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The Bottle Creek Group Picnic Site is located beside the Bottle Creek Campground. This large day use site is reservable through the National Recreation Reservation Service. With large picnic tables, grills, and serving tables it can accomodate group events. Camping is not permitted at the group picnic site. However, the adjacent Bottle Creek Campground makes overnight events possible. Bottle Creek campground facilities include: 16 campsites (trailers under 16'), picnic tables, toilets, drinking water, fire grates and trash service. Fishing is nearby on the Encampment River and North Fork Encampment River. Popular recreational activities in the area include day hiking the Green Mountain Falls and Encampment River Trails.
From Encampment, take WY 70 west 5.8 miles to Hog Park Reservoir sign (Forest Route 550). Turn left onto Rt. 550 and go 0.1 miles, then turn right at campground entrance and go 0.2 miles.
Great little hideaway. If camping in the spring bring enough water for your whole trip. They test the well every year and do not attach the pump handle till the test comes back. They installed the pump handle this year on June 21st. We ended up having to go find water in encampment.
The USDA Medicine Bow website didn't say that water wasn't available, but the pump had no handle (as in Bob Dylan's Subterranean Homesick Blues). We got by with what we had, but it would have been nice to know. They said that there was no trash service, so we had to pack it out. However, the pit toilet hadn't been serviced since Fall of 2020, and the fire pit was full of eggshells. What is our overnight fee paying for? Not too many sites with pine trees since the beetles got them, but the Aspen are starting to fill in. On the good side, the mountain flowers were lovely, and the camp was quiet. We have loved this area for over 30 years, and keep coming back.
Myself and four friends camped here in August 2022. The vault toilets were open and stocked with single ply toilet paper. The potable water pump was functional, but you had to pump it pretty quickly and the water was a bit murky. Check the USDA website for water and toilet status before you visit.
This location is designed for RVs, towable campers, pop-ups, and people sleeping in their cars. We did manage to fit four tents of varying sizes into our site along with two cars. However, the sites are a mix of rocks and loose dirt, which makes it is very difficult to drive stakes into the ground.
There is a cattle grid that you cross when entering this campground, but when we visited, there were cows on both sides of the barrier. There is likely a gap in the surrounding fence somewhere. As such, there were cows pies in some of the campsites.
There are PTFE tables and benches at all campsites. These plastic fixtures are in good condition and will last for many years.
There was plenty of tinder and dry wood in the vicinity to make a campfire in the provided metal ring. For convenience, you will likely want a sharp hatchet or a hand-powered saw.
From the campground, we drove 10 minutes south in low-clearance cars, and hiked to Green Mountain Falls from the dirt road. It was a beautiful and relatively easy hike to a lovely destination for a picnic lunch.
Solid little campground with pit toilet 10$ fee half with interagency pass...the memorial overlook behind site #2 has a view that cannot be matched..half hour to Saratoga...elevation is close to 9000'
Nice small campground. The pit toilets were well maintained. About 1/2 mile of very dusty gravel though to get here. High enough to take the edge off the summer heat.
