U.S. Forest Service · Bridger-Teton National Forest · Wyoming

Cottonwood Lake Campground

The Cottonwood Lake Campground is located next to Cottonwood Lake in the Salt River Mountains at an elevation of 7,000 feet, approximately 13 miles southeast of Afton, Wyoming. North Fork Creek runs near this site where pines and aspens offer partial shade. The lake offers great boating for smaller craft (there is no ramp available) and fishing for brook and cutthroat trout. Trails for hiking, biking, horseback riding, and ATVs begin within the site. This campground offers 18 campsites total. On the west loop, 6 sites have hitching rails for horses, and three small pipe-rail horse corrals are provided. Water must be carried to corrals.

More like this: first-come in Wyoming · tent only in Wyoming

Amenities & rules

EquipmentTents
Fees$10 per night

Individual sites vary. Confirm on Recreation.gov or with the managing office.

Season & status

StatusClosed for the season. Forest Service sites close for the season; check the official page for the reopening date.
ForestBridger-Teton National Forest
Fees$10 per night

Bridger-Teton National Forest recreation page ↗

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Cottonwood Lake Campground10°20°30°40°50°60°70°January: 1.25 inches of precipitation, 21.8 inches of snowFebruary: 1.31 inches of precipitation, 15.0 inches of snowMarch: 1.47 inches of precipitation, 12.2 inches of snowApril: 1.46 inches of precipitation, 5.0 inches of snowMay: 2.36 inches of precipitation, 0.8 inches of snowJune: 1.82 inches of precipitation, 0.2 inches of snowJuly: 1.05 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowAugust: 1.11 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowSeptember: 1.52 inches of precipitation, 0.2 inches of snowOctober: 1.63 inches of precipitation, 3.7 inches of snowNovember: 1.34 inches of precipitation, 11.4 inches of snowDecember: 1.41 inches of precipitation, 17.5 inches of snowJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 15.3°F averageFebruary: 19.1°F averageMarch: 28.4°F averageApril: 37.5°F averageMay: 46.7°F averageJune: 54.5°F averageJuly: 62.0°F averageAugust: 61.0°F averageSeptember: 51.9°F averageOctober: 40.7°F averageNovember: 27.8°F averageDecember: 16.8°F average0 in5 in10 in15 in20 in25 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Afton, 8 miles from the campground at 6,248 feet, station USC00480027 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 18 inches a year. The dotted line is average snowfall, about 88 inches a year on the same inches scale.

Getting there

Coordinates42.6386° N, 110.8183° W · Directions ↗

Supplies & services

Outdoor gearMountain Top Outdoor Shop ↗6.7 mi
Dump stationDump station ↗21.4 mi
RV sales & serviceAirstream of Wyoming ↗30.7 mi

Locations © OpenStreetMap contributors. Call ahead; hours change seasonally.

Explore

Video

Cottonwood Lake Campground Tour

Trailheads within three miles

Trail and trailhead records are the Forest Service's. Distances are straight-line to the nearer trail end. Trail conditions are not tracked here.

Public land it sits in

On Wilderness Atlas →

Bridger-Teton National Forest begins about 7.6 miles away, and it is the closest of these.

Each unit is published as a centre point and an acreage rather than a boundary, so this section stands it in for a circle of the same area. Whether a campground is inside, and how far it is from one it is outside, are both approximate.

On the National Register nearby

On Register Atlas →

Guidebooks for Wyoming

We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.

  • Camping Wyoming and the Black Hills
    Kenneth Lee Graham, 2023
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Moon Montana, Wyoming and Idaho Camping
    Becky Lomax, 2015
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Hiking Wyoming's Wind River Range
    Ben Adkison, 2023
    Find at Bookshop.org

Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.

Reference

Questions people ask

Do I need a reservation at Cottonwood Lake Campground?

No. Cottonwood Lake Campground is first-come, first-served. Sites are taken on arrival and paid at the fee station.

Source: Forest Service

How much does it cost to camp at Cottonwood Lake Campground?

$10 per night

Source: Forest Service

Is Cottonwood Lake Campground open right now?

Closed for the season as of Oct 26, 2026.

Source: Forest Service status

How many sites does Cottonwood Lake Campground have?

18 sites.

Source: Forest Service

Can I bring an RV to Cottonwood Lake Campground?

Cottonwood Lake Campground is listed for tents only.

Source: Forest Service

What if Cottonwood Lake Campground is full?

The nearest public campgrounds are Cottonwood Group Campsite (0.2 mi, partly first-come), Swift Creek Campground (7.5 mi, first-come), and Allred Flat Campground (12.9 mi, first-come).

Source: Campgrounds nearby