Wyoming / Sheridan County / Bighorn National Forest

Dead Swede

Closed — Closed for the season and gated. Operates Memorial Day through Labor Day, weather dependent. Reservations available through Recreation.gov.

About

Dead Swede Campground is located along the South Tongue River in the Bighorn Mountains at an elevation of 8,400 feet. Situated east of the Bighorn Scenic Byway (U.S. Highway 14), the campground requires a 4.7-mile drive on Forest Road 26 to reach this remote location near the Burgess Overlook and Woodrock areas. The campground and nearby picnic ground are named for the gentleman whose grave is located there. The setting features lodgepole pine forest beneath craggy granite peaks that rise over 13,000 feet. The South Tongue River attracts anglers fishing for rainbow, brown, and brook trout. Nearby Sibley Lake, open to non-motorized craft, offers an accessible fishing dock on the shoreline. The area provides access to diverse recreation including OHV trails, scenic jeep roads, and hiking trails that range from loop trails to treks accessing the Cloud Peak Wilderness. Historic features in the Tie Flume area include remnants of old splash dams and tie flumes from when trees were cut for railroad ties decades ago. Shell Falls Visitor Center is about 21 miles southwest, offering interpretive trails and educational displays. The Red Gulch Dinosaur Tracksite near Shell features Middle Jurassic Period tracks approximately 167 million years old, one of the largest sites of its kind in Wyoming.

Directions

From Dayton, Wyoming, take U.S. Highway 14 west for about 40.2 miles to the Tie Flume/Dead Swede and Forest Road 26 signs. Turn left onto Forest Road 26 and travel 4.7 miles. Campground is on the left.

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