The summer of 2020, outdoor recreation in Wyoming surged as crowds flocked to open spaces amid pandemic restrictions. Perhaps nowhere experienced that as acutely as Curt Gowdy State Park. 

Mountain bikers, campers and hikers poured into the 3,552-acre park, which is located between Laramie and Cheyenne and not far from the Colorado border. In June of that year, traffic counters tallied 97,432 visitors — a 130% increase over June 2019, according to Wyoming State Parks. 

The trend has slowed but not reversed. With new trails, evolving park use and annual visitation hovering around 600,000 — roughly 27% up from 2019 — Wyoming State Parks is launching a master plan process. The agency hopes to create a document that reflects Curt Gowdy’s existing and future needs, and it’s soliciting the public’s help. 

“What we’re really looking for is: What does the public want at this point?” Park Superintendent Adam McKay said. Park administration has focused heavily on trails in recent years, he said, but visitors might have other priorities such as campsite improvements, water hookups or sunshades.

“So we’re really just trying to get ideas,” he said. “What are we not hitting the mark on, what can we do better and what can we add for more recreation?” 

Trail crews build a bridge at Curt Gowdy State Park during the construction of trails at the park. (Courtesy Todd Thibodeau)

The plan that emerges will shape management for the next 10 to 15 years, and come at a time when outdoor recreation is growing as an economic industry in the state. 

State Parks anticipates the three-phase process will wrap up in August of 2027. It is kicking it off with an online survey and a handful of opportunities for initial public input. 

Mountain biking and more

Established in 1971, Curt Gowdy encircles three small reservoirs: Granite Springs, Crystal and North Crow. For much of its early existance, the park functioned as a water-activity and camping park. Its current master plan was drafted in the late 1980s, McKay said. 

Curt Gowdy began to transform in the early 2000s, when crews and volunteers started constructing what has amounted to more than 40 miles of trails. State Parks partnered with experts from the International Mountain Bike Association on design, resulting in a multi-level network designed for maximum mountain biking fun. 

The additions also raised Gowdy’s profile as a mountain bike destination. With shoutouts in publications like Bike and Outside magazines and three “epic” trail designations from the International Mountain Bicycling Association, cyclists from all over have trekked to the park. 

While the increased popularity is nice, McKay said, it also brings challenges like limited parking. Use is by no means exclusive to mountain bikers, he added. People visit to camp, hike and ride horses on equestrian trails. 

A mountain biker threads between boulders at Curt Gowdy State Park. (Brian Harrington/BHP Imaging)

All told, Curt Gowdy is home to 50 miles of trail along with more than 180 reservable lodging sites — from campgrounds to cabins and a lodge. The park’s visitor center was built in 2014.

In 2025, the park was the third most-visited state park in Wyoming’s system, with 594,000 visitations. More than half of the park’s out-of-state visitors are from Colorado. 

What’s next

Phase one feedback will help park administrators identify gaps, understand what visitors value and build a shared vision for the park, according to Wyoming State Parks. 

An easy way to participate is to take the survey, which will be available through July 12. In addition, the public can learn more and give feedback during upcoming community pop-ups:

  • June 12, 5-8 p.m., Deselves Fine Art, Cheyenne Art Walk  
  • June 18, 5-8 p.m., Thursday Night Live, downtown Fort Collins
  • June 20, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., Aspen Grove in Curt Gowdy State Park
  • June 26, 3:30-7:30 p.m., Laramie Farmers Market

Master planning has caused contention for Wyoming State Parks in recent years. In Fremont County, opposition mobilized after Sinks Canyon State Park released a 2020 master plan that called for, among other amenities, a via ferrata to be built on a cliff face where peregrine falcons historically nested. The state later abandoned that project.

Katie Klingsporn reports on outdoor recreation, public lands, education and general news for WyoFile. She’s been a journalist and editor covering the American West for 20 years. Her freelance work has...

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  1. We had a similar issue with mountain bikes at another park. Our approach was to invite the mountain biking community to join the park’s citizen’s advisory committee. The mountain bikers helped lay out trails and did work-days to maintain the trails. They also came out to help with other projects like cutting back vegetation and maintaining the glider port. By making this group partners with the other users we had much better results for everyone.

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