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Hello, I tried to do some searching but the search feature on CD isn't the best. I'm looking for a cooler place to spend my summer and am looking at the Wyoming, Montana, Idaho area.
What I'm hoping to find is an area where the summers are as mild as possible because I'm looking to camp in a quiet, peaceful area yet be close enough to a town to pick up supplies, visit local shops, and meet friendly people. Ideally, I'd love to support a local farmer (or homesteader) for fresh produce and milk (if Wyoming allows raw milk sales), but a grocery store would be just fine. Mom-n-Pops are even better.
How are the temperatures in summer? I know that must get asked a lot here but the search feature only lets you use one word with any accuracy and most of what I found was from years ago and climates change. A mild, non-humid summer is my main goal. If I'm off in my assumptions and there are cooler places, I'm happy to hear about them.
Also, what are some of Wyoming's Must See places that show off not only its beauty, but real Wyoming pride? Also, what are some of the little known, or unique, places (small quirky museums, odd attractions, roadside exhibits, etc.,) that most folks don't know about?
"mild" is a relative term. What do you consider "mild" summer daytime temps to be?
in Wyoming, altitude is your friend for lower temps, especially overnight. When the sun drops below the horizon, even daytime high's in the 90's will rapidly drop 20-40F degrees very quickly.
Keep in mind that the "best" areas in Western Wyoming for summer camping or residence are: 1) tourist areas, 2) not in farming/dairy areas (your idealized local farm supply is not nearby) with "fresh produce" and raw milk (legal with food freedom laws in WY, producer to consumer direct sale). With so much of Wyoming a tourist destination in the YNP/Bridger-Teton NF, Grand Teton's, Star Valley, and so forth … your concept of "quiet & peaceful" is a challenge.
Of course, this is a relative description … what you find to be an acceptable escape from the crowds may be a far higher density traffic'ed spot than what I consider to be a quiet solitude and peaceful escape in the backcountry.
Much as I've found many a summertime spot in Wyoming with my Class B RV to be a comfortable escape, it doesn't match the solitude I can find in regional back country camping/solitude via other means of access … hiking, horse back, or airplane access in the wilderness. The trade-offs of convenience and access come into play here. It's all about the effort and time which you are willing to spend to achieve the balance that you consider acceptable.
Unique treasures, such as local museums, abound throughout Wyoming's small communities. As well, many of the small towns have a "city park" where you may be able to RV camp (sometimes, at low or no cost per night), or a county fairground/park … where they have very little overnight camper use. And some are big deal summer campgrounds with camp hosts with RV'ers in residence for the maximum number of days that they can stay before moving on.
OP, I note that you haven't mentioned if you're RV'ing or planning on renting a place for the summer months. If you're seeking a place to rent for the season, I'd suggest looking in the Star Valley area. That gives you a community with amenities/shopping, and good access to the recreational areas of the region.
May or may not be "western WY" in different eyes (it isn't quite geographically but might be by feel compared to "eastern WY"), but you might also consider Saratoga. Peak summer highs in low 80s. Only 5 days per year over 90 degrees on average.
Afton would be pretty good choice for mild, fairly peaceful summers. Pinedale. Lander not as peaceful as these but not as busy as say Cody. Marbleton? Mountain View? Near Flaming Gorge? Cokeville? Dubois? Clark?
"mild" is a relative term. What do you consider "mild" summer daytime temps to be?
My "mild" is, frankly, unreasonable. I hate the heat. Fervently. Anything over 75°F and I'm roasting. This winter, I was outside sweeping a few spots of flurries from the sidewalk when it was -25°F in just shorts, t-shirts, and flip flops for 10 minutes and didn't get cold at all. My ideal year round temps would be in the non-existent 50-75° range.
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in Wyoming, altitude is your friend for lower temps, especially overnight. When the sun drops below the horizon, even daytime high's in the 90's will rapidly drop 20-40F degrees very quickly.
How often do the temps get into the 90's?
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Keep in mind that the "best" areas in Western Wyoming for summer camping or residence are: 1) tourist areas, 2) not in farming/dairy areas (your idealized local farm supply is not nearby) with "fresh produce" and raw milk (legal with food freedom laws in WY, producer to consumer direct sale). With so much of Wyoming a tourist destination in the YNP/Bridger-Teton NF, Grand Teton's, Star Valley, and so forth … your concept of "quiet & peaceful" is a challenge.
Good to know. One constant in my life is that I never seem to find everything I'm looking for in one place. That's okay, too. Life isn't perfect and it's why I use the word "ideal."
