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Bighorn National Forest — Dispersed Camping along US-14

Wyoming · Bighorn National Forest

Bighorn National Forest Dispersed Camping Near US-14 & US-14A

Use the Bighorn Scenic Byway corridors as a starting point for exploring the forest—not as automatic roadside camping zones. This guide explains how to move from the highway to legal Forest Service routes, check the Motor Vehicle Use Map, understand seasonal restrictions and identify an appropriate dispersed campsite.

Reviewed August 10, 2026 Summer highway camping restriction Regional planning guide
Important June 1–September 30 restriction

Forest Order 02-02-24-02 prohibits camping within one-half mile of US Highway 14 and US Highway 14A on the National Forest System lands described in the order. Use Exhibit E and the current MVUM before choosing a campsite.

Bighorn Camping Quick Facts

Practical planning information for dispersed camping reached from the US-14 and US-14A corridors.

Guide type Regional dispersed-camping planning guide. There is no single official campsite or universal GPS point.
Land manager USDA Forest Service — Bighorn National Forest.
Main access US-14 and US-14A provide major paved access across the northern Bighorn Mountains.
Summer restriction June 1–September 30, camping is prohibited within one-half mile of US-14 and US-14A on lands covered by Forest Order 02-02-24-02.
Maximum stay No more than 14 days within a 28-day period. After day 14, all equipment and personal property must be moved at least five road miles.
Vehicle access Use the current Bighorn Motor Vehicle Use Map. Routes not designated open for your vehicle should not be treated as public motorized access.
Campsite fee Legal dispersed camping generally has no nightly campsite fee. Developed campgrounds and recreation sites may charge separately.
Facilities Expect no toilets, potable water, trash service, hookups or marked campsite pads at a dispersed site.
Typical access season Summer through early fall generally offers the most practical road access. This refers to road conditions—not permission to camp inside the seasonal highway closure zone.
Official contact Bighorn National Forest Supervisor and Tongue Ranger District: (307) 674-2600

What This Guide Covers

US-14 and US-14A cross the northern Bighorn Mountains and connect travelers with Forest Service roads, trailheads, overlooks, developed recreation sites and large areas of National Forest land.

The highways are useful access corridors, but a highway pullout, meadow or visible fire ring should not automatically be treated as a legal campsite.

A better plan is to identify an open Forest Service route, move beyond any applicable closure area and then use an existing durable site where camping and motorized access are allowed.

Practical Planning

Where to Look for Dispersed Camping

CIWILD does not publish one generic campsite coordinate for this corridor. Instead, use the highway to reach the forest and then narrow your search using the official motorized-route map, current orders and conditions on the ground.

1

Start Beyond the Highway Closure

Between June 1 and September 30, first use Forest Order 02-02-24-02 and Exhibit E to identify the half-mile US-14 / US-14A camping restriction area.

2

Find an Open Forest Service Route

Open the current Bighorn MVUM and confirm that the road is designated for your vehicle class and for the season you intend to travel.

3

Use an Existing Durable Site

Look for an already-used camping area reached without creating a new spur, widening a meadow or causing soil and vegetation damage. Always follow posted restrictions on arrival.

How to Use the Bighorn MVUM

  1. Download the current Bighorn Motor Vehicle Use Map. Do this before leaving cellular coverage.
  2. Find the US-14 or US-14A section of your trip. Identify the Forest Service road you intend to use after leaving the highway.
  3. Match the road to your vehicle class. A road that appears on a satellite image or third-party navigation app is not automatically open to public motor vehicles.
  4. Check seasonal dates. Some designated routes have seasonal openings or closures even when road conditions appear passable.
  5. Compare the MVUM with current Forest Orders. The map does not cancel special camping, wildlife, fire or temporary closure orders.
  6. Read signs and gates when you arrive. Physical restrictions and current field conditions still matter after your map planning is complete.

Useful distinction: the MVUM answers whether a motorized route is designated for public vehicle travel. It does not, by itself, guarantee that every place beside that road is a legal campsite.

Current Conditions · Reviewed August 10, 2026

Check These Before Driving the Corridor

Temporary construction and site-specific orders can affect a trip even when the main highway and your intended Forest Service road remain open.

US-14

Shell Falls Interpretive Site Closed

Shell Falls Interpretive Site is closed for construction. The current Forest Order covers the site, trails, grounds, viewing platform, buildings, parking areas and site road through December 31, 2026 unless rescinded.

View official closure

US-14A Area

Medicine Wheel Has Separate Restrictions

The Medicine Wheel Recreation Area is subject to its own Forest Order and site-specific restrictions. Do not assume general dispersed-camping rules apply inside the protected recreation area.

View Medicine Wheel order

Before Departure

Recheck Alerts & Road Conditions

Temporary road work, fire restrictions and weather-related closures can change after this guide is reviewed. Check the Forest Service conditions and alerts pages close to your travel date.

Current conditions

Road & Vehicle Conditions

A route can be legally designated for motorized travel and still be unsuitable for current weather or vehicle conditions.

  • High-elevation snow may remain after lower roads have dried.
  • Summer thunderstorms can quickly change dirt-road conditions.
  • Mud and soft shoulders can cause serious resource damage.
  • Washboard, rocks and drainage features may require slower travel.
  • Cell service can be limited or absent away from major highways.

Do not drive around a gate, leave a designated route to bypass mud or snow, or follow cross-country tracks simply because another vehicle has done so.

