Curt Gowdy State Park

Curt Gowdy State Park is a public recreation area covering 3,395 acres (5.3 sq mi; 13.7 km2) in Albany and Laramie counties in Wyoming, United States. It is located on Wyoming Highway 210 (Happy Jack Road), halfway between Cheyenne and Laramie, about 24 miles (40 km) from each. The state park is known for its extensive trail system, fishing reservoirs, and Hynds Lodge, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The park is managed by the Wyoming Division of State Parks and Historic Sites.[5]

Curt Gowdy State Park
Granite Springs Reservoir in 2008
Map showing the location of Curt Gowdy State Park
Map showing the location of Curt Gowdy State Park
Location in Wyoming
LocationLaramie County and Albany County, Wyoming, United States
Nearest cityCheyenne and Laramie
Coordinates41°10′36″N 105°14′00″W[2]
Area3,395 acres (13.74 km2)[3]
Elevation7,214 ft (2,199 m)[2]
DesignationWyoming state park
Established1971 (renamed for Gowdy in 1972)
Named forCurt Gowdy, sportscaster
Visitors211,278 (in 2018)[4]
AdministratorWyoming State Parks, Historic Sites & Trails
WebsiteCurt Gowdy State Park

History

The park was established in 1971 through a lease agreement with the City of Cheyenne and the Boy Scouts.[6] It was originally called Granite State Park and covered 2,473 acres (3.9 sq mi; 10.0 km2).[7] It was renamed in 1972 in honor of national sportscaster and outdoorsman Curt Gowdy (1919–2006), a Wyoming native, born in Green River and raised in Cheyenne where his broadcasting career began.[8][9] He was a two-sport varsity athlete (basketball, tennis) at the University of Wyoming in Laramie.

The park originally included the Crystal and Granite Springs reservoirs. It was expanded in 2005 to include the Upper North Crow Reservoir, the area of Hidden Falls, and the canyon below the dam at Crystal Reservoir.[10]

In 2006, the park saw initiation of an International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA) trail improvement project. The trail system earned the IMBA's "Epic" designation in 2009.[11][12] In 2009, Wyoming began a program to build additional hiking trails in several Wyoming state parks. Curt Gowdy State Park served as the pilot project for the program, with 32 miles of additional trails. The state required that the newly built trails do not fundamentally alter the landscape of the park. Funding for the trails came from federal and state funds and private donations.[13]

Trail improvements resulted in a substantial increase in visitorship with number of annual visitors to the park increasing from 56,000 in 2006 to 120,000 in 2013.[14] To accommodate the park's newfound popularity, a new state-of-the-art, green-certified, visitor center was opened in 2014.[11]

Geography

Park terrain consists of rolling hills and sharp granite outcroppings in the foothills of the Laramie Mountains. Elevation ranges from 6,450 feet (1,970 m) to over 7,500 feet (2,290 m).[15] Wildlife that can be found include: kokanee salmon, perch, brown, rainbow and lake trout, white-tailed deer, and mule deer.[5] The park is divided into seven sections centering around three reservoirs: Granite Springs, the largest, Crystal, the smallest, and the isolated North Crow, located northwest of the main park.[16]

Activities and amenities

The park offers over 35 miles (55 km) of trails for biking, hiking, and horseback riding.[11] Other activities include boating, canoeing, water skiing, fishing, camping, rockhounding, and archery.[5]

References
  1. "Curt Gowdy State Park". Protected Planet. IUCN. Retrieved May 1, 2018.
  2. "Granite Springs Reservoir". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
  3. "Table 1. Facilities managed by Wyoming State Parks, Historic Sites and Trails" (PDF). SOAR 2021. Wyoming Department of State Parks and Cultural Resources. p. 12. Retrieved August 22, 2017.
  4. "Visitor Use Program" (PDF). Wyoming State Parks, Historic Sites & Trails. 2018. p. 5. Retrieved March 22, 2020.
  5. "Curt Gowdy State Park". Wyoming State Parks, Historic Sites & Trails. State of Wyoming. Retrieved August 22, 2017.
  6. "About Curt Gowdy State Park". Wyoming State Parks, Historic Sites & Trails. State of Wyoming. Retrieved March 22, 2020.
  7. Dennis Henry (April 12, 2014). "Curt Gowdy State Park Visitor Center Interpretive Plan". Wyoming Department of State Parks and Cultural Resources. p. 2. Retrieved March 22, 2020.
  8. "Curt Gowdy State Park". Visit Cheyenne. Retrieved March 22, 2020.
  9. "Silver Crown Mining District". Wyoming Tales and Trails. Archived from the original on October 11, 2011. Retrieved January 7, 2012.
  10. "Geology of Curt Gowdy State Park" (PDF). Wyoming State Geological Survey. Retrieved March 22, 2020.
  11. "Curt Gowdy State Park Trails" (PDF). Wyoming Department of State Parks and Cultural Resources. 2016. Retrieved March 22, 2020.
  12. "IMBA Epics". International Mountain Biking Association. Retrieved March 22, 2020.
  13. Korn, Marjorie (March 17, 2009). "Wyo looks to expand trails at state parks". Casper Star-Tribune. Retrieved January 6, 2012.
  14. Benzel, Lance (July 17, 2014). "Thrills in store for mountain bikers at Wyoming's Curt Gowdy State Park". Colorado Springs Gazette. Retrieved June 23, 2016.
  15. "Curt Gowdy State Park". Public Lands Information Center. Retrieved January 7, 2012.
  16. "Curt Gowdy State Park". Wyoming Tourism. Retrieved March 22, 2020.
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