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Of course, this is a relative description … what you find to be an acceptable escape from the crowds may be a far higher density traffic'ed spot than what I consider to be a quiet solitude and peaceful escape in the backcountry.
As backcountry as I can get without having to go into survival mode. I'll be in a converted cargo van with solar and 50 gallon water tank. I'd like to get away from traffic, noisy neighbors, and avoid drunken, late night campers and generators, etc., No RV parks for me.
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Much as I've found many a summertime spot in Wyoming with my Class B RV to be a comfortable escape, it doesn't match the solitude I can find in regional back country camping/solitude via other means of access … hiking, horse back, or airplane access in the wilderness. The trade-offs of convenience and access come into play here. It's all about the effort and time which you are willing to spend to achieve the balance that you consider acceptable.
Access with my cargo van is the key for me. Whatever I can access that's the most quiet.
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Unique treasures, such as local museums, abound throughout Wyoming's small communities.
I'm really looking forward to searching out these places! If you know of any specific places, I'll love to put them on my list!
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As well, many of the small towns have a "city park" where you may be able to RV camp (sometimes, at low or no cost per night), or a county fairground/park … where they have very little overnight camper use. And some are big deal summer campgrounds with camp hosts with RV'ers in residence for the maximum number of days that they can stay before moving on.
Only if I had to. I prefer BLM land or just pulling off by a lake or a clearing somewhere where I wouldn't be noticed or bothered. Respectfully enjoy that space for 1-3 days and then head out, leaving no trace or damage.
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OP, I note that you haven't mentioned if you're RV'ing or planning on renting a place for the summer months. If you're seeking a place to rent for the season, I'd suggest looking in the Star Valley area. That gives you a community with amenities/shopping, and good access to the recreational areas of the region.
A converted cargo van and some camping equipment for options to sleep in the van or in a tent. No need to rent anything. All supplies I need I'd buy local.
When you travel the area in your RV, are there areas you can go to to fill your fresh water tank?
May or may not be "western WY" in different eyes (it isn't quite geographically but might be by feel compared to "eastern WY"), but you might also consider Saratoga. Peak summer highs in low 80s. Only 5 days per year over 90 degrees on average.
Temperature is more important than location, for the most part. Definitely putting Saratoga on the list to spend time in. How are the wifi and cell reception in that area?
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Afton would be pretty good choice for mild, fairly peaceful summers. Pinedale. Lander not as peaceful as these but not as busy as say Cody. Marbleton? Mountain View? Near Flaming Gorge? Cokeville? Dubois? Clark?
Just added them to the list, thanks! I'm not opposed to passing through and sight-seeing the bigger towns and cities. They're just not where I would spend the majority of my time.
"it ain't the heat - it's the humidity" as the old saying goes
several years ago I flew from Sheridan to the east coast in a small single-engine; 2-days, 2 hops a day
we left Sheridan with a very pleasant 80° & low humidity - the temperature during the day remained a constant 80°, but at every stop the humidity was noticeably higher - by the time we reached the east coast that same 80° was miserable
I don't usually feel uncomfortably hot in Sheridan until the temperature reaches well into the 90's
"it ain't the heat - it's the humidity" as the old saying goes
For me, it's both! But, the "perfect place" doesn't exist, so compromises have to be made. 70's are preferable. I'll survive in the mid-80's. 90+ and I can't deal with it. I get woozy and nauseous.
My "mild" is, frankly, unreasonable. I hate the heat. Fervently. Anything over 75°F and I'm roasting. This winter, I was outside sweeping a few spots of flurries from the sidewalk when it was -25°F in just shorts, t-shirts, and flip flops for 10 minutes and didn't get cold at all. My ideal year round temps would be in the non-existent 50-75° range.
75F daytime max in Wyoming is unrealistic for most of the summer. If there was a big point for you to compromise on, this is gonna' be it. Dry humidity levels here will help your perception of comfort, but do anticipate 80's-90's for much of the state as daytime "norms".
Do keep in mind that sun exposure here can really boost temps in your RV. Absent an effective RV A/C system, it may be difficult to keep the interior temps down to your comfort range during the day. The stock A/C on my Roadtrek is not adequate on hot sunny days here to bring the interior temp below the 80's when parked out in direct sun exposure. I am reliant upon good cross ventilation and the relief that comes from being in the shade and/or sunset and the cooler night air to bring the interior temps down to lower temps.
How often do the temps get into the 90's?
in some years, frequently. Check out the historical temps in the areas of interest to you on weatherunderground or similar sites.