What to Expect at a Dispersed Site

  • No guaranteed potable water.
  • No guaranteed toilets.
  • No trash collection.
  • No electrical or water hookups.
  • No reserved campsite pad.
  • Limited emergency communications.
  • Wildlife activity and required attractant management.

Nearby developed campgrounds may provide seasonal facilities, but those campgrounds have their own operating dates, fees and reservation rules.

14-Day Stay Limit

Forest Order 02-02-24-02 prohibits camping for more than 14 days within a 28-day period in Bighorn National Forest.

After the 14th day, all equipment and personal property must be moved at least five road miles.

Moving a tent or vehicle a short distance within the same immediate camping area does not satisfy the five-road-mile rule.

Wildlife-Attractant Storage

The current Forest Order regulates food, refuse, beverages, scented personal-care items and other materials that may attract wildlife.

Permitted methods include active attendance or approved storage methods described by the order, including compliant hanging, approved bear-resistant storage and properly secured closed vehicles or hard-sided structures.

Read the current Forest Order before departure rather than relying solely on campsite habits from another National Forest.

Trip Workflow

A Safer Way to Plan Your Campsite

Use this sequence instead of choosing a campsite from an isolated pin or social-media photo.

  1. Choose your general US-14 or US-14A travel corridor.
  2. Check Forest Order 02-02-24-02 and Exhibit E. During June–September, rule out the mapped highway camping closure area first.
  3. Open the current Bighorn MVUM. Find a Forest Service route designated for your vehicle and travel date.
  4. Check Forest Alerts and Current Conditions. Look for temporary road, recreation-site, weather, fire or construction restrictions.
  5. Evaluate the route on arrival. Legal designation does not mean the road is physically suitable in mud, snow or severe weather.
  6. Select an existing durable campsite. Avoid creating new vehicle tracks, enlarging pullouts or damaging vegetation.
  7. Follow campsite signs and wildlife-storage rules.

Why CIWILD does not provide one campsite pin: this page covers a broad forest access corridor. A generic coordinate could point visitors toward an occupied site, a seasonal closure, a road unsuitable for their vehicle or a place where conditions have changed since the coordinate was recorded.

Official Sources

Check Before You Go

CIWILD summarizes planning information, but Forest Service maps, orders, signs and current notices control when they differ from this guide.

Forest Order 02-02-24-02 Official camping occupancy, stay-limit, attractant-storage and highway camping restrictions. Exhibit E — Highway Restriction Map Official mapped area for the seasonal US-14, US-14A and associated road-camping restrictions. Bighorn Motor Vehicle Use Map Official designated motorized routes, vehicle classes and seasonal-use information. Current Forest Conditions Current recreation notices, road-condition resources and operational updates. Bighorn Alerts & Forest Orders Current special orders, temporary closures and forest restrictions. Visitor Maps & Guides Forest Visitor Map, downloadable maps, MVUM resources and geographic planning information. Shell Falls Closure Current closure information for the Shell Falls Interpretive Site along US-14. Medicine Wheel Area Order Site-specific restrictions for the Medicine Wheel Recreation Area near the US-14A corridor. Bighorn National Forest Main Forest Service portal for recreation, maps, offices and visitor information. Forest Service Offices Contact a Bighorn National Forest office when route or site conditions remain unclear.

Frequently Asked Questions

Quick answers for planning dispersed camping around the US-14 and US-14A corridors.

Can I camp directly beside US-14 or US-14A?

Not during the June 1–September 30 seasonal closure where Forest Order 02-02-24-02 prohibits camping within one-half mile of the highways on the lands described by the order. Outside that period, other Forest Orders, road designations and posted restrictions still apply.

Is everything beyond half a mile legal for camping?

No. The half-mile boundary addresses only one restriction. You still need legal motorized access, a site that is not separately closed and compliance with all posted and forest-wide rules.

Where exactly should I look for a campsite?

Start with the official Bighorn MVUM. Identify an open Forest Service road reached from your travel corridor, check current orders and conditions, then look for an existing durable site without creating new vehicle tracks or resource damage.

Why doesn't CIWILD publish one GPS campsite here?

This is a large regional corridor rather than an agency-designated single campsite. Conditions, road access, occupancy and restrictions can vary, so one generic coordinate would give a false sense of certainty.

Can I use a rooftop tent, truck, SUV or van?

Vehicle type does not create an exemption from camping rules. A rooftop tent, pickup, SUV or van may use an appropriate legal site reached from an open route when all current restrictions, stay limits and storage requirements are followed.

Is dispersed camping free?

Legal dispersed camping generally does not have a nightly campsite fee. Nearby developed campgrounds, recreation sites and reservable facilities can have separate fees.

Are toilets and drinking water available?

Do not expect toilets, potable water or trash service at dispersed sites. Carry sufficient water and plan for responsible waste management before leaving developed facilities.

Continue Planning

Explore More of Wyoming

Compare this regional guide with other Wyoming camping and route-planning resources.

Wyoming Camping Guide Browse additional National Forest and public-land camping areas across Wyoming. Camping Directory Browse CIWILD campsite, destination and regional planning guides. Campsite Finder Explore CIWILD camping guides by state and destination. Vedauwoo Dispersed Camping Compare another Wyoming National Forest destination with different local rules. Overlanding Routes Browse CIWILD weekend and multi-day route-planning guides. Killpecker & Boar’s Tusk Route Open a Wyoming route with a defined itinerary and route-planning structure.
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