Guernsey State Park: North Bluff Trail (Blog Hike #1129)

Trail: North Bluff Trail
Hike Location: Guernsey State Park
Geographic Location: west of Guernsey, WY (42.32125, -104.78330)
Length: 2.6 miles
Difficulty: 5/10 (Moderate)
Date Hiked: September 2026
Overview: A loop hike partly along the rim of the canyon containing Guernsey Reservoir.
Park Information: https://wyoparks.wyo.gov/index.php/places-to-go/guernsey
Hike Route Map:

On The Go Map

Photo Highlight:

Hike Video: (coming June 18, 2027)

Directions to the trailhead: From the intersection of I-25 and US 26 in southeast Wyoming, take US 26 east 14 miles to SR 317.  Turn left on SR 317.  Drive SR 317 north 1 mile to the park entrance on the left.  Turn left to enter the park, pay the entrance fee, and follow Skyline Drive a total of 3.8 miles to the parking lot for The Castle.  Skyline Dr. is paved at first but eventually turns to gravel.  Park in the lot beside The Castle and the restroom building.

The hike: Established in 1925, 6000-acre Guernsey State Park is one of the oldest state parks in Wyoming.  The park overlooks Guernsey Reservoir, which is formed by an earthfill impoundment in the North Platte River.  The reservoir was built by the United States Bureau of Reclamation in 1927 for irrigation and hydroelectricity purposes.  The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) worked to develop the park between 1934 and 1937, and today the park is considered one of the finest examples of the CCC's work in the Rocky Mountains.  The park and reservoir are named for the nearby town of Guernsey, which in turn was named for cattle rancher C.A. Guernsey.

            Though rural in location, Guernsey State Park features a wide array of amenities including the usual aquatic recreation on Guernsey Reservoir, several campgrounds both developed and primitive, a yurt area, a CCC and area history museum, and many miles of trails.  The hike described here explores this park's famous blufftop views that overlook the reservoir.  Even better, it starts at a CCC-built picnic shelter known as The Castle, thus letting you sample this park's impressive architecture and history as well as its scenery.

The Castle

            Either before or after your hike, you will want to check out The Castle.  The stone picnic shelter is impressive as a structure, but perhaps more impressive is the stone spiral staircase that leads to The Castle's roof.  The rooftop overlook provides a great view north over Guernsey Reservoir.  The reservoir sits in a rock-walled canyon over 200 feet below you, and the rooftop vista over the reservoir is one of the best views on this hike.

Main trailhead at The Castle

            When you are ready to start the hike, find the main trailhead at the north end of the small parking loop; this trailhead is marked only by a brown carsonite post.  A paver treadway leads to a rusty chainlink fence and another fine blufftop reservoir view.  Trails depart both left and right from this point.  Turn left to begin heading northwest on the North Bluff Trail with the reservoir to your right.

Guernsey Reservoir near The Castle

            The somewhat narrow dirt trail goes more down than up as it heads first behind The Castle and then through a shallow ravine.  There is minimal shade anywhere on this hike, so prepare for a very warm and sunny hike in the summer.  Great views across Guernsey Reservoir remain to the right.

View from northern-most point

            At 0.4 miles, the trail curves left to pass the northern-most point on this hike, which is also your closest approach to the reservoir.  An interesting canyon rising north from the reservoir can be seen across the lake.  Soon the trail curves left again to head away from the reservoir and trace around a larger ravine.  This ravine has impenetrable cliffs near the canyon rim, but soon the cliffs yield to more gradual terrain that allows for easy crossing of the normally dry streambed.  The streambed and some deer paths look somewhat like trails, but a few brown carsonite posts keep you on track.

Canyon across the lake

            After getting out to the canyon rim one more time, the trail curves left to put the reservoir at your back for good.  A gradual to moderate climb through sunny and somewhat rocky grassland comes next.  Part of this climb will be done on what appears to be an old dirt road.  Some cactuses and yellow wildflowers that I could not identify dot the grassland, and I saw some vultures and a grey catbird while hiking this trail.  Solitude is a real selling point of this hike: I was the only person in this part of the park when I came here on a warm mid-September afternoon.

Climbing through the grassland

            At 1.75 miles, the North Bluff Trail ends at the park entrance road.  You could retrace your steps for the entire distance of the North Bluff Trail, but a shorter option is to turn left on the gravel park road and walk the road back to the parking area.  The road is just as hot and sunny as the trail, but the grassland and Guernsey Reservoir views are just as good.  After returning to the parking lot, make sure you check out The Castle if you didn't do so at the start of this hike and/or stop at the CCC museum on your drive out.