Yellowstone gets the postcards, but Cheyenne locals don't need a seven-hour, 450-mile haul across Wyoming to get outside. Twenty-five miles west of the city sits Curt Gowdy State Park — 3,395 acres of reservoirs, granite outcrops and more than 35 miles of trails, reachable in about half an hour from both Cheyenne and Laramie.

The park is built around three reservoirs, each with its own boating rules. Granite Springs, the largest, has no horsepower limits and two ADA-accessible fishing piers where anglers go after Kokanee salmon and rainbow trout. Crystal Reservoir caps motors at 15 horsepower and is a good bet for brown trout from shore. Upper North Crow, the most remote of the three, is reserved for paddlers — kayaks, canoes and paddleboards only — and holds splake, grayling and several trout species.

Camping is well organised: 178 sites spread across 16 campgrounds, mostly clustered around Granite Springs (13 campgrounds) with three more at Crystal. Options run from basic tent sites and electric-hookup RV spots to group sites and a small equestrian area with corrals. Between mid-May and the end of September you can reserve ahead; after that it's first-come, first-served. Running water shuts off on October 1, showers at the visitor center close with it, and there's no dump station, so RV travellers should plan waste disposal elsewhere. Not a tent person? Four cabins sleep five (a queen bed plus two twin bunks — bring your own linens) and come with a mini fridge and microwave.

The trails are the headline act. In 2009 the International Mountain Bicycling Association gave Curt Gowdy's trail system an "Epic" designation — still the only state park in Wyoming with that title. Hikers and mountain bikers share most routes, and horses are allowed on some. A gentle starter is the combined Canyons Trail and Mahogany Loop: 1.6 miles, 30 minutes to an hour, mostly exposed so bring a hat, and keep an eye out for snakes. For something more rewarding, the Crow Creek Trail leads to Hidden Falls — just under four miles round trip with 370 feet of climbing through sagebrush and willows before boulders conceal a small waterfall with a swimmable pool below (water shoes recommended, and watch for poison ivy). The Stone Temple Circuit, a 3.8-mile loop gaining 469 feet over roughly two hours, mixes massive boulders and mountain views with grassy, forested stretches.

For travellers flying into Denver or road-tripping across the plains, this is an easy, low-cost way to sample Wyoming's outdoors without committing to a Yellowstone itinerary. It works equally well as a weekend camping trip, a day of paddling and fishing, or a base for mountain biking with Cheyenne's restaurants and amenities a short drive away. Casper residents should note it's about three hours by car — still a manageable weekend escape.

Why it matters: state parks like this deliver the scenery and activities of Wyoming's famous wilderness at a fraction of the crowds, cost and planning effort — ideal for families, beginner campers and anyone with only a spare weekend.

Story first reported by Islands.