Dead Swede

DS_CG_Hero
River near Dead Swede
River near Dead Swede 2
Rocky cliff in Dead Swede Campground
ds_cg_preview

Featured amenities

Pet Friendly Pet Friendly
River Access River Access

Sites & Rates

Average nightly rates

17 total sites

RV Sites

17 sites

About Dead Swede

Dead Swede Campground is located just off the Bighorn Scenic Byway (U.S. Highway 14) near the Burgess Overlook and Woodrock areas at an elevation of 8,400 feet. The Bighorn National Forest offers a wide variety of activities, including hiking, fishing, scenic driving and a number of historic sites. The administering organization is Rustic Freedom/Gallatin Canyon Campgrounds; e-mail: [email protected]; phone number: 307-431-7446.

Number of accommodations: 17

Activities & Attractions

Nearby

Fishing

Fishing

Year-round
Hiking

Hiking

Year-round

Seasonal information

2026 (Current year)

2026 Season availability

Current season
Upcoming seasons
Past seasons
Closed periods
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Currently closed

Campground Amenities

Most popular amenities

Pet friendly Pet friendly
River Access River Access
Water Access

Water Access

  • River Access
Pets and Policies

Pets and Policies

  • Pet friendly
Missing information? Let us know

Rates, Sites & Availability

Select check-in and check-out dates to see real-time availability for each site.

17 Sites Available

Site
Price
🚐 002, Loop: LOOP A RV
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 003, Loop: LOOP A RV
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 004, Loop: LOOP A RV
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 008, Loop: LOOP A RV
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 009, Loop: LOOP A RV
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 010, Loop: LOOP A RV
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 011, Loop: LOOP A RV
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 012, Loop: LOOP B RV
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 013, Loop: LOOP B RV
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 014, Loop: LOOP B RV
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 015, Loop: LOOP B RV
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 016, Loop: LOOP B RV
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 017, Loop: LOOP B RV
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 018, Loop: LOOP B RV
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 019, Loop: LOOP B RV
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 020, Loop: LOOP B RV
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 021, Loop: LOOP B RV
No Hookups
Price not available

Reviews (107)

What Guests Are Saying

Dead Swede campground is praised for its beautiful, well-maintained sites and cleanliness, with many visitors enjoying the wildlife and serene river sounds. Camp hosts receive high marks for their helpfulness and attentiveness. While some campers noted issues with noise from generators and lack of privacy between sites, overall experiences remain positive, with many expressing a desire to return.

Review Summary

4.5
107 reviews
5
72.0%
77
4
15.9%
17
3
5.6%
6
2
3.7%
4
1
2.8%
3

Neeta A

Verified

June 29, 2021 Stayed at: 012, Loop: LOOP B

1

Our GPS took us to National Forest Road 231 and we ended up tearing our camper up. The jacks were ripped off and we lost our fresh water tank.

Darryl N

Verified

June 28, 2021 Stayed at: 013, Loop: LOOP B

5

Beautiful campground! We’ve been coming to the Big Horns for three years and always try to get a camping spot at the Dead Swede. Clean facility, stream for fishing and perfect amount of space between campsites for privacy.

David A

Verified

June 25, 2021 Stayed at: 002, Loop: LOOP A

5

Everything was perfect

Laura B

Verified

September 12, 2020 Stayed at: 015, Loop: LOOP B

5

Such a wonderful time with a perfect camping spot! Fellow campers were considerate of each other and the campsite was clean when I arrived.

Richard B

Verified

September 4, 2020 Stayed at: 003, Loop: LOOP A

5

Great camp hosts, everything was clean and well maintained. Loved it

Thomas E

Verified

September 1, 2020 Stayed at: 018, Loop: LOOP B

5

First Thing: This is a wonderful little campground, no services but just right. Looking forward to going back again.

GPS Alert: If you are traveling from the west via Greybull and Shell, do not trust your GPS. My GPS (Garmin 770RV) routed us onto Forest Service 231, Woodrock Rd. This is NOT a RV accessible road! It took two groups of ATVers get us turned around and back out the next day. Continue one mile further on US14E to FS26 and drive the five miles in on an improved gravel road. Even though I specifically input into the GPS to avoid that trail and the ones around it, it still tried to route me that way instead of by gravel road that was more direct. By the way. we saw a number of moose on FS26.

I really liked the campground. It was like the ones we used to camp at 20-30 years ago. Nice pit toilets, handpump wells with buckets for dousing fires, deer and moose in the river going by. Nicest of the four campgrounds we drove through in the area.

Michael B

Verified

August 30, 2020 Stayed at: 011, Loop: LOOP A

5

Awesome campground!

raymond m

Verified

August 17, 2020 Stayed at: 019, Loop: LOOP B

5

The couple that are taking care of dead swede are very very nice and helpful,they also have the grounds and restrooms the cleanest we have stayed at

Sean G

Verified

August 11, 2020 Stayed at: 003, Loop: LOOP A

5

.

Kathleen S

Verified

August 10, 2020 Stayed at: 021, Loop: LOOP B

4

The campground is nicely wooded with the river running alongside of it. The host did a good job keeping an eye out on the campground and worked hard to keep the toilets clean. There were lots of ATV's in the area on Sunday but they aren't allowed in the campground. We took our mountain bikes and rode on some of the roads on Monday and there were much fewer ATV's. There aren't any hiking trails at the campground but there are some within a short drive. Fresh water is definitely a plus.

Location Dead Swede

Address:
Forest Road 235
Dayton, WY, 82836
United States

Elevation: 2578 feet

Distance to downtown

35 mi drive to downtown Dayton (about 53 min)

Policies & Rules

General

  • The administering organization reserves the right to substitute sites without prior notice. Two non-towed vehicles allowed per site. The first vehicle is included in the basic fee; the second vehicle will be charged an extra $9.00 fee at the campground.
  • Groups larger than 20 people must use a Day Use facility; Willow Park, Hettinger, Ranger Creek Recreation Area or Pine Island offer group camping
  • Firewood bundles may be purchased from the campground host.
  • Click here for more information on the Bighorn National Forest
  • Don't Move Firewood: Prevent the spread of tree-killing organisms by obtaining firewood at or near your destination and burning it on-site. For more information visit dontmovefirewood.org.
  • Refunds: Refund requests made through www.recreation.gov will be charged a $10 processing fee. This fee is retained by the reservation service contractor along with the non-refundable reservation fee. All requests for the return of the non-refundable reservation fee and the cancellation fee will be declined by the campground concessionaire as they did not receive these fees (these are the fees retained by the reservation contractor, a different entity).

Nearby Campgrounds

Nearby destinations


Last updated: September 6, 2026

USDA Forest Service Logo
Managed by USDA Forest Service