Grave Springs Campground is a small, Bureau of Land Management-owned campground cradled in the southern base of the magnificent Bighorn Mountain, in the state of Wyoming. Located close to Powder River as well as numerous creeks and springs, fishing opportunities here are limitless.
The story behind the name of the campground is a sharp contrast to the good vibes and pleasant surroundings that this place offers to visitors. It is a tragic tale involving a shepherd in the area who murdered his friend in a fight where both of them were under the influence of drugs and highly intoxicated.
The tragic story aside, this place is nothing less than a recreational paradise offering activities that include hunting, picnicking, hiking, fishing, wildlife viewing, and much more.
The landscape surrounding the campground is also extremely diverse. Ranging from lush grasslands to alpine meadows. While hiking in the area, you are just as likely to stumble across canyonlands, desert plains, alpine meadows, and rugged mountaintops.
History buffs also frequently camp at Grave Springs for the area has a rich history - valued by many native tribes such as the Cheyenne, Arapahoe, and Sioux. There was also a time when legends like Lewis and Clark, Plenty Coups, and Jim Bridger visited these lands. This land was also the setting for some of the more historically famous battles between the US Military and Native Americans.
Grave Spring Campground is located about an hour’s drive north of Arminto and about a two-hour drive away from Casper, WY.
If you are approaching from Arminto, WY, get on the South Big Horn/ Red Wall Back Country Byway and drive north towards Bighorn Mountain Road. After about 13.5 miles of driving, take a left and drive another 12 miles north to reach the campground.
If you are coming from Casper, WY, head west on Highway 20 and continue driving until you get on to Highway 26. Turn right onto Arminto Road and continue down to Buffalo Creek Road as they adjoin. Take another left on to Co Road 109 also known as Bighorn Mountain Road and then turn left again to arrive at the Grave Springs Campground road.
A four-wheel-drive vehicle is going to be your best companion for this trip. This is a wilderness area with the Bighorn National Forest just ahead of the campground. Hence, many species of wildlife freely roam the area, including on roads and byways. Deer and moose are frequently seen on the road, so make sure you drive steadily and stay vigilant to avoid accidents. It is advised to drive into the campground and out of it during daytime and not at night.
Grave Springs Campground is a small but beautifully developed campground at the southern end of the Bighorn Mountains. The campground is under the authority of BLM and boasts a total of twelve campsites. Ten of these campsites are for RVs exclusively, and offer parking space for trailers, whereas the other two campsites are for tenting only. People of all ages can camp here along with their leashed and well-behaved pets.
Facilities at the Grave Springs Campground include vault toilets, picnic tables, and fire rings. The campground is also ADA accessible. Make sure to bring plenty of water as the campground does not provide clean drinking water. Max. stay here is for 14 days at a stretch. Generator use is allowed but not during quiet hours.
Spring fishing is a popular sport here and there are plenty of water bodies nearby that allow campers to enjoy fishing without any disturbance from others. Swarming these waters are Yellowstone cutthroat, browns, rainbows, and trout. Grave Springs Campground is also an ideal spot for fly fishing. This is an area where anglers of all ages and skill levels are likely to find success catching a variety of fish species.
Bureau of Land Management allows hunting at Grave Springs Campground and the area surrounding it. Make sure to read up on the rules and regulations before partaking in this recreational activity. Big game hunting in the area includes mule deer, black bears, mountain lions, moose, elk, pronghorn antelope, and white-tail deer. Keep your distance from wildlife especially the unpredictable ones like moose during hunting, hiking, or photography.
Bighorn Mountains, Bighorn National Forest, and Buffalo Creek surround Grave Springs Campground, which means campers get to enjoy numerous trails in the area. Some of the most famous ones that are relatively close to the campground include Crazy Woman Canyon, Moose Loop, and West Tensleep Falls. Additionally, there are several unnamed and unmarked trails that backpackers and hikers can take on when exploring this vast wilderness region.
There’s so much to photograph when you are staying at Grave Springs Campground. The Bighorn Mountain itself is an imposing and dominating attraction, luring the eyes of visitors and cameras lenses alike. There are plenty of large mountain meadows found near the campground, allowing photographers to capture fields upon fields of nothing but wildflowers in vivid colors of red, blue, yellow, purple, and pink. There are no trees in the meadows, which makes these meadows even more beautiful to look at and capture.
The Bighorn Mountain Region in Wyoming is home to a massive number of species, including the ones that have long since vanished from other parts of the country. Located at the base of the Bighorn Mountain, campers at Grave Springs get a chance to observe many of these species closely in their natural habitat.
The most common sightings are that of elk, moose, white-tail deer, Pronghorn Antelope, and coyotes.
Grave Springs Campground is located in a diversified landscape that provides the ideal habitat to support a huge variety of bird species. If birdwatching is your sport and passion then you’ll love camping here. Found perched on the trees and soaring above the mountain ranges are bald eagles, golden eagles, ruffed grouse, sage grouse, more than a few species of falcon, ring-necked pheasants, and wild turkeys.
