Boondocking on Soda Lake In Wyoming

Soda Lake is a beautiful lake bordering the Bridger-Teton National Forest near Pinedale, Wyoming. It is officially part of the Soda Lake Wildlife Habitat Management Area.

This is a free boondocking area run by the Wyoming Game and Fish Department with a 14 day stay limit. This area gets a lot of snow in the winter so you can only camp here May 1st – November 30th. It is closed the rest of the year.

Campsites are on a first come, first served basis.

There are around 20 campsites many providing a picnic table and metal fire ring.  We saw people pulling up almost anywhere to park around the lake though.

The area is able to accommodate any size vehicle. A few of the sites are quite large with the ability to park multiple vehicles in them.

This is dry camping so there are no water or hook-ups to be found here.

There is also no trashcans available so whatever you pack in make sure you pack out. There were a few vault toilets available for use scattered around the lake that were clean and stocked with toilet paper.

Place campfires in rings only and before going to bed or leaving camp make sure every spark is out. Also be sure to contact the local ranger station in town to see if there are any fire restrictions.

It can get quite windy here at times. A fire ban went into effect a week after we left.

Leashed pets are allowed just please be sure to pick up after them.

While we were sitting outside we would let our dog Dexter off his leash to sit with us at camp and run on the shore of the lake. Many people did the same, because we were far enough from our neighbors that we didn’t worry about it.

We always keep our cat Everest on a leash though when he’s outside, which is generally as much as the dog.

I will say that some of the spots are not far from the road and this place can get busy so keep a close eye on your pets and little ones to avoid any accidents.

There is no shade here so be prepared for that. If you are running solar you should be able to top off your batteries every day.

Now let’s talk cell service.

We had no service with AT&T, but with our booster we did have some Verizon service. It wasn’t the fastest speeds in the world by any means, but we were still able to get some work done.

Also Verizon didn’t work at every spot around the lake. We would pull up to some spots and there would be no service at all. We tried half a dozen spots till we found one that was good enough.

This is a great place for wildlife viewing.

We saw mule deer and pronghorn multiple times during our stay. They would come down to the lake for drinks then graze in the meadows surrounding the area.

The variety of waterfowl that come to the lake is quite impressive too. We saw so many different bird species while swimming and kayaking and just sitting from our chairs.

This is bear country so please take all appropriate bear safety precautions.

The Wyoming Game and Fish Department has a whole page discussing how to be bear wise you can check out here.

We thankfully didn’t see any bears, but there were some cows. You will probably see them too, especially if you take the short hike to Little Soda Lake.

Speaking of Little Soda Lake it can be found on side road around Soda Lake.

There are multiple camping spots back there where you can park your rig. You won’t be near the lake, but the spots are more secluded if you would like some more privacy. This is also where the cows hang out so you will have some company.

We went swimming and kayaking on the lake more times than I can count. It was a short walk down the hill to the water from our spot, but nothing difficult.

The views of the mountains in the distance and rolling hills and meadows all around us were incredible. Many other campers took to the water too with their paddleboards, kayaks, and canoes.

This is a popular fishing spot and everyday we saw locals fishing from the banks or launching their boats into the water. Oh yeah, forgot to mention there our boat ramps here.

The absolutely charming town of Pinedale is a mere fifteen minutes away from the lake.

They have everything you need from a fully stocked grocery store, gas stations, and places to eat. I

know there is somewhere in town where you can dump and get water as well, but I’m not for sure where. We didn’t need those services during our stay.

We fell in love with this little town and visited multiple times.

Head on over to the Sublette County Visitor Center to get information on all the many activities to do in the area. Be sure to ask for a map for the Public Art Walking Tour in town which was very neat.

The American Legion Park in Pinedale is great and be sure to pick up some delicious fresh made donuts at Bison’s Bounty.

The Museum of the Mountain Man can also be found in town and for a small fee you can check out this very cool and unique place.

There are a plethora of hiking opportunities within the area.

This area also has a number of lakes for you to explore. When visiting the Sublette County Visitor Center  just ask them for all the information they having on local hiking trails. There is a lot to do.

I will say a couple of the hikes were saturated with mosquitos and we literally had to turn around during one hike, because we forget bug repellent. I highly recommend to slather some bug spray on before starting your hike.

That being said, when properly armed we took some great hikes during our stay.

We ended up spending the whole two week limit here and loved every minute of it.

For the most part it was quiet and no one bothered us, which is how we generally like it. The weekends were definitely busy, but that’s to be expected. Everyone was just out enjoying the great weather and having fun.

I’m always happier at water locations while boondocking and Soda Lake did not disappoint.

We loved all the swimming and kayaking we got to do and the wildlife viewing can’t be beat. I forgot to mention how incredibly gorgeous the sunsets were here. I mean they were just absolutely breathtaking every night!

We only stayed at a few spots in Wyoming this year and they were all incredible. I’m kinda falling in love with this state and can’t wait to get back. Soda Lake would be a spot we would stay at in a heart beat again!

I do have one gripe about this place and that is it seems the locals may be taking advantage.

No one stayed in the campers on either side of us during our entire stay. The fifth wheel on our left was there for ten days and no one used it. Then one afternoon a truck came in and pulled it away.

On our right a vintage looking small camper sat the entirety of our stay and was never used. It was there before we arrived and remained after our departure.

Another campsite consisted of a camper, boat and 4 wheeler and every two to three days someone would show up for the afternoon, spend the night then leave.

I know this is a first come, first served camping area, but that doesn’t mean you just drop off your rig so you can secure a spot for months at a time so when you do want to come camp it’s already there.

It doesn’t work that way and it just kinda ticked me off.

OK, rant over.

This really is a great place to camp and if you get the chance to visit you should.