A gravel road curving into a high mountain valley at first light, the peaks catching the sun.

Forest Service campground

Island Park Campground

Forest Service campground in Bighorn National Forest, Big Horn County, Wyoming. 8,553 feet. 15.7 miles from Ten Sleep.

Managed by
Forest Service Bighorn National Forest
Elevation
8,553 ft USGS elevation model, at the mapped point
Sites
9 9 standard non-electric
Longest rig
75 ft The longest vehicle any site is listed for
Hookups
None listed
Reservations
Recreation.gov

Overview

Island Park Campground is located in pine and spruce forest on West Tensleep Creek near West Tensleep Lake and the Cloud Peak Wilderness. Located 21 miles northeast of Ten Sleep, Wyoming, and 55 east of Worland, Wyoming, on US Hwy 16 this campground is nestled in the Bighorn National Forest offering 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

Meadowlark Lake is seven miles distant and allows motorized craft with a no-wake rule. West Tensleep Lake is a scenic, 125-acre lake open to non-motorized craft only, making it a perfect location for canoeing and fishing. Anglers will find rainbow, brown and brook trout in the cool waters of the lake. Off-road vehicle trails, scenic jeep roads, hiking and horseback riding trails and many fishing streams are available in the surrounding area.

Facilities

The campground offers single-family sites each equipped with a picnic table and campfire ring with grill. Vault toilets, drinking water from a hand pump and trash collection are provided. The nearest dump station is 17 miles away on Powder River Pass.

Natural Features

West Tensleep Creek is adjacent to the campground and West Tensleep Lake is four miles away, along with other lakes and creeks. Hiking trails into the Cloud Peak Wilderness start about five miles from the campground. A forest of lodgepole pine, Douglas fir and spruce trees covers the area.

Nearby Attractions

The High Park Lookout is located just east of Meadowlark Lake. This old fire lookout was built by the CCC decades ago and is no longer active. A short hike leads to the lookout, where hikers are awarded panoramic views of the Cloud Peak Wilderness and the surrounding area. Deer Haven Lodge and Meadowlark Lodge are nearby, offering dining, lodging, guided horseback riding and 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
  • birding
  • boating
  • canoeing
  • climbing
  • fire lookouts/cabins overnight
  • fishing
  • hiking
  • kayaking
  • mountain biking
  • mountain climbing
  • non-motorized boating
  • off road vehicle trails
  • rock climbing
  • scenic drive
  • star gazing
  • wildlife viewing
  • wood cutting

The land around Island Park Campground

The ringed pin is this 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.