USDA 5-17-18
The majority of roads within the Pole Mountain unit of the Medicine Bow National Forest have been opened for the season and are available for motorized travel.
One notable exception is Forest Road 700 (Vedauwoo Road), which remains closed as Laramie Ranger District staff work to finalize designated dispersed camp sites along the popular stretch. It is anticipated that the Vedauwoo Road will open prior to Memorial Day Weekend. Once opened, signage will direct recreationists where they can legally camp.
Aside from the Vedauwoo Road corridor, the remainder of the Pole Mountain unit is open year-round to typical dispersed camping.
All National Forest System roads on the 55,000-acre section of National Forest between Laramie and Cheyenne had been seasonally closed to motor vehicles since Feb. 1, as a result of the Pole Mountain Travel Management Decision.
Vedauwoo Day-Use Area and Campground are open to the public on a first-come, first-serve basis, however, water services are temporarily unavailable to begin the season. District staff is working to prepare Tie City and Yellow Pine campgrounds for opening soon.
The U.S. Forest Service would like to stress that even as roads dry and reopen; users must stay on designated routes and may not travel off-road. Help protect public lands so that they may be enjoyed by the entire public.
An additional reminder for recreationists on Pole Mountain is that annual shooting restrictions are in effect. These restrictions prohibit the discharge of firearms from March 31 through Sept. 10.
Off-road violations or shooting violations can be reported to the Laramie Ranger District at (307) 745-2300.
Those traveling through the National Forest should pay attention to signage and refer to the Pole Mountain Motor Vehicle Use Map (MVUM) for details. MVUMs are free and physical copies can be obtained at the Laramie District Office, 2468 Jackson St. in Laramie. Electronic versions of the free map are available online at http://www.fs.usda.gov/goto/mbr/mvum/maps.
It is the user’s responsibility to know where they are and what types of restrictions there may be when accessing public lands.
For more information on the Pole Mountain unit, contact the Laramie Ranger District. You can also visit our website at http://fs.usda.gov/mbr, or follow the Medicine Bow National Forest on Twitter, @FS_MBRTB.