Suggestions for Cheyenne Frontier Days?

If you have a pet you may want to check pet restrictions. They used to be anti-pet. Don't know if that has changed or not.

Thanks. You are correct.

When we were in the Cheyenne area a couple of years ago we stayed at Curt Gowdy State Park. The park is west of Cheyenne about 15 miles or so and the campground sits around a very large lake. It was nice with large sites, but you might have to reserve early, especially during Frontier Days.

Below is a clicky for RV Park Reviews.com which lists most campgrounds in the Cheyenne area.

http://www.rvparkreviews.com/regions/Wyoming/Cheyenne.html

Allstays has a complete listing of cgs with reviews for the Cheyenne Area.
http://www.allstays.com/Campgrounds/wy-cheyenne-campgrounds.htm

TripAdvisor lists attractions along with their reviews here
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g60439-Activities-Cheyenne_Wyoming.html

First and foremost, once they've released the entertainment schedule (and in the past that's been after the first of the year - recently between Thanksgiving and Christmas)...

GET RESERVATIONS EARLY!

Every campground/rv park within appprox 50 miles of Cheyenne fills up during CFD. We go every year, but it's too much of a zoo to camp there. I can, however, make some recommendations from first hand knowledge.

Of the listings in rvparkreviews.com, I would seriously only consider the Cheyenne KOA off I-80 east of town, or the Terry Bison Ranch Resort, on I-25 south of town, for areas immediate to Cheyenne. Those 2 will also be at a premium rate and they will be crowded. Terry Bison has an open field south of the park itself where some of the big, self contained rigs can park, and it's always packed full for the entire CFD run.

Outside of town, Curt Gowdy State Park is highly recommended, and it's not a difficult drive from there to Cheyenne. There is also a KOA across the border on I-25 in Colorado north of Wellington at the Owl Canyon exit; even that one fills up during CFD.

As far as getting around Frontier Park...DON'T DRIVE! Unless you can get there super early and get on-site parking (which is pricy and fills up quick), one can park on the surface streets in the neighbourhoods around Frontier Park. And many residents set up parking on their front lawns and will charge a premium for that.

Your best bet, whether for the rodeo or the night shows, is to use the Park N Ride that they set up at Exit 10/Missile Dr, by Warren AFB. There's a charge for it, but it's not overly expensive. They use all of the school buses in the school system there to shuttle folks back/forth from the PnR to Frontier Park, and the buses run every 10-15 minutes during the prime times. But be aware that, after the night shows, it can take a long time to get back to the PnR, as the crowds are very large.

Frontier Park is very pricy for food/drink, so keep that in mind and plan accordingly. The midway is your typical anywhere type fair. It is also very crowded most of the time, and the evening shows, it's wall-to-wall people getting in and getting out...seriously. Protect your wallet/purse at all times.

All that said, it's also a lot of fun. The rodeos are great to watch, there's lots of good people watching and every show I've been to, has been outstanding. And I've been going to CFD for a lot of years.

The Terry Bison RV park is south of Cheyenne, about 7 miles and looked nice and tidy the last time we drove by...it's on I 25. As stated, get your reservations NOW or as soon as possible. I got tickets to the rodeo 8 months in advance when we went and that was about 10 years ago.

If you don't have it already, here's a link for you (and anyone else interested) for CFD rodeo and concert tix:

Cheyenne Frontier Days Tickets

I just checked the site, nothing listed yet. Last year, they announced the acts between Thanksgiving and Christmas, tickets didn't go on sale until after the first of the year. I always go up to the box office in Cheyenne in January to get tix to the shows I want to see, the ladies there are wonderful and I always get good seats, they tell me which ones are the best! Avoid the SRO down front, unless you really REALLY like crowds!

Let's say I want to go to Cheyenne but I wait and go a couple of weeks AFTER Frontier Days. What would I want to do/see in the area after the annual big event has ended? We like camping, golf, hiking, biking, museums and great food.

noe-place wrote:
Let's say I want to go to Cheyenne but I wait and go a couple of weeks AFTER Frontier Days. What would I want to do/see in the area after the annual big event has ended? We like camping, golf, hiking, biking, museums and great food.

First, the last part...

For camping/hiking/biking, you can't beat Curt Gowdy State Park (see above), and the Veedauwoo Recreation Area west of Cheyenne, about 15 miles or so out.

Veedauwoo

Additionally, the City of Cheyenne has a really neat and extensive bike/ped trail in town. One can go pretty much anywhere in town on the trails.

There's a golf course over near Frontier Park.

Wyoming State Museum in the downtown area by the State Capitol, lots of history of the Cheyenne and Great Plains area, you can spend a lot of time there

Wyoming State Museum

There's also the Historic Governor's Mansion downtown.

If you're willing to drive a bit, you could head over to Laramie. There's the Wyoming Territorial Prison Museum, and several others in town, as well as on the University of Wyoming campus.

Food choices are wide open and very subjective. There's some good steak houses in town, some good burger joints as well. Guess it depends on your preferences.

noe-place wrote:
Let's say I want to go to Cheyenne but I wait and go a couple of weeks AFTER Frontier Days. What would I want to do/see in the area after the annual big event has ended? We like camping, golf, hiking, biking, museums and great food.

Are you willing to drive into Colorado during your stay? Do you like beer to go with your good food? If the answer to both questions is "yes," Ft. Collins is only 45 miles away and the New Belgium Brewery offers tours. New Belgium is the brewer of Fat Tire and 53 other beers. For more info, go to New Belgium tours.

Can you be a little more specific on what types of museums you like? The Cheyenne Depot Museum is located in the nationally landmarked, 1886 Union Pacific transcontinental railroad depot. It is well worth the $7 senior/$8 adult entry fee. For me, their model railroads are just as interesting as the history exhibits.

Also in Cheyenne is the UP roundhouse/shop where UP 4-8-4 Northern #844, 4-6-6-4 Challenger #3985, and 4-8-8-4 Big Boy #4014 are maintained and stored. For more info on these trains, go to: UP steam engines. Unfortunately, you have to know someone who works there to get a tour anytime except during Depot Days in May.

Depending on the route you pick to and from Cheyenne, you can visit historic sites along the Oregon-California-Mormon Trails in Nebraska and Wyoming. Sites include Scott's Bluff National Monument, Ft. Laramie National Historic Site, Chimney Rock, Courthouse Rock, and many others.

If you are traveling on I-25 south of Cheyenne and are interested in Cold War history, there is Missile Site Park near Windsor, Colorado. This is an old Atlas ICBM site that now offers tours. For more details, see: Missile Site tour.

Of course, Rocky Mountain National Park is not all that far from Cheyenne either!