Glendo State Park: Sunset Point (Blog Hike #1131)

Trails: Slide Hill Loop and Sunset Point Trails
Hike Location: Glendo State Park
Geographic Location: southeast of Glendo, WY (42.48238, -104.94927)
Length: 1.9 miles
Difficulty: 6/10 (Moderate)
Date Hiked: September 2026
Overview: An out-and-back high above Glendo Reservoir to Sunset Point.
Park Information: https://wyoparks.wyo.gov/index.php/places-to-go/glendo
Hike Route Map:

On The Go Map

Photo Highlight:

Hike Video: (coming September 3, 2027)

Directions to the trailhead: Between Casper and Cheyenne, take I-25 to the Glendo exit, exit 111.  Exit, go east on A Street, then in 0.2 miles turn right on Lincoln Avenue.  Lincoln Ave. becomes Glendo Park Road after exiting the town of Glendo.  Drive 6.8 miles from downtown Glendo, crossing Glendo Dam in the process, to the Dam Overlook Trailhead on the left.  Park in the paved parking area.

The hike: Located in the Rocky Mountain foothills east of Casper, Glendo State Park protects 18,382 acres around its namesake reservoir.  Glendo Reservoir was created in 1957 with the construction of an earthfill dam on the North Platte River.  Like nearby Guernsey Reservoir, this dam was built by the United States Bureau of Reclamation to reduce siltation downstream and to produce hydroelectric power.  The park and reservoir are named after the nearby town of Glendo; its name comes from the Gaelic word glean, which translates to "valley."

            Glendo State Park is located in a very rural area, and therefore its main attractions are aquatic recreation on Glendo Reservoir, 19 campgrounds totaling over 500 campsites, and many trails totaling over 45 miles.  Possibly the park's most famous view is the one from Sunset Point, which is the destination of this hike.  Although I did this hike as an out-and-back, you can turn it into a semi-loop if you are willing to add a little more distance, as I will explain later.  I had a pleasant hike on the warm and sunny mid-September morning that I came here.

Dam Overlook Trailhead

            From the large information kiosk at the west end of the parking area, head west on the single-track dirt trail with the road on your right.  This trail is called the Slide Hill Loop, and going this way you are going clockwise around the loop.  The trail climbs moderately through an area that had burned recently on my visit.  This hike goes back and forth between sunny rocky areas and shady dense pine forest, so come prepared for some sun exposure during the summer.

Post #2

            Just past 0.1 miles, the Narrow Bluffs Trail exits right.  Angle left to continue climbing on the Slide Hill Loop.  Trail intersections at this park are marked by numbered posts with trail maps; this first intersection is post #2.  Soon you top the first knob, and the next descent gives this hike's first long and broad westward view.  The rocky ridge you are going to be hiking extends out before you.  Deep blue Glendo Lake is downhill to the left, and some taller mountains stand off in the distance.

Looking out toward Sunset Point

            Just past 0.4 miles, you reach the trail intersection marked by post #3.  The Slide Hill Loop turns right here to continue its loop, but our hike turns left to begin the Sunset Point Trail, which leads to its namesake point.  A little more descending brings you to a saddle and post #4, where the Tin Can Trail exits right.  I did not see a lot of wildlife on this hike, but I did see a woodpecker in the pine trees near this point.

Topping a rocky knob

            Past post #4, the ridge narrows as you go up and over the next knob.  The going here is quite a bit rockier than on the first part of this hike, and you don't want to fall off of this ridge: vertical cliffs lie between you and the lake some 250 feet below.  After descending slightly, you reach post #22, where a steep and narrow connector trail to the Twenty 15 Trail exits left.  Stay right to remain on the ridge crest.

View west from Sunset Point

            Less than 500 feet later, you reach Sunset Point.  This overlook has kind of seen its better days: the nearby pine trees have grown enough to partially block the view.  While this point marks the end of the ridge, I like some of the views I got earlier looking down the ridge more than this one.  A bench here makes a nice place to sit, rest, and rehydrate at the midpoint of this hike.

Looking back to Glendo Dam

            The Sunset Point Trail ends at Sunset Point, so next you have to retrace your steps back up the ridge to the trailhead.  I do not recommend the connector trail to the Twenty 15 Trail: it is too steep with too poor footing, and there is no easy way to get back to our trailhead using that trail.  On the other hand, hiking the entire Slide Hill Loop makes sense if you have a little extra time and energy: it adds some variety to your hike and adds only 0.4 miles of fairly easy distance.  I had a long drive that afternoon, so I simply retraced my steps to the trailhead to finish this hike.

