bennefim wrote:
We are going to Cheyenne frontier days this year, first time. Would appreciate feedback from those who been there on campgrounds, length of stay, etc.
Thanks in advance, Doug
H E R E - CFD Rodeo is the website for Cheyenne Frontier Days. As for camping, get your reservations NOW. There's not an abundance of camping/rv parks in the area.
H E R E is a link to the various places to check out.
Of note; the Terry Bison Ranch at the state line is very popular, and they have the space there to expand to a no frills/no hook ups area for dry camping, south of the main camp ground. Of interest there also, it's a working ranch and has, in addition to horses and cattle, camels and llamas and yes, bison.
The KOA east of town is also a good place to consider. Easy to get off/on I-80 and minutes from the rodeo grounds.
There's also some places further east along I-80 as well as at Pine Bluffs. You could also consider west at Laramie; there's a KOA there that's not bad, is also easy off/on to I-80. There's also a KOA south into Colorado north of Wellington, about 25 minutes from the rodeo grounds.
You may also want to consider Curt Gowdy State Park between Cheyenne and Laramie; it's a really nice place to stay, and has activities there beyond the CFD experience. And if you're feeling lucky, there's also Veedauwoo CG off I-80 at Exit 329. Very cool and interesting rock formations there, it's a first come/first served CG.
Parking at the CFD grounds is at a premium. There's parking available on residential streets, but if you choose this, be very aware of NO PARKING areas. Towing does occur a lot, and it's not cheap to get your vehicle back. Some folks in the residential area will also charge a fee to park in their yard. Not cheap, be wary of this option.
Best parking option? There's a Park n Ride that CFD sets up, it's noted in the link above under "Plan Your Trip". The PnR is at exit 10 on I-25/Missile Dr, to Happy Jack Road. It's well marked. Every bus in the area is put to use during CFD and they run every 10 minutes or so from early in the day to late at night. If you decide to attend one of the concerts, be aware that there could be a long wait to get on a bus to go back to the PnR. One concert we went to, it took us 90 minutes AFTER the concert to get back and out of there.
In Cheyenne, there's the State Museum by the Capitol building that's full of historical information on the area of SE Wyoming. There's also the Territorial Prison over in Laramie that has a tour. Lots of parks and walking trails in Cheyenne.
H E R E - Cheyenne WY is a link to other things to see/do in Cheyenne besides CFD.
Be aware also of the wind there. It's pretty constant. Use of an awning at your own risk :E that's how fierce it can get. The weather in general can be very changeable. Since Cheyenne is very open and vulnerable, it's subject to some pretty strong storms passing through, so keep an eye on the sky and the weather, and as noted previously, be prepared for anything.
CFD is a great experience, and as noted previously if you can go during the day to some of the events, you'll have less crowds. The midway will likely always be crowded. I've never been there when it was NOT crowded, and we go there frequently, usually every year for the past 30+ years.
Hope you have a wonderful trip, it's an experience like no other.