Laramie Off the Beaten Path Tips by KaiM

Take some friends and drive up to Vedauwoo Recreation Area. It's about 20 miles west of Laramie. Take the Vedauwoo exit of I 80. Vedauwoo is a paradise for free climbers. A hilly, wooded area with a lot of rocks. The sunset there is beautiful. When it gets dark make a campfire. Roast some marshmellows, have a beer, watch the stars and warm your feet and hands at the fire. But watch the skunks! We once had one spraying its nasty liquid close to our fire. It was aweful.

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Curt Gowdy State Park, named after a broadcaster, was established in 1971. This region was a hunting ground for the Comanche, Pawnee, Crow, Shoshone and other tribes.

With the arrival of the railroad in the 1860s the Native Americans were pressured to leave the area.
Today the state park lies about 23 miles east of Laramie and 24 miles west of Cheyenne in the foothills of the Laramie Mountains. The elevation varys from 5600 feet up to 8000 feet.

The area is one of low-lying meadows, gently rolling hills and massive steep granite formations. For Park Information contact Curt Gowdy State Park, 1351 Hynds Lodge Rd., Cheyenne, WY 82009,

Recreational activities in the park include camping, fishing, boating, windsurfing, and wildlife viewing.

As throughout the Rocky Mountains, the climate varies drastically depending on elevation. Summers generally offer warm clear days with cool nights. Afternoon thunderstorms are often a possibility in the summer. In the winter, sunshine, with plenty of snow in the higher elevations, are ideal for winter activities. Harsh weather - including wind, cold, and snow - is possible throughout the winter and even throughout the year.

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Phone: (307) 632-7946

Ask locals when the next rodeo takes place or check the websites below. Laramie has college rodeo events and professional rodeos. The college events have lower entry fee for spectators. Look for the bull riding events. Those are the most spectacular.

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Phone: UW Rodeo Club: 1-307-766-1121
Website: http://rodeowyoming.com/
Other Contact: http://uwadmnweb.uwyo.edu/rodeo/

Follow Interstate 80 to the East of Laramie and leave it at the Happy Jack Road exit. Then you will enter a beautiful natural area. With lots of hiking and cross-country trails. Some hills are used for sledding during wintertime. Or take your snowboard and walk up one of those small mountains. It might be a bit exhausting in the deep snow, but the view from top is worth the hike. I once climbed up, had some lunch on top and rode down again on my snowboard. No lifts, no other people - just fresh powder and wilderness. Great! Those are not the steepest mountains. It is just a fun thing to mark your own tracks and to go snowboarding in the middle of nowhere with no ski area nearby.

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