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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!