Vedauwoo Recreation Area
LARAMIE WYOMING — Rising from the Wyoming plains is a rocky oasis of giant granite rock formations sculpted by the forces of erosion. This geological phenomenon is a destination hot spot for visitors to the Medicine Bow National Forest.
The rocks at Vedauwoo crystalized in Precambrian time, 1.4 billion years ago, long before hard-shelled fossils appeared in the rock record.
Vedauwoo’s Sherman Granite is one of the first rock units of Precambrian age to be documented in Wyoming. Geologist Nelson Darton in 1910 named the granite after Union Army General William T. Sherman.
This area also includes the “Gangplank,” a geologic natural land bridge, linking the high prairie to the mountains; a bridge which became the route of the Transcontinental Railroad, and today the route of Interstate 80.
Vedauwoo Campground
The campground is composed of two loops, winding around the boulders, slabs and cliffs of the Vedauwoo rock formation which comprises 10 square miles of weathered Sherman granite.
There are 28 campsites with tables, fire rings, trash pick up and vault toilets. This area is constructed to blend in with the natural beauty of the surroundings.
The vegetation is a variety of Limber pine, Engleman spruce, Douglas fir and Aspen.
The general area was once used as a hideout for outlaws. Native Americans thought playful spirits piled up the boulders. All the tent sites are walk-ins and some of them are so secluded, one might feel the “outlaw’s spirit.”
There is access to rock climbing and a nature trail through the rocks.
