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

Owen Creek

Owen Creek Campground is located along the Bighorn Scenic Byway (U.S. Highway 14) near the Burgess Overlook and Woodrock areas at an elevation of 8,400 feet. The Bighorn National Forest offers a wide variety of activities, including hiking, fishing, scenic driving and a number of historic sites.

More like this: reservable in Wyoming · big rigs in Wyoming · pets allowed in Wyoming

Check availability on Recreation.gov ↗
oc-heroOwen Creekoc-previewOwen Creek
Photos courtesy of GCC, Forest Service · Recreation.gov

Site mix

Standard, no hookups7
Host/management1
Most sites here open on Recreation.gov six months ahead, at 10 a.m. Eastern. Sold out is not final: cancellations come back into the pool, most of them two to three days out. How to catch one

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.

7 sites. Tap a filter to narrow the list; the map follows.

SiteEntryFits, ftSurfaceShadeWaterfrontPeople / vehiclesFires
001Back-in45GravelPartial8 / 2Yes
002Back-in45GravelPartial8 / 2Yes
003Back-in50GravelPartial8 / 2Yes
004Back-in45GravelPartial8 / 2Yes
006Back-in34GravelPartial8 / 2Yes
007Back-in39GravelPartialRiverfront8 / 2Yes
008Back-in24GravelPartial8 / 2Yes

Per-site records as published by the managing agency on Recreation.gov. Blank cells mean the agency listed nothing for that site. Check-in 2:00 PM, checkout 2:00 PM.

Amenities & rules

HookupsNone
Max vehicle length50 ft
EquipmentRVs & trailers, Tents
PetsAllowed
CampfiresAllowed, subject to restrictions
Tent padsYes
FeesTwo non-towed vehicles allowed per site. The first vehicle is included in the basic fee; the second vehicle will be charged an extra $10.00/day fee at the campground. Firewood bundles may be purchased from the campground host.

The campground offers single-family sites each equipped with a picnic table and campfire ring with grill. Accessible vault toilets, drinking water and trash collection are provided.

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.
Fees$20 per night. Additional vehicle $9. Limit 2 vehicles per site and 8 people per site. 5 reservable sites.
Rules14 day stay limit

Bighorn National Forest recreation page ↗

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Owen Creek10°20°30°40°50°60°January: 1.42 inches of precipitationFebruary: 1.67 inches of precipitationMarch: 2.08 inches of precipitationApril: 2.79 inches of precipitationMay: 3.50 inches of precipitationJune: 2.41 inches of precipitationJuly: 1.57 inches of precipitationAugust: 1.20 inches of precipitationSeptember: 2.02 inches of precipitationOctober: 2.30 inches of precipitationNovember: 1.62 inches of precipitationDecember: 1.54 inches of precipitationJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 18.9°F averageFebruary: 18.1°F averageMarch: 23.8°F averageApril: 29.4°F averageMay: 38.9°F averageJune: 48.4°F averageJuly: 56.4°F averageAugust: 55.4°F averageSeptember: 46.9°F averageOctober: 34.6°F averageNovember: 25.2°F averageDecember: 18.4°F average0 in1 in2 in3 in4 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Burgess Junction, 5 miles from the campground at 8,060 feet, station USC00481220 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 24 inches a year.

Getting there

From Dayton, Wyoming: Travel 27 miles on U.S. Highway 14 west, turn left (south) at Burgess Junction and continue on Hwy 14 for 5 miles until you reach Forest Road 236. Take a right on Forest Road 236 and continue about.2 miles to the campground.

Nearest townDayton, Wyoming
Coordinates44.7067° N, 107.4981° 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

    14 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

Outdoor gearSportsman's Warehouse ↗27.4 mi

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

Explore

Worth a stop

Shell Falls Visitor Center, at the overlook of Shell Falls, is about 22 miles southwest. This center offers interpretive trails, scenic views, and educational displays about natural features such as flora and fauna and area history. Bear Lodge, Elk View Inn and other nearby lodges provide guided horseback riding and fishing adventures, off-road vehicle rentals and fishing supplies, as well as dining options, showers and general stores. The Red Gulch Dinosaur Tracksite, near the town of Shell, is the largest of its kind in the state and one of only a few in the world from the Middle Jurassic Period. The tracks found here are approximately 167 million years old.

  • 1.2 mi
    Copperwood
    2.2 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, motorcycle and 2 more
  • 2 mi
    Shutts Flat
    4.3 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, motorcycle and 2 more
  • 2.3 mi
    Copper Creek
    1.7 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 2.3 mi
    Woodrock ATV
    1.1 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, motorcycle and 2 more
  • 2.8 mi
    West Fork
    1.9 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 2.9 mi
    Bonanza Dead Swede
    2.3 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, motorcycle and 2 more

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 →

This campground sits inside Bighorn National Forest.

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.

Natural features

The campground is situated on the banks of Owen Creek in the Bighorn Mountains, where craggy granite peaks rise over 13,000 feet above sea level. The area is forested with a mix of pine and aspen trees. An abundance of wildlife lives in the area.

Recreation

Off-road vehicle trails, scenic jeep roads, hiking, fishing and canoeing are available in the surrounding area. Diverse hikes vary from loop trails to treks along creeks and over mountain peaks; many trails access the Cloud Peak Wilderness. Nearby Sibley Lake is open to non-motorized craft and offers an accessible fishing dock on the shoreline. Anglers fish for rainbow, brown and brook trout.

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 Owen Creek?

Sites at Owen Creek 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 Owen Creek?

Two non-towed vehicles allowed per site. The first vehicle is included in the basic fee; the second vehicle will be charged an extra $10.00/day fee at the campground. Firewood bundles may be purchased from the campground host.

Source: Recreation.gov

What time is check-in at Owen Creek?

Check-in 2:00 PM, checkout 2:00 PM.

Source: Recreation.gov

Is Owen Creek 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 Owen Creek have?

8 sites, including 7 standard sites without power.

Source: Recreation.gov

Will my RV fit at Owen Creek?

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 pets allowed at Owen Creek?

Yes, pets are allowed at Owen Creek. Leash rules apply.

Source: Recreation.gov

Can I have a campfire at Owen Creek?

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 Owen Creek?

Off-road vehicle trails, scenic jeep roads, hiking, fishing and canoeing are available in the surrounding area. The Recreation section on this page has the rest.

Source: Recreation

What is the nearest town to Owen Creek?

Dayton, Wyoming. Shell Falls Visitor Center, at the overlook of Shell Falls, is about 22 miles southwest.

Source: Getting there

What if Owen Creek is full?

The nearest public campgrounds are Tie Flume (1.9 mi), Dead Swede (2.8 mi), and Prune Creek (4.5 mi).

Source: Campgrounds nearby