June 2021 - 42

a problem caused by dispersed campers along
Forest Service Road 700 off of Wyoming
Highway 210, also known as Happy Jack
Road. It was so popular in that area, they
caused what Voos called the " spider web
effect. "
" They would create their own campsite,
and eventually that area would be beaten
down, " said Voos. " People wouldn't use it as
much, and you just ended up with this web
of sites all over. "
The Forest Service designated campsites in
the dispersed area. It didn't charge for a spot
and didn't take reservations for them, but it
restricted campers to spots designated for
dispersed camping. Once those were gone,
they were gone, and campers had to find
another place.
" It was a test, but I think it's been well
received, " Voos said. " It's a weird hybrid, but a
lot of people don't mind. It's a good solution. "
The Forest Service in Voos' district also
turned some established campsites into
dispersed sites, such as Miller Lake in the
southern Snowy Range, after officials took a
look at some sites following their temporary
closure for beetle-killed tree removal. Sites
such as the ones at Miller Lake weren't used
often, so the Forest Service discontinued
services and left the gate open for anyone
who wanted to camp. Dispersed sites, even
the designated ones, offer a good alternative
to developed campsites with services other
campers may expect, such as toilets, water
and maybe even a place to buy firewood.
" We're not opening new campsites, and
we're not adding on to the ones we have, "
Voos said. " We are just trying to keep up
with what we have right now. "
But dispersed camping also causes problems,
as many outdoor agencies discovered
last year.
More trouble
Garbage and other kinds of human waste
are the unfortunate consequences of managing
land that allows dispersed camping. The
Wyoming Game and Fish Department has
designated sites on its Commission-owned
properties, some more formal than others, and
also allows what Raymond Bredehoft, Game
and Fish habitat and access branch supervisor,
calls " primitive " camping. But last year,
those issues became real problems because
of the huge bump in interest sparked by the
COVID-19 lockdowns. The department was
used to full spots on the weekends, but last
summer those spots were taken every day of
the week. It got so bad that the department
closed some areas to camping.
" When you leave garbage, that's not
healthy, and that's not good for the habitat, "
Bredehoft said. " Most of our places are for
wildlife, so we have to balance human-recreation
with wildlife needs. "
Trash is a problem in outdoor areas across
The allure of getting off the beaten path to camp is strong for many who seek to explore the outdoors, like this spot at Vedauwoo
Recreation Area in southeastern Wyoming. (Photo by Kyle Spradley)
42 | June 2021
the country, and dispersed camping locations
can quickly become dump sites. Food debris
can attract bears or other scavengers looking
for an easy meal. This can cause them
to become habituated to humans, creating a
dangerous situation for people and wildlife.
Game and Fish does not want to limit
camping on all Game and Fish Commission-owned
and operated lands. Most of the
spots taken in the fall are used by hunters,
Bredehoft said. In the summer, anglers, hikers

June 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of June 2021