Reminiscing at Hoop Lake

We decided not to work as campground hosts this year – mainly because we spent four months in the trailer during the winter and were ready to spend some quality time in the house and yard.  But when it was time to go camping, we decided to go to the first area we hosted – Hoop Lake on the North Slope of the Uinta Mountains.

We didn’t actually camp at Hoop Lake.  There is only one site in the main campground big enough for our trailer – and it’s not the host site!  We camped near the Middle Fork of Beaver Creek.  We rode to Hoop Lake several times.

The lake is as high as I have ever seen it, and as of June 25 they had not opened the spillway to let water out.  Of course, they didn’t need to.  The trailhead near the campground was under a foot of water – again, as of June 25.

Some things hadn’t changed.  The campsites are as rustic as ever, and after hosting at Washington Lake, seemed even smaller.  We ran into our Forest Ranger, Nancy, at the lake.  She told us that she would likely retire next summer, so it was great to see her one last time.  She was doing double duty as there was no camp host.  Not surprising.  Only in the month of July does Hoop Lake get enough business to justify paying the host couple 30 hours a week.  We were paid 20 hours a week in June and August.  Our area managers at the time commented that it was a difficult post to fill.

Some changes had been made.  Sites 1 and 2 on the horse camp side have been made double sites.  Also not surprising.  We were used to having several trailers on those sites, and we charged per trailer.  The good news was that we could charge half price to Senior Pass and Access Pass holders.  These discounts don’t apply to double sites in most National Forest Campgrounds.  A sign requesting a trailhead fee of $3 per vehicle per day is now posted at the horse camp. 

When we hosted at Hoop Lake four years ago I was a rookie runner.  It took all summer before I was able to run up the hill on the lake side of the main loop without stopping to walk.  And I didn’t even think about running up the hill to the horse camp.  This year, even on my first day running, I made it up the lakeside hill and ran all the way to the horse camp.  It was great to realize that I am that much stronger – even though I’m also that much older.

While I loved the walk down memory lane, it was really nice to drive back to camp and then, when the camping trip was done, to drive home.  I’m loving the summer off!  

Easy Being Green - Solar Power at Hoop Lake

On April 7 I posted Easy Being Green about our plans to install solar panels on the trailer.  We selected the Go Power 50 Watt Solar Power Kit, had it professionally installed, and invested in 2 six volt batteries.  Our plan was to minimize the need to run a gas generator to keep the batteries charged and power the inverter.

The number one lesson about solar panels is – they don’t work so well when the sun is not shining.  When we arrived at Hoop Lake to snow, we used a lot more generator than we would have liked.  Thankfully, there weren’t many campers to disturbed with the loud noise and noxious fumes. 

As the weather warmed up, we rarely had to run the generator – the solar panels generated enough battery power to keep us in electricity.  Our solar power ran the lights, my curling iron, and most important – the stereo system.  We were able listen to music pretty much all day.  I was nervous about using the inverter to power the laptop directly, but was successful using it to recharge the battery.

We never did get enough power in the morning to run the percolator, but we adapted and truly enjoyed our “camp coffee” cooked the old-fashioned way – on the stovetop.  The solar panels didn’t generate enough power to run the microwave or the vacuum.  I used the microwave for storage, and yes, we ran the generator once a week to vacuum.  It was a small compromise for cleanliness.

We learned that the 2 six-volt batteries didn’t work together as well as we thought they might.  We will likely invest in a single 12-volt battery for our next adventure.

Our cost for the solar panels, including installation, was just over $880.  Our company advised us that most campground hosts used five gallons of gas per week in their generators. We stayed 15 weeks at Hoop Lake.  If we assume we used two gallons per week the first two weeks and one gallon a week after that, and assume an average price of $3.50 per gallon, we saved $206.  While this means the financial payback will be achieved over four+ years, the knowledge that we did our part to keep gas fumes and noise out of our little corner of the National Forest has been, well, priceless.

Farewell to Hoop Lake

A hint of fall has been in the air for the past two weeks, and finally the true color of fall at Hoop Lake is in plain view.  We have only one color – the vivid yellow of the aspens that share our forest with the lodgepole pines. 

To every adventure there is a beginning, a middle, and an end.  Our Hoop Lake adventure ended on Labor Day.  Labor Day weekend was the busiest weekend we had all summer – with campers and with friends and family who took advantage of our final weekend to come visit us.  We welcomed our daughter Lisa and her boyfriend, Josh; longtime friends Dave and Chris; and Rob, Paul’s good friend, who was there for the third time.  Party!!!!

