I'm going to be stopping over in southwestern Wyoming as my first overnight on my pilgrimage to Oshkosh this year. Does anyone know of any good places to camp with your plane in this area? Can be a real live airport or not. And if you know of any good camping spots between there and Oshkosh I'd like to hear about those too.

Last summer my daughter and I were pinned down by weather in SW Wyoming. Evanston is a great little airport and I'd recommend it, but we got out and made it as far as Big Piney. We spent three days there and I just can't say enough about Joe Strouse and his airport. They took us in and treated us like family... good friends. Get to BPI if you can. I can't speak to the camping, since we were in an RV4 and didn't do any off airport stuff.

If the head winds are stronger than you expect you'll end up close to me. KBMC has recently planted a little grass by the pilots lounge that would work good for a tent. Quite little airport with good people, car if you need one.

Fort Bridger has two runways one of which is grass. They have a pilots lounge, restroom, and a shower. They also alow camping on the airport. Check out americanaircampers.net, they have a map that shows all the airports in the country that allow camping, that should be pretty helpful for your trip.

When you get to Wisconsin you can camp at Iola, 68C, Cental County airport. They have a area on the north side of the field that they set up for airplane camping only. There are fire pits and water on site and a bathroom with shower in the clubhouse. The clubhouse is run by the Central County Flyers Association. If you check on their website you can contact the guy that will make all that available to you. There is a convenience store a short walk north and a saloon with food if you don't feel like cooking. Oshkosh is 37 nautical miles SE. No fuel on the field, but several within 15 minute flight that do. If you get there the friday before the fly-in they have an all you can eat lunch for a very reasonable price. Nice folks too.
Mark

svanarts wrote:I'm going to be stopping over in southwestern Wyoming as my first overnight on my pilgrimage to Oshkosh this year. Does anyone know of any good places to camp with your plane in this area? Can be a real live airport or not. And if you know of any good camping spots between there and Oshkosh I'd like to hear about those too.

SVANPARTS:
Last year on our way to JC we couldn't make it to Afton WY after we left Rawlins because of WX. We backtracked all of the way back to Rock Springs. We met up with a Husky pilot headed for Portland but advised him NOT to proceed west because of storms and high winds so we all decided to stay at Rock Springs for the night. Rented a car and camped at the Hampton Inn and flew out the next day. Very fine accomodations but a little pricey. ..just incase you wanted another opinion!
If would would happen through Sideny NE on your way east, they do allow camping on the airport, might even let you camp inside if the wx is crappy. If you make it this way give me a call..anybody at the airport knows how to get hold of me.
HC

robw56 wrote:Fort Bridger has two runways one of which is grass. They have a pilots lounge, restroom, and a shower. They also alow camping on the airport. Check out americanaircampers.net, they have a map that shows all the airports in the country that allow camping, that should be pretty helpful for your trip.

Fort Bridger is what I was actually planning and in fact I did find it on americanaircampers. In fact, that's why I am camping my way to Osh. I'm going to do some write-ups for them. Just so they'll have some stories for their website. The Google Earth view of it looked a little barren, that's why I was looking for alternatives. If nothing better pops up, FBR is where I'll be pitching my tent the first night.

This place isn't far from SW Wyoming. Lava Hot Springs is a pretty cool spot. SE of Pocatello. You can camp on the field or stay in town. I'd call ahead but the folks are cool. Pretty neat little town on a good river and tubing w/hotsprings. Good bar downtown (BIue Moon, except for Fri. nights when they play bingo, but I guess that OK if your into it, I'm not, so it squashed a good afternoon buzz for me ).

If nothin else, a good place to stop if you don't make it as far as you planned that day. I came across southern Wyoming last year, and there is a lot of not much there, atleast to the untrained eye.

Have a good trip with the new plane.
Wyoming is kinda famous for some pretty strong winds.
Gary

hicountry wrote:Last year on our way to JC we couldn't make it to Afton WY after we left Rawlins because of WX. We backtracked all of the way back to Rock Springs. We met up with a Husky pilot headed for Portland but advised him NOT to proceed west because of storms and high winds so we all decided to stay at Rock Springs for the night. Rented a car and camped at the Hampton Inn and flew out the next day. Very fine accomodations but a little pricey. ..just incase you wanted another opinion!
If would would happen through Sideny NE on your way east, they do allow camping on the airport, might even let you camp inside if the wx is crappy. If you make it this way give me a call..anybody at the airport knows how to get hold of me.
HC

That's a great option, thanks!

