This post was originally featured on the Travel Wyoming site.
Wyoming — aka The Cowboy State — is the last true bastion of the West. It’s a place where bold, curious, and independent travelers flock to forge their own adventures.
It’s also a place that we at Outdoorsy think is best explored in an RV.
That’s because Wyoming’s plethora of awe-inspiring sites offers a jaw-dropping array of wonderful places to camp, scenic byways to traverse, and middle-of-nowhere oases to create lifelong RVing memories for your family.
RVing opens the door to Wyoming’s abundance of campsites where you’ll enjoy spectacular natural wonders right out your front door. We’re coming to you today because we want to chat not only about great places to see in Wyoming, but how you can see them from an RV, even if you’ve never RV’d before.
We’ll talk about the questions to ask yourself when choosing an RV, the types of RVs out there, and close it out with some of our favorite Wyoming spots to bring your camper.
Why Wyoming Is A Great Place To RV/Camp In The Summer
First, Wyoming’s weather is unbeatable in the summer — it’s truly the perfect climate for RVing. No matter what part of the state you travel through, you’ll stand a good chance of experiencing sunny weather, low humidity, and cool nights that are perfect for campfires.
Second, there’s something for everyone — from museums to state parks to rodeos to breweries to national landmarks to chill western towns, the whole family will find something fun to do whilst RVing through this state.
Third, Wyoming’s camping opportunities are tough to beat anywhere else in the U.S. You could park your RV in Grand Teton National Park with views of the mountains out your camper window. Or you could find a free national forest campsite in the middle of Bighorn Canyon National Recreational Area. Or you could hang your hat near places like Sheridan, WY — a cool western town with great restaurants, shops, and breweries that are still a stone’s throw from Wyoming’s mountain wilderness.
Know Before You Go — Wyoming Travel Tips
We’re all about responsible recreation here at Outdoorsy, so we’d be remiss if we didn’t chat about important tips for a fun and safe Wyoming RVing trip:
Stay Safe On the Road
Wyoming is a mountainous state that’s packed with epic drives featuring steep grades and an abundance of wildlife. Research your route before taking off to make sure your vehicle can handle the roads you’ll be traveling on.
Cell service can also be low or nonexistent for long stretches on Wyoming roads, as can access to gas stations. Plan routes accordingly and be sure to read up on these resources for traveling Wyoming by car before you go.
Practice Responsible Fire Making
Campfires and RVing go together like s’mores and marshmallows. That’s why it’s vital that you know the up-to-date fire rules for any Wyoming site you visit.
You should always:
- Have your campfire in an existing fire ring (where available).
- Have plenty of water right by you to put out your fire.
- Completely extinguish your fire at night and before you leave camp.
- Know and follow fire rules and restrictions for any area you visit.
- Use locally purchased firewood to prevent the spread of invasive species.
Know the Rules for National and State Parks
It’s up to all of us to care for the parks we visit. Do your part by knowing specific rules around pets, parking, fires, hiking trails, and more for each park you visit.
How to choose which type of RV is best for you?
Outdoorsy isn’t made up of a large fleet of corporate RVs, rather, we’re a community of people who own RVs and want to share those rigs with others. Outdoorsy partners with individual RV owners by offering the insurance, marketing, and customer support that creates a safe and memorable experience for anyone renting an RV on our platform.
Because we’re not a cookie-cutter RV rental company, each camper on our platform will have its own unique features and special options. You can filter your search on our site to find the best rig for your trip. For example:
Need something pet friendly? We’ve got a filter for that.
Want something with room for the whole family? You can narrow your search to large RVs.
Want a full bath and shower so you don’t have to use the campgrounds? We have a filter for that too.
The first step to finding your RV for your Wyoming adventure is to ask yourself these questions:
- Where will you be staying? — Wyoming has an abundance of traditional campgrounds that come with full hookups, meaning you can plug right into power, water, and sewer to camp for as long as you’d like. Most all the RVs on our site will work in this case.
But some of Wyoming’s best campsites are off the beaten path and won’t necessarily have these hookups. In these cases, you’ll want to be sure the RV you rent is ready to camp off grid. The rigs will have solar panels or standalone generators and larger holding tanks so you can camp without hookups for extended periods of time. - Who is traveling? Who you’re traveling with will help determine the type of rig you’ll want to rent. For example, if you’re taking a solo trip, a camper van or car with a roof tent might be all you need. If you’re traveling with the whole family, you’ll likely want a larger motorhome or trailer that’ll have the space and amenities to accommodate.
And don’t forget that one of the biggest perks to RVing is that four-legged companions can join the journey — just be sure to confirm that the RV owner allows pets in their rentals. - Do you want to drive the vehicle, tow the vehicle or have it delivered? RVs come in two flavors: driveable and towable. Driveable rigs are just what they sound like — rigs where the motorcoach and camper are one. These can be large motorhomes, camper vans, and more. Towables are campers that you need another vehicle to pull them with. These could be bumper-pulled trailers, fifth-wheels, pop-up campers, and more.
