South Fork (Wyoming) (1.2 mi).

Source: Campgrounds nearby