Marko,
Thanks for that. I'll probably just camp at OSH by the time I get to Wisconsin. It's good to know what else is there though.

Gary,
Yeah, I found out about the winds in my RV-4. That's why I'm blocking out about 3-4 days to get to OSH. I'm going to fly for the first half of the day, then set down just after lunch, set up camp, explore and relax.

Ben,
I love nowhere! That may be a winner right there. I'm going to have to replan my gas stops now but I have a feeling that beautiful valley may just be worth it. Looks like I can get fuel and supplies (dinner) in Malad and then hop over a couple of hills to your strip. Thank you!

svanarts wrote:

robw56 wrote:Fort Bridger has two runways one of which is grass. They have a pilots lounge, restroom, and a shower. They also alow camping on the airport. Check out americanaircampers.net, they have a map that shows all the airports in the country that allow camping, that should be pretty helpful for your trip.

Fort Bridger is what I was actually planning and in fact I did find it on americanaircampers. In fact, that's why I am camping my way to Osh. I'm going to do some write-ups for them. Just so they'll have some stories for their website. The Google Earth view of it looked a little barren, that's why I was looking for alternatives. If nothing better pops up, FBR is where I'll be pitching my tent the first night.

I figured FBR looks like a nice place also, I plan on making my first stop there later this summer when I move out to California.

P.S. Are you related to a Ryan VanArtsdalen that's in the Air Force?

robw56 wrote:I figured FBR looks like a nice place also, I plan on making my first stop there later this summer when I move out to California.

P.S. Are you related to a Ryan VanArtsdalen that's in the Air Force?

With a name like that we must be related. But no, I don't know him. I know a Harry (Wes) VanArtsdalen stationed at Vandenberg, he's a cousin. Not flying related but my cousin Butch was in the movie Endless Summer.

shortfielder wrote:Wyoming is kinda famous for some pretty strong winds.
Gary

The Arlington wind. I always thought it kinda blew there. Would have been a sight to watch.

Seawest Energy at Arlington, WY





I am trying to post a couple of pictures of a wind turbine that was blown over.
I will email them to somebody or help me with the how.

Benflyn

I'd skip Wyoming if you could, but if not Big Piney was good to me one night. Very comfortable pilot lounge, friendly staff. Courtesy car on the lot. Town has a nice grocery store with cooked food.

If you are using a more northerly route you might consider Sheridan Wyoming (KSHR). We're located at the eastern edge of the Big Horn Mountains. KSHR has two paved runways (sorry, no grass), free tiedowns, some grass teidowns in the summer and camping on the grass infield is OK last I checked. Big Horn Airways has a nice staff and pilots' lounge, and a couple of crew cars. There are two car rental outfits on the field. You can walk to downtown in about 15 minutes where there are a number of interesting shops and restaurants. Camping is also allowed in a couple of the city parks. We're about a 60 minute drive from the Little Big Horn Battlefield.

The good thing about crossing into Wyoming in the southwest corner of the state is that the the terrain is much lower than it is further north(or south). Im sure you already knew that though.

Depending where you cut north you might hit southern South Dakota. I was impressed with the little Gregory airport. Card controlled fuel, new building, computer to look at weather left there on the desk, pop machine, clean restrooms. Grass runway and asphalt, camping on field.
Heres the list of all airports that allow camping in SD. Belle Fourche, Custer County, Spearfish, Lemmon, Mobridge, Gregory, Madison, Lincoln County (Tea).

Custer County I know has showers available in the FBO building. Very hospitable and the scenery is beautiful plus you get to land on a mountain airport with a hump in the west end that will keep you from seeing the other end. Fly by Crazy Horse and Mount Rushmore monuments. If you want a break and need a car there is one on the field.

But Momma didn't raise me with no manners, so my place is open too unless I leave for Osh before you get here. Northeast SD. 30 SE of KABR by air. Grass. No fuel but the people are great. PM for GPS coordinates, not on any sectionals.

I guess I got lucky the two times I've flown through Wyoming it wasn't that windy. But I'll be flying early morning and stopping for the day around noon. I like to explore the airport and town, meet folks.

I'm trying to take a low route through Utah and Wyoming without having to go too far north or south but I guess a lot of it will depend on the weather. The last two times I flew to Oshkosh both going and coming there was a thunderstorm parked over the Great Salt Lake so I had to steer to the north to get around it.

I'll be coming up with some alternate routes just in case.

Here's a map for the nosey: http://goo.gLinkl/maps/XTpp