Alternatively, if you’re getting into RVing for the first time or just don’t want to worry about driving a large rig, many of our owners offer delivery and setup. That means you could arrive at your Wyoming campsite with your RV all parked and ready to go!
Types of RVs
Before we bust into our favorite places to camp in Wyoming, let’s have a quick primer on the types of RVs out there. You can also check out our article Which Type of RV to Rent for more guidance on this topic:
- Class A — Large, bus-sized vehicles that offer ample space and amenities but require advanced driving skills and limit your camping options to larger more established sites.
- Class B — Think camper vans. These are nimble and cool vehicles that’ll get you into almost any spot. Amenities are more limited, however, as there’s usually no space for a bathroom, etc.
- Class C — Sort of a blend of the other two. Class C’s are generally built on a heavy-duty truck platform where the camper comes over the cab to create additional sleeping/storage.
These rigs are easier to drive than Class As and generally offer more amenities than Class Bs. - Travel Trailer — Airstreams are a prime example of these campers that come in varying lengths, weights, and amenity offerings. These come in weights that can be pulled by a car up to weights that need a heavy duty truck.
- Fifth Wheel — These are large trailers that generally require a heavy-duty truck equipped with a hitch in the truck bed. These rigs are usually packed with amenities but can be difficult to drive. Fifth wheels can be a terrific camper to have delivered because you’ll avoid the drive while maxing out on amenities.
- Pop-Up Camper — These are essentially hard shell tents that are flattened for towing behind a car and then popped back up at camp. The benefit is that they can be towed by almost any vehicle. The drawback is that they generally lack amenities like bathrooms and full kitchens.
Great Places to Camp in Wyoming
Wyoming has seen incredible camping growth over the past few years for good reason — it has a wide range of available campsites that tailor to every interest. The fact that you can camp outside national treasures doesn’t hurt either.
Here are just a few of our favorite regions for RVing in Wyoming:
Wyoming’s National Parks
Yellowstone became our first national park for good reason. Its array of other-worldly geological formations and wildlife herds have become the stuff of legend. Grand Teton National Park sits at the southern foot of Yellowstone and packs craggy mountains, alpine lakes, and paved biking trails in an easy-to-explore spot.
The best type of RV? — Consider renting a camper van, pop-up, or Class B to enjoy these parks. That’s because you’ll be able to access off-the-beaten-path locales such as Shadow Mountain Dispersed camping in the Bridger-Teton National Forest.
NOTE: Yellowstone and The Tetons feature RV parks like Colter Bay Village that have some spaces for larger rigs (e.g. Class A’s and long travel trailers), but we happen to think that nimbleness is the best amenity in this area. That’s why we generally recommend smaller rigs to see all the nooks and crannies of these national parks.
Wyoming State Parks
Wyoming is home to 12 state parks that cover over 100,000 acres of the state. You can experience spaces featuring granite outcroppings to pristine lakes to mineral hot springs. Most of these parks also offer RV campgrounds that can be your home base for mountain biking, fishing, hiking, and much more.
The best type of RV? — This will depend on which of the 12 state parks you choose. Some have more wide open spaces allowing for larger rigs whereas others are best explored by rigs like campervans. By mapping out your state park route and reading up on each park before you go, you’ll be prepared to pick the best size RV for your trip.
National Forests and Scenic Byways
Places like Bighorn National Forest, Fossil Butte National Monument, Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area, and Devils Tower are a small sampling of the national areas you’ll have at your fingertips in Wyoming.
The Bighorn and Cloud Peak Scenic Byways are but a couple of examples of Wyoming’s numerous scenic highways that are a delightful addition to any trip.
NOTE: Many roads in national forests are more primitive and require high clearance vehicles. Plan routes accordingly in national forests and scout ahead with a smaller vehicle whenever possible.
The best type of RV? — Scenic byways are usually areas where you can bring Class A’s and large travel trailers that’ll allow you to have all the amenities while you camp.
For national forests, campervans and Class Cs that also feature high clearance and even 4×4 are generally the best way to go.
Above all, remember to always know your route before you go and be on the lookout for areas with steep grades and roads requiring high clearance vehicles.
Renting an RV for a Wyoming road trip this summer is easier than you think. Using Outdoorsy.com, you can find a vehicle that fits your style, personality, and travel needs — anything from sprinter vans with wood-paneled interiors and solar-paneled roofs to Instagrammable Airstreams to large Class A motorhomes.
Another beautiful thing about Outdoorsy being a peer-to-peer platform is that you get to chat with real RV owners who are probably local to the areas you want to explore. Our owners love sharing and are usually a wealth of information on great camping and attractions for your Wyoming road trip.
So what are you waiting for? Check out our Wyoming RVs for rent to get rolling this summer! Once you have your rig, find your ideal campsite for your RV trip.