Our water was shut down on Labor Day, September 3 – our last day as campground hosts.  The campground will remain open for an extended season to accommodate the deer and elk hunters during September and October.  The hunters, of course, have no problem bringing their own water.  They are also happy to have bathrooms, even if they are cleaned only once a week by Forest Service personnel.

We pulled the trailer out on September 3 and brought it down the mountain.  It was somewhat a comedy of errors.  Parking the trailer the first time was challenging. The angle at which the trailer was parked required a very precise angle of the truck to get it hooked up again, which took about seven tries.  Thanks to Rob for his assistance (and his patience) in hooking up the trailer.  It was a very good thing that I was all the way across the campground cleaning out fire pits.

Our original plan was to move the trailer into another, more level site, once it was hooked up.  But after a couple of tries at backing it into the site, it was clear that our trailer was too large to fit.  Actually, Hoop Lake was built when the largest trailers built were 20 feet – nothing like the 32-foot behemoth we own.  There are only two sites in the campground that easily accommodate a trailer this large. Plan B – pull down the mountain and then spend the night at the KOA in Lyman, Wyoming.  Good plan.  We got the trailer all the way out of the campground and to the base of the lake when we realized we’d left the sewer hose hanging on the signboard.  Sigh.  Since I was wearing my hiking boots – not my running shoes – I walked up to get it.  Picture me hiking down the road with about 20 feet of sewer hose wrapped around myself like a feather boa.  Too bad nobody got a photo!

Thankfully, bringing the trailer home was uneventful. 

Our adventure at Hoop Lake has ended, but our retirement adventure is just beginning!

Decisions, Decisions

It’s hard to believe we have only two more weeks left in our assignment at Hoop Lake.  Our area managers have already approached us with the “year-end” paperwork, including the forms to either work at Hoop again next year or transfer to another campground.

Apparently quite a few camp hosts choose to stay at the same campground for at least two years.  Our Area Managers have had the same campground for nine years now.  Of course, these camp hosts can “lock in” their choice for next season at the end of this season.

Paul and I have always planned to do a different campground – in a different area of the country – every year.  We’ve thought about Lake Powell for next year.  We’ve also considered Island Park, Idaho – just southwest of Yellowstone Park.  Grand Canyon is another option we’re looking into.  We’re researching other options as well. 

The further from home we venture next year, the more critical it will be to have cell phone and internet access within a 20 – 30 minute drive, so we can keep track of what’s going on in our rental business.   Here at Hoop we can’t get access until just a few miles outside of Mountain View, WY, about 45 minutes.  It hasn’t been a problem, though, because we are able to get home every week.  American Land and Leisure operates several campgrounds within two hours of home; several of these look promising as well.

Our area managers are encouraging us to make a decision by October 15.  We’ll be doing some traveling in September, which should give us the opportunity to investigate Island Park and see what else is available in Idaho and Wyoming. 


Meeting the Locals

Hoop Lake is in Summit County, Utah.  But don’t tell that to the people of Bridger Valley in Uinta County, Wyoming.  They claim the lake as their own.  There’s good reason for this.  The most direct route to Hoop Lake takes you through Uinta County, Wyoming.  There is a way to get to Hoop Lake entirely within Utah, but it would involve driving an extra two hours. One of those hours is on a road that ATV riders find rough.

Our normal route takes us through the towns of Urie, Mountain View, and Lonetree.  We’ve also accessed the main road through Fort Bridger and Lyman.  The locals refer to this area as the Bridger Valley, named for the famous mountain man, Jim Bridger.  In 1842, Jim Bridger established a supply post on the Blacks Fork of the Green River to cater to emigrants moving west, as the westward migration started along the Oregon Trail and other trails.

All are small towns with friendly people.  Not much industry – primarily farming and ranching.  Small businesses tend to cater to campers, as these towns are the gateway to several Uinta mountain lakes as well as Flaming Gorge.

One of my early childhood memories of going to Hoop Lake was seeing the sign for the town of Lonetree, which stated “Elevation 6800, Population 5.”  They’ve since taken the sign down, but I always found it amusing that there would be a town with only five people in it.  I also knew once I saw the sign that it was only another hour to the lake.

We’ve had the opportunity to meet many folks from the Bridger Valley area.  A gentleman from Lyman told us that his grandfather worked on the crew that built the dam.  A gentleman from Mountain View told a story about his grandfather’s unwitting involvement in a bank robbery when he was a boy.  Apparently the gang asked the boy to hang on to their horses while they went to the bank.  They proceeded to rob the bank, grabbed the horses and tossed the boy a gold coin as they rode away. 

