Wyoming car camping recommendations

Anyone have any good ideas for a Wyoming trip while toting along a non climbing wife and 18 month old kid that includes the following:

Good car camping
Easy short day hikes (+/- 1,000 feet elevation, 1-2 hour hike)
and some interesting towns
nowhere known to have tons of bugs - listening to my wife complain about them all day isn't my idea of a vacation

We are looking for something that isn't in the Grand Teton/Yellowstone area, but a bit closer to Colorado. I've heard a lot about the Wind River range, but don't know if there is anything that fits the above description there.

Thanks!

The Black Hills, SD it's not in WY but does meet the rest of your criteria.

Wild Iris--it's got everything you are looking for...

Paul,

Wild Iris is good but also think about Sinks Canyon just west of Lander. There is a beautiful stream there and short hikes. I went there every summer for 10 years when my kids were little. Go to the visitor center, see the Sinks and the Rise, have dinner in town at the Gannet Grill. This is the edge of the Wind River Mountains so you get that Wyoming experience.

We always liked the Sinks Canyon Campground which is just pass the parking for the Sink Canyon/Killer Cave climbing access. It will be hot this time of year but you can always drive up to Wild Iris to climb and camp at Sinks which is what we often did. Never seen many bugs at Sinks.

I wouldn't rule out Yellowstone/Colter Bay. Colter Bay in Grand Teton National Park is really awesome. Check out the Ranger shows there. Yellowstone is also a great especially as your kid gets a little older. You have to endure a lot of hard core tourists there but if you have any Yosemite experience you will do fine with that.

Camping at Vedauwoo West Cheyenne is also a cool area. Have fun.

Vedauwoo is perfect except for mosquito's (and the occasional local target shooter). To avoid mosquitoes there, don't camp close to the stream, marshy areas, or in the established campground. There is a lot of free camping about .5 mi E of the Nautilus where mosquitoes might be minimal, but i can't guarantee that because of seasonal variables. Maybe someone who has camped there recently can report.

At the moment, Vedauwoo (and indeed, most of the state) has mosquitoes everywhere. With a 4wd vehicle and an urge to explore, you can find some really nice, secluded campsites. Laramie's a neat little town, same with Cheyenne, but I certainly wouldn't call them tourist towns.

Lander is nice. Either camp up at the Iris and have the trails that weave around the climbing, or camp in Sinks and enjoy the trail system there. Sinks tends to be incredibly hot in the afternoon during the summer, so plan accordingly.

Ten Sleep has some nice car camping, but its a little high density in the FS campground where the restrooms are. Ten Sleep is a tiny town, but you're only 2 hours away from Cody, which is a lot more fun.

You might also Pinedale, although (depending on the methane industry) it might be awfully polluted. Still, another town at the foot of the Winds, and if you camp at Green River Lakes or the Big Sandy opening, you'll have some beautiful country at your doorstep.

Kevin Friesen wrote:Vedauwoo is perfect except for mosquito's (and the occasional local target shooter). To avoid mosquitoes there, don't camp close to the stream, marshy areas, or in the established campground. There is a lot of free camping about .5 mi E of the Nautilus where mosquitoes might be minimal, but i can't guarantee that because of seasonal variables. Maybe someone who has camped there recently can report.

I camped about 1/2 mile east of Nautilus about 2 weeks ago, and the mosquitos were fierce. Daytime is fine, but dusk to early morning is downright unpleasant. Cooked sitting inside my tent with one hand out to work the stove.

Thanks for all the recommendations. Sounds like there are some choice spots.

yeah I'm a bit worried about the bugs. I'm not very bothered, but the wife gets about 20 bites for every one I get and not much fun with an 18 month old sitting in a tent.

Is the fall better for mosquitos?