Good to know. One constant in my life is that I never seem to find everything I'm looking for in one place. That's okay, too. Life isn't perfect and it's why I use the word "ideal."
OK. Compromise is key to this venture.
As backcountry as I can get without having to go into survival mode. I'll be in a converted cargo van with solar and 50 gallon water tank. I'd like to get away from traffic, noisy neighbors, and avoid drunken, late night campers and generators, etc., No RV parks for me.
Access with my cargo van is the key for me. Whatever I can access that's the most quiet.
Stealth camping is gonna' be your ticket. Bear in mind that there will be thousands of other like-minded people in the area at this time with RV's comparably equipped for independence as you have.
Truly finding isolation with an RV on any given night may be a function of luck and willingness to travel some of the "less traveled" roads.
I infer your rig is on the scale of a Class B RV. There's a lot of Roadtreks, VW campers, and similar RV's that flock to the area in the summer months. Many seek the same as you and are respectful, quiet, and really nice people. Many … aren't. The allure of remote camping and a vacation is the formula to get crazy stupid and for some, to imbibe to excess.
Sometimes, a call out to "it's quiet hours!" is sufficient to settle things down. Sometimes, it's not. I've encountered both and the rude folk are, well … just gonna' be rude and obnoxious. It's sometimes just the "luck of the draw" as to which you'll find on any given night.
I'm really looking forward to searching out these places! If you know of any specific places, I'll love to put them on my list!
There's so many that it would be hard to single any specific one out. We've seen some that take but a few minutes to explore and some that take a couple of hours. YMMV, depending upon what interests you in the history & development of the area.
Only if I had to. I prefer BLM land or just pulling off by a lake or a clearing somewhere where I wouldn't be noticed or bothered. Respectfully enjoy that space for 1-3 days and then head out, leaving no trace or damage.
With your independent stealth camping ability, an ideal "spot" is gonna' be where and when you find it. I've found more than a few back county dirt roads where there was a "pull out" adjacent to the road with pastoral views of ranches and mountain vista's of the area, some even with a shady tree or two. You'll need to be accepting of the traffic passing by from time to time, mostly locals. Park as far off the road as prudent … and don't block anybody's ranch gate, doing so may invite a less than pleased rancher investigating what you're doing at his place. Stealth camp in the van in these places.
A converted cargo van and some camping equipment for options to sleep in the van or in a tent. No need to rent anything. All supplies I need I'd buy local.
When you travel the area in your RV, are there areas you can go to to fill your fresh water tank?
My Roadtrek's 36 gallon potable water tank gives me a lot of flexibility in the summer, depending upon how many showers (usually 3 gallons max per, oft times less with water left over for the next use) I take. With a sunshower bag and time to leave it in the sun, it's straightforward to budget my water use between places to refill.
Refill can be found at many public campgrounds (city, county, state, fed) … yes, I know that some post that the dump station/water is for "paid campers only", but a couple of annual state camping decals in my front windshield have sufficed to pass muster the few times I've seen a Mountie at the campgrounds. A few gallons of water doesn't seem to be a big priority for them to harass a possible revenue generating RV.
Otherwise, I've found muni water supplies in a lot of small towns, some for a minimal fee, some free. Also, many of the RV dealers I've stopped in at are happy to accommodate a fresh water refill, no charge … or a fair number of gas stations/truck stops have hydrants to hook up your potable water hose to and refill.
The bottom line is that finding a potable water refill around these parts has rarely been a problem. Keeping one's eyes open for various sources in small towns and topping up even though not needed at the time can be prudent. Again, many of the small towns have muni parks (which may be little more than a fraction of a block, or a muni baseball diamond) may have an available hydrant and no restrictions on access.
You may find that a Wyoming annual state parks pass is well worth the fee for access without hassles in this state. There are two components … park entry/use and overnight camping permit. As a resident, the annual $76 bite is well worth the cost to me and it does help support our state park system.
Follow ups: Saratoga one of my favorite places in Wyoming, with the lake there and the "hobo pool" hot springs pool there. Another would be Thermopolis and the surrounds. Parks in the region around Star Valley another favorite place to explore.
IMO, if 90's are a "no go" for you due to health reasons, you may want to consider a summer much further North or much higher elevations than Wyoming. Perhaps the higher elevations in Colorado would be a destination for the later summer weeks when the temps in Wyoming are out of your comfort range? of course, the trade-off may be the greater population density in those areas … everybody looks to the mountains for relief from the Front Range of Colorado high temps of the season.
Last edited by sunsprit; 04-02-2019 at 01:59 PM..
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