Curt Gowdy State Park: Crow Creek Trail (Blog Hike #1133)

Trail: Crow Creek Trail
Hike Location: Curt Gowdy State Park
Geographic Location: between Cheyenne and Laramie, WY (41.17344, -105.24172)
Length: 4.1 miles
Difficulty: 7/10 (Moderate)
Date Hiked: September 2026
Overview: An out-and-back along Crow Creek to the canyon containing Hidden Falls.
Park Information: https://wyoparks.wyo.gov/index.php/places-to-go/curt-gowdy
Hike Route Map:

On The Go Map

Photo Highlight:

Hike Video: (coming July 2, 2027)

Directions to the trailhead: The entrance to Curt Gowdy State Park is located on the south side of SR 216 about half way between Cheyenne and Laramie.  Turn south to enter the park, pay the park entrance fee, and drive the main park road 1.7 miles to the Hidden Falls Trailhead parking area on the right.  Park here.

The hike: Originally named Granite State Park, Curt Gowdy State Park protects 2473 acres in the Laramie Mountains of southeast Wyoming.  The park came to be in 1971 when the State of Wyoming entered into a lease agreement with the City of Cheyenne and the Boy Scouts of America.  The park's name was changed in 1972 to honor Curt Gowdy, the famous sports broadcaster from this area who popularized calling the Rose Bowl "The Grandaddy of Them All."

            Today Curt Gowdy State Park is the crown jewel of the Wyoming state park system.  The park offers 3 man-made lakes, 179 campsites across several campgrounds, and the historic Hynds Lodge, an old Boy Scout and City of Cheyenne lodge that dates to 1922.  The park also offers hiking, mountain biking, and equestrian trails that total 35 miles.  The park's trails traverse a wide range of scenery and elevation, but the park's most popular hiking trail is the Crow Creek Trail described here.  The Crow Creek Trail follows its namesake creek upstream from its mouth at Granite Springs Reservoir, and it leads to an interesting waterfall called Hidden Falls.  Hidden Falls gets its name from its location in a pocket canyon, and while I stopped just short of Hidden Falls, I had a very pleasant hike on the Crow Creek Trail.

Hidden Falls Trailhead

            From the Hidden Falls Trailhead, pick up the Crow Creek Trail as it heads northwest with the main park road on your right.  The Crow Creek Trail is also called the Hidden Falls Trail on some signs and maps.  The park seems to use the 2 names interchangeably, and I will do the same.  After 0.2 miles of gradual descending, you reach an old trailhead and a trail intersection at the south end of Granite Springs Reservoir's causeway.  The Granite Ridge Trail exits left here to climb moderately to a lake overlook.  Continue straight to remain on the Crow Creek Trail.

Granite boulders

            The trail curves left and descends to a level just above the upper end of Granite Springs Reservoir.  If you look across the lake, you can see why this park was originally called Granite State Park: huge granite boulders cling to the hillside.  Wyoming's geology is very complicated with layer upon layer of different rocks.  In general, shales sit upon limestones and sandstones which sit upon schists, gneiss, and granites, but the exact order and composition vary widely across the state.

Crow Creek

            At 0.6 miles, you reach the upper end of the reservoir, and the trail curves right to begin a creekside course on wide sandy-dirt trail.  You will cross Crow Creek 4 times, each time on a nice bridge.  You also pass a small concrete dam and an hydrology station.  Crow Creek has good flow most of the year, and the creekside hiking is easy and pleasant.  At 0.9 miles, a wide bike trail continues straight where you need to turn left.  Watch for the signs for the Hidden Falls Trail to stay on track.

Climbing on rocky trail

            1.3 miles into the hike, the Pinball Trail, another mountain bike trail, exits right.  As directed by more signs, turn left to stay on the Hidden Falls Trail.  Next comes the hardest part of the hike: the trail climbs and descends numerous rock slabs and boulders, sometimes steeply.  A couple of metal railings help prevent you from slipping in steep areas, and you need to take your time to maintain good footing.  Just shy of 1.6 miles, the trail tops a small rise and returns to a more gentle creekside feel.

Mouth of canyon containing Hidden Falls

            Near 1.75 miles, other trails exit first right and then left; the only bench on this hike is also in this area.  Continue upstream to stay on the Crow Creek Trail.  Just past 2 miles, the trail ends in the creek just below Hidden Falls.  Hidden Falls is a popular destination: there were many people here when I arrived early on a Saturday afternoon in mid-September.  To see the waterfall, you will have to hop on some rocks and wade through some water in the narrow canyon.  I feared that such a venture might be above my agility level, so I settled for a view of the pool and cascade at the canyon's mouth.  The trail ends here, so the only option is to retrace your steps to the trailhead to complete the hike.