The locals have been very kind to us, recommending restaurants and services and sharing the local lore with us.  Residents of Bridger Valley – we appreciate you!

This Means War

I neglected to mention one of Hoop Lake’s more prolific wild creatures – mice!  That’s because until a few weeks ago I really hadn’t seen them.  Unfortunately, evidence of the mouse population has been found recently – inside our trailer.  Ewwwwhhhh!  I have the same agreement with mice that I’ve always had with spiders:  if they’re outside I leave them alone.  If they’re in my house, they’re dead.

We mentioned our mouse problem to our Area Managers, who assured us we weren’t the only ones.  He suggested that we put steel wool around the pipes (where the mice get in) and that we put moth balls under the trailer.  Apparently the mice don’t like the smell of moth balls.  My great-great uncle was a tailor, and his house always smelled like moth balls.  They do smell terrible.  Problem #1 – I haven’t been able to find them.  Problem #2 – we would have to smell them right along with the mice, and we don’t have the option of finding other accommodations.  Scratch the moth balls.

To the internet!  I found an article saying that mice don’t like the smell of Irish Spring soap (once again I agree with them) or dryer sheets.  I placed dryer sheets in the areas where we’ve trapped them, but they don’t seem to make much of a difference.  Apparently our mice like “April fresh.”  So our only defense at this time is the steel wool.

On the offense – we trapped several with the good old-fashioned Victor wooden traps with the metal springs.  That is, until the mice figured out how to lick off the peanut butter without springing the traps.  Off to the hardware store, where we bought two different styles of traps.  One, also made by Victor, is more humane – the mice go in to get the bait and then can’t get out.  Then we can release them – far  away.  So far this trap has caught zero mice.

The other, made by Ortho, looks like a set of sharp teeth, but the plate holding the bait is a lot more sensitive.  We have yet to have a mouse steal the bait from these traps.  Perhaps Ortho has really built the proverbial better mousetrap.

When we left the lake on Monday there had been no mice in the traps for two days.  However, the battle continues until we have successfully convinced the mice of Hoop Lake to find food and shelter elsewhere.  Wish us luck.

P.S. – the fire restrictions in the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest have been lifted. So while we’re not completely out of danger of wildfires, it looks like the hunters that will be coming to the forest in the very near future will be able to stay warm in their camps outside of the established campgrounds.

Top Ten Reasons to Visit Hoop Lake

The fourth of July has come and gone.  We expected a lot of campers during the week, with the actual holiday falling on Wednesday.  And during this peak week of the camping season, less than one-fourth of our sites were filled.  The good news was that the people who came stayed the full week, and the better news for our campers was that it was a very peaceful camping experience for them.

July 24^th was Pioneer Day, a Utah State holiday.  Again we expected a lot of campers planning on a long weekend.  We did get a lot of campers on Friday, July 20 – but most of them left on July 22.  We had only three sites used over the July 24^th holiday.  What’s up with this?

Hoop Lake has to be the best kept secret in the Uinta Mountains.  It’s time to change that!  So here, for your amusement and possible enlightenment, are the top ten reasons you should make Hoop Lake your next wilderness camping destination.

#10 – We can accommodate just about any type of camping equipment.  Got a big trailer?  There’s a site for that.  Got a group with several tents?  There’s a site for that.  We have several sites on the lake, several sites back in the trees (lots of shade), and even a couple of remote sites for those of you who want to get away from it all even when you’re away from it all.

#9 – We love horses.  We have seven sites in our “horse camp” area that include corral space.  Some even have hitching posts.

#8 – We love ATVs.  There are several ATV trails accessible from our campground.  Several campgrounds in the Uinta Mountains don’t allow ATVs at all.  They’re welcome here – just remember that the speed limit within the campground is 10 mph.

#7 – The fishing is great.  The lake level may be down but the fish population is alive and well.  Our campers have had success with lures, flies, and good old-fashioned worms.

#6 – The hiking is great.  There are several hiking trails within walking distance of your campsite that take you into the Uinta Mountain Wilderness area.  Remember to sign yourself out and then back in again – so the Forest Service knows if they need to go searching for you.

#5 – The restrooms are clean and odor free.  Yes, they’re pit toilets, but between the design of the toilet and the deodorizers we use, they are not at all unpleasant.

#4 – We have cool wildlife. See Wildlife.  We also have cool wildflowers.  See Wildflowers of Hoop Lake.

