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Guernsey State Park, WY.

Guernsey State Park, the scenery up here is breathtaking, long vistas of rolling meadows, sparse pine, cliffs and shimmering water make my camera hungry for more.  Towering clouds, rolling rainstorms, and vibrant full rainbows 🌈 charge the scenery from above.  My muse summons a poem on the sounds that attract me so to these locales:

Siren Songs

Siren songs of distant trains
Rumble tracks and ghostly horns
Lonely whoosh of wind in pine
Coyotes call, handshake howls
Crickets keep the cool air tempo
Thunder roll of approaching storm
Soft steps in gravel gather nearer
Whisper why my heart is full

The view that greeted us once we arrived at the yurt. How can you not pull out your camera and snap a few killer shots!

This was one of our recent adventures shortly after I retired. Outside of the Jackson/Teton/Yellowstone area, the Medicine Bow Mountains and the aptly named Gannett Peak region of the Wind Rivers (yes, the peak’s namesake, Henry Gannett, is a distant ancestor and fellow explorer of the Rockies), this was one of the most scenic and beautiful locations in Wyoming we have visited. We frequent Wyoming since it is nearby and my wife Suzie lived in and explored the Jackson area for years.

Sunset near Yurt 1
One of the many glorious sunsets we saw during our visit

What makes this such a stunning locale is the great vistas from many of the high points in the park and the amazing Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) structures there. The structures are some of the finest works by the CCC I have seen with intricate archways, winding staircases, castle-like structures and the sweeping low roofs that were iconic of that era.

The Castle
“The Castle”, note the half archway. This castle has a winding staircase and many alcoves including a balcony with stone rails.
Brimmer Point
Brimmer Point view. You can drive right up the edge, in fact in the 30’s the locals used to push a car off the cliff at their Water Celebration just to watch it crash to the ground! Sure plenty of fun, but who is going to clean up the mess at the bottom? You kids!
Brimmer Point from a Distance
Brimmer Point from a distance

We stayed in Yurt 1 during our hiking and kayaking visit. It has the best views of the park in our opinion and the location allows privacy and some wonderful short hikes to The Castle or just to take in the sunset/sunrise views.

Yurt 1
Yurt 1. The accommodations were great, including multiple beds, a couch, a comfy chair, and an eating table. This was one of the best ventilated yurts we have ever stayed in. It also had solar lighting and a fantastically large deck to relax on and take in the views. Very well equipped!

The park is located on a gooseneck in the river where many cliffs jut from the river valley and multiple fjords were created by the dammed river. There is a sandy beach (hey what, it is named Sandy Beach!), two boat ramps and a plethora of campsites all along the reservoir. But watch out, once a year in July the BLM pulls the plug on the dam (POP!) to allow the silt to drain from the reservoir (GLUG, GLUG, GLUG!), so pay attention to the timing of that if you intend to visit in the summer.

Kayaking Guernsey Reservoir
We found many grottos to explore in the “fjords” of the reservoir. In one of the small alcoves both Suzie and I were surprised by massive three foot fish jumping and splashing in front of us to get away. I was convinced it was THE CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON! I am told one can only fish at the dam, so it makes sense these monsters live here.

BONUS CONTENT: But wait, there is more! This area near Guernsey, Wyoming (wait, what, the city has the same name as the reservoir, what are the odds?) is also of historical significance for the Oregon Trail which came through this area. From 1841-1869, the Oregon Trail was one of the primary routes used by immigrants hoping to start a new life in the wild west. Both the original Conestoga wagon ruts in the rock and the signature Registry Cliff at the nearby encampment location are close by to visit. Each create a lasting memory of the dangers and death encountered by the trail travelers, many young families endured this journey, several died of cholera along the way. One is reminded of this as there is a fenced in cemetery at Registry Cliff.

The Oregon Trail ruts. It looks hand cut, doesn’t it? But it truly has been ground down over time from the heavily laden Conestoga wagon wheels as they passed over the rock on the way to the nearby encampment. The rut is 5 1/2 to 6 feet wide. Hey lady, get out of the road!
AJ Hill Signature
A J. Hill was here!
ED Vincent
So was E.D. Vincent. Note the calligraphic W! Many of these pictographs had very ornate signatures.
Denver Signature
Here’s a test, can you make out the name? Apparently he/she is from Denver, Colorado and signed this August 26, 18??.

I hope you enjoyed this travelogue of Guernsey State Park. Why visit? The bucolic views and “etched in stone” history make this place a must to explore. If you like this post and blog, leave us your comments below!