Edness K. Wilkins State Park (Blog Hike #1130)

Trails: (unnamed)
Hike Location: Edness K. Wilkins State Park
Geographic Location: east of Casper, WY (42.85375, -106.17888)
Length: 2.9 miles
Difficulty: 1/10 (Easy)
Date Hiked: September 2026
Overview: A double loop, mostly on paved trail and partly along the North Platte River.
Park Information: https://wyoparks.wyo.gov/index.php/places-to-go/edness-k-wilkins
Hike Route Map:

On The Go Map

Photo Highlight:

Hike Video: (coming August 6, 2027)

Directions to the trailhead: East/south of Casper, take I-25 to SR 256 (exit 182).  Exit and go north on SR 256.  Drive SR 256 north 0.5 miles to US 87 and turn right on US 87.  The signed park entrance is 2.3 miles ahead on the left.  Turn left to enter the park, pay the park entrance fee, and park in the first paved parking area on the right.

The hike: Weighing in at only 361 acres, Edness K. Wilkins State Park is the second smallest state park in Wyoming.  The park came to be in 1981 when the State of Wyoming purchased a former rock quarry for development as a state park.  Therefore, this park is also the third newest state park in Wyoming.  The park is named for a former long-time Wyoming state legislator who was from this area.

            Although the park has 7 reservable cabins, Edness K. Wilkins State Park is one of only 3 Wyoming state parks that does not have a campground.  Due to the limited overnight lodging, the fact that most of its trails are paved, and the park's location near Casper, this park sometimes feels more like a city park than a state park.  But a lot of local people come here, and for good reason: anyone who comes here will find a pleasant recreation site along the North Platte River.  The park offers fishing and boating on the river, a small lake with a beach, a disc golf course, picnic and playground areas, and several miles of dirt horse trails and paved hiking trails.  The double loop described here stays on the hiking trails, and although it is paved most of the way, it provides a grand tour all around the park including the park's riverside and upland areas.

Main trailhead

            From the parking area described in the Directions to the trailhead, pick up the concrete trail as it heads east with the parking area on your left and US 87 across the grassland to your right.  A bench and a sign that warns "no motorized vehicles" stands at this trailhead.  This park's trail system is organized as a double loop, and going this direction starts a counterclockwise journey around the eastern loop.  Soon you pass a rebuilt covered wagon, which sits here as a testimony to this area's Oregon Trail history.  Indeed, the Oregon Trail followed the North Platte River through this part of Wyoming including what was then Fort Caspar, and ruts that this type of wagon made in the 1800s can be seen at various places in this region today.  Unfortunately, there are no Oregon Trail ruts at this park.

Covered wagon

            Soon you pass the park's beach and pond on the left.  I saw several deer on this trail including some young ones in this area.  Next you exit the developed park area and enter an area with more trees.  Some large cottonwood trees live here, and they were just starting to show their fall colors when I hiked here in a light rain on a cool mid-September morning.

Entering a wooded area

            At 0.5 miles, you pass a bird blind near a pond on your left.  While in general this park is good for wildlife watching due to its water and its location on the Central Flyway, I did not see any activity at this pond.  Next the trail curves left to pass through the eastern part of the park.  Ignore dirt horse trails that exit right and concrete side trails that exit left.

Deer

            0.9 miles into the hike, you arrive alongside the North Platte River.  The North Platte is a deep and broad sandy-bottomed prairie river, and some benches invite you to stop, rest, and enjoy the riparian part of this hike.  Unfortunately, the riverside area also sits right beside the park road, so you are unlikely to be the only person admiring the river.

North Platte River

            After passing several parking areas, the trail curves left to leave the riverside area and start paralleling the park's west boundary, which sits close on the right.  At 1.45 miles, you reach a trail intersection.  Turning left continues the east loop and quickly takes you back to the parking area.  This hike continues straight to head for the west loop, which is reached at another trail intersection just past 1.8 miles.  Turn right to head counterclockwise around the west loop.

Traversing the west loop

            The west loop offers very different scenery than the east loop.  Gone are the ponds, rivers, and trees; they are replaced by a semiarid grassland featuring goldenrod, sagebrush, and cactuses.  You pass the park headquarters/maintenance building before paralleling the park road.  At 2.4 miles, you close the west loop.  Turn right to head back to the east loop, then turn right at the final intersection to return to the parking area and complete the hike.  To add a little variety to the segment connecting the 2 loops, you can take the dirt/gravel dog walkers' trail on the return route.  This trail runs roughly parallel to the concrete trail but further from the private property on the left, and it provides the only opportunity to get off of the concrete on this hike.