We spent Labor Day weekend dispersed camping at Vedauwoo, Wyoming and on Saturday, September 2, five soccer moms headed out to explore some of the local forest service roads (FSR 700.N, NA, NB, S, O, and C). All the ladies were great sports as we hit pay dirt in the form of some fun and muddy trails!
Vedauwoo is an amazingly beautiful escape from the monotony of Interstate 80, between Cheyenne, Wyoming and Laramie. In the middle of flat-land nowhere suddenly a forest with huge rock formations appears, and the area has something for everyone. It’s an easy drive from Fort Collins – 1.5 hours on I-25 and I-80, and even with the holiday weekend there was very little traffic.
While the established Vedauwoo area is popular with hikers, mountain bikers, and rock climbers, the surrounding Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest has many options for off-roaders to explore, in the form of established forest service roads.
(Note: I researched the area before this trip to determine which trails allowed Jeeps, or large off-road vehicles – as opposed to ATVs or mountain bikes. Some trails in the Vedauwoo area do not allow motorized vehicles at all, and some only allow motorized travel during certain months of the year. See the local Ranger District website for more details, and make sure to read the signs on trail).
There were amazing views of various Vedauwoo rock formations…
But garbage – why?!?! Pack it in, pack it out, and leave no trace! This was a half-burned dispersed campsite and it was absolutely sickening. If we’d had more room we’d have picked up this stuff and hauled it to the dump.
A tiny bit of rock crawling and a whole lotta fun!
And of course, the mud! Oh yes!! I’m a huge fan of MUD and finding a muddy trail is this Jeeper’s Holy Grail! So yes, the dirty girl now needs a bath. (As do all the soccer moms!).
I hope you had a wonderful Labor Day weekend if you’re in the U.S., or another great weekend elsewhere! Happy [muddy] trails - wherever they may lead!