Build a Longer Trail
Trails of the Wagonhound Offroad Park
Thermopolis, Wyoming
Photography contributed by Central Wyoming 4x4, Jon Chambers, and 307 Off Roading Fun
The Central Wyoming 4x4 Club was born out of a couple of guys who had a love of recreating in off-road vehicles such as jeeps, rock crawlers, and side-by-sides. They rode all the trails they could find on public land and championed a message of riding responsibly.
In 2015, they got a wild hair to ask a landowner if he would allow public access to off-road vehicles on the part of his ranch not being used for cattle grazing. At first this landowner did say no. A bit of time passed and the landowner decided to join the guys for a day of riding. He got a feel for the kind of terrain they wanted–steep ruts and rock features that require very slow and very technical driving.
He told them, “If this is what you’re looking for, my cows have no use for this type of terrain.”
Together they set boundaries and the Central Wyoming 4x4 Club went to work mapping out trails that incorporated the rock features. These trails are nothing like building a road or a single track trail. The whole point of off-road trails is to leave natural obstacles in place and direct drivers on an intuitive route that will have them driving up and over anything in their way.
Finally, in 2021, after the logistics and trails were in place, Wagonhound Offroad Park was established.
Today the club manages 2,200 acres of private ranchlands that are entirely open to the public from April 1 through September 1. There is land designated for free dryland camping and all of the trails can be found on Onyx Offroad. The entire place is maintained by volunteers and run on donations.
Travis Winger is the President of the Central Wyoming 4x4 Club and he shared, “The amount of pride our local club and visitors have for this place is pretty impressive. We’ve had hundreds to thousands of people out there. You could drive all day and you wouldn’t find a piece of trash. People are so grateful for the opportunity and recognize how special it is; they enjoy it responsibly.”
Winger talked about how perceptions are being changed on all sides, “We get people from all over the country who come out and are amazed at what middle-of-nowhere Wyoming has to offer.”
Wagonhound’s trails are known for their variety of rock type and varying levels of technical difficulty. From the casual Jeep owner to professional rock crawlers with machines, there is something for everyone.
Even those who doubted the success of such a project have come around.
“We’ve heard from a lot of people who had a perception that off-roaders have no regard for the land or the rules. With the park being so close to Thermopolis, it’s easy to have those doubters come on a ride, meet the offroad community, and experience the culture. Just about all of them comment how surprised they are to see what it is all about,” said Winger.
A few years back, the Central Wyoming 4x4 Club felt they had developed enough trails to host an event and invited people from the region to join. Called the Wagonhound Trail Run, this year’s July event had 90 vehicles and a couple hundred people camping and riding the trails. One such Trail Run attendee was Jon Chambers from Evergreen, Colorado.
“What these guys have built is so incredible. The terrain is great and matched only by the camaraderie and welcoming attitude of the locals,” said Chambers. “I brought my six-year old son up here and we couldn’t have been happier. The simple way they manage public access to private land is unlike anything I’ve ever seen. It’s a shining star among the offroad community.”
The Central Wyoming 4x4 Club has embraced the attitude of “the more the merrier” when it comes to more people and more trail development. Winger commented, “Every time we start to grow and expand, we find more areas for trails and the ability to welcome more people.”
Wagonhound Offroad Park opens for the season in April of 2025 and the Central Wyoming 4x4 Club invites you to give them a call and see what it is all about. You can reach out via Facebook to find their club and contact them.
As Winger likes to say, “Honestly, it’s the most fun you can have going one mile per hour.”
