A white Tacoma with a camper shell parked on a rise above a broad, empty basin under building cloud.

Forest Service group campground

Hettinger Group Area

Forest Service group campground in Bighorn National Forest, Johnson County, Wyoming. 7,645 feet. 12 miles from Buffalo.

Managed by
Forest Service Bighorn National Forest
Elevation
7,645 ft USGS elevation model, at the mapped point
Sites
1 1 group standard non-electric
Longest rig
50 ft The longest vehicle any site is listed for
Hookups
None listed
Reservations
Recreation.gov

Overview

Hettinger Group Campground is located 14 miles west of Buffalo, Wyoming on the east side of scenic Cloud Peak Skyway, near the Cloud Peak Wilderness Area. The surrounding Bighorn National Forest offers a wide variety of activities, including hiking, fishing, scenic driving and a number of historic sites. The administering organization is Rustic Freedom / Gallatin Canyon Campgrounds; e-mail: [email protected]

Recreation

Tie Hack Reservoir is a short drive away, offering a great location for canoeing and fishing. Anglers cast for rainbow, cutthroat, brown and brook trout. A short trail leads from the campground to the lake.

The Circle Park Trailhead is 3 miles from the campground. This beautiful trail accesses numerous alpine lakes and two 12,000' peaks within the Cloud Peak Wilderness. Many additional hiking trails are available in the area.

Scenic off-road driving is available on nearby Elgin Park, Pole Creek and Crazy Woman Canyon Roads. Hiking and mountain biking are allowed on these roads as well.

Facilities

The campground offers one group site that can accommodate up to 150 people, and can be used for overnight camping or day-use picnicking. The site is equipped with picnic tables, grills and a campfire circle. Vault toilets, drinking water and trash collection are also provided.

The nearest dump station is 18 miles away on Powder River Pass.

Natural Features

The campground is situated in a small meadow within a dense forest of lodgepole pine. Tie Hack Reservoir and several creeks are nearby.

Nearby Attractions

South Fork Lodge is nearby, offering dining options, lodging, guided horseback riding, a fishing pond and a small store with fishing and camping supplies.

The description, directions and fees are the Forest Service’s own words, from its record on Recreation.gov.

What people do here

  • biking
  • boating
  • fishing
  • hiking
  • horseback riding
  • non-motorized boating
  • off road vehicle trails
  • wildlife viewing

The land around Hettinger Group Area

The ringed pin is this group campground; the others are its nearest neighbours. Switch on forest roads or BLM routes to see the way in.

Interactive map. Drag to pan, scroll or pinch to zoom, and select any point to see which agency manages the land. Arrow keys pan and the plus and minus keys zoom when the map has focus. A list of every state with its share of federal land is on the Explore page.

Map layers

Layers
Base map
Legend

Federal land, by managing agency

  • Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
  • US Forest Service (USFS)
  • National Park Service (NPS)
  • US Fish and Wildlife (USFW)
  • Bureau of Reclamation (USBR)
  • Department Of Defense (DOD)
  • Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA)
  • Other Federal
  • State
  • Local
  • Alaska Native Lands (Patented or Interim Conveyed)
  • Alaska Native Allotment

Federal campgrounds, by agency

  • Forest Service
  • Bureau of Land Management
  • National Park Service
  • Army Corps of Engineers
  • Reclamation, Fish and Wildlife and others

State and local land (USGS PAD-US)

  • State land
  • County and city land
  • Regional agency or district
  • Land trust or conservancy

Gaps with no tint inside public land are private parcels, often old mining claims and homesteads. They are not open to the public.

Dashed clay lines on the base map are unpaved tracks from OpenStreetMap. They show what exists on the ground, not what is legal to drive.

Select any point to see who manages the land.

Boundaries are approximate and land status changes. This map is a planning aid, not a survey or a statement of access. Confirm routes, closures and camping rules with the managing office.

Source: Recreation Information Database (Recreation.gov), record updated March 14, 2026. Elevation from the USGS 3D Elevation Program. Seasons, fees, water and fire rules change; the managing office has the final word.