#3 – We have cool temperatures.  So far the high temperature has been 85 degrees – at least 10 degrees cooler than the neighboring valleys.  Escape the summer heat with us.

#2 – We are a technology-free zone.  If you’re looking for a real vacation, your cell phone won’t work up here and we have no wi-fi, free or otherwise.  You can really get away – and work won’t follow you.

And the #1 reason to visit Hoop Lake – it is as peaceful as it is beautiful.  Come spend some quality time in nature.  We’ll be ready to welcome you.

A Plug for our Employer

The National Forest Service has, for many years, contracted the day to day management of its campgrounds to the private sector.  Why?  When the Forest Service managed its own campgrounds, the fees collected went directly to the Department of the Treasury.  As one Forest Ranger put it, “it was then like pulling teeth to get Congress to allocate funds to maintain the campgrounds.”  It made sense to issue contracts for bid to the private sector; with a caveat of the contract being that the company awarded the bid would be required to put a certain amount each year into campground upkeep.

We are employed by American Land and Leisure.  AL&L has been in the campground management business for more than 20 years.  Our company manages campgrounds in California, Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Kentucky, Michigan, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Virginia, Washington and West Virginia.  I am totally impressed by the professionalism and friendliness of the people we work with at AL&L.

The partnership between American Land and Leisure and the National Forest Service is a beautiful thing.  Our Forest Rangers, Nancy and Lynnette, visit us weekly and keep us posted on the current state of the forest.  The head of the Mountain View Ranger District has attended all our company training sessions and has provided us a wealth of information and contacts.  And when we introduced ourselves at the Mountain View Ranger Station, we were welcomed as friends and as peers.

Interested in being a campground host?  You can reach American Land and Leisure at www.americanLL.com, phone 801-226-3564.  The application process is painless – and almost completely online.  When we put in our application, we were interviewed by telephone, asked to provide the personal information needed for background checks.  Once we passed, we were asked to request our top three choices of campgrounds.  Hoop Lake, our first choice, was available.  And here we are.

Running at 9200 Feet

Why on earth would anyone want to run at 9200 feet?  When that’s the place on earth where you live from Memorial Day to Labor Day – and you’re a runner – what other choice is there? 

I did my homework before I arrived at Hoop Lake, elevation 9216.  Through sources including completerunning.com, running.competitor.com, runnersworld.com, and mamashealth.com, I learned what to expect and what to plan for. 

Here are some tips I captured:

•             Be prepared for thinner air.  According to renowned running coach Dr. Jack Daniels, at an elevation of 6,500 feet you lose 10 percent to 12 percent in VO₂ max (the maximum capacity of an individual's body to transport and use oxygen during exercise) and at 7,500 feet you lose 12 percent to 15 percent.  If my high school math holds up, at 9200 feet I’ll be losing 18 percent to 21 percent.  Anyway, the good news is that a lower density of air means lower air resistance and better running economy.

•             Hydrate.  Drink plenty of fluids before, during and after your run. Then drink some more. Dehydration occurs quicker at higher altitudes, so this is good advice even if you won’t be running.

·                Wear sunscreen and plenty of lip balm.  Note that they did not mention insect repellent.  I figured that one out for myself.

•             Take it easy. Stick to easy runs until you become acclimated.

I was prepared for the fact that running at 9200 feet would make me feel like a slug, and “a wheezing slow one at that.”  And I followed the tips above.  For my run I planned a very easy loop around the campground – twice.  Apparently that was not easy enough; I ended up stopping to drink water and catch my breath between the two loops.

It’s taken me a month to work up to 5K – and the uphills are still kicking my butt.  The slug part is all true – but I’m getting better.  I plan to increase my distance about ½ mile a week and see how far I can go by the time the summer is over.  In the meantime, the location is beautiful.  I have my “Forrest Gump” moments as I run across the dam and through the trees when I finally make it to the top of the “hill from h_ll.”

More on the science – in high altitudes, the amount of oxygen in the blood is reduced because there's less oxygen in the air. To compensate for reduction of oxygen in the air, the kidneys secrete more of a hormone called erythropoietin, which causes the body to create more red blood cells.

The average life span of a red blood cell is 90 to 120 days. Runners are often able to train harder and perform better for several weeks after they return from about a month-long stay at altitude because their blood still contains the extra blood cells that were produced when they were training at high altitudes. Runners who trained at high altitudes will have more red blood cells than runners who did not train at high altitudes.  I’m hoping this kicks in.  I plan to participate in the “Run for Hope” in October in Cody, Wyoming, which sits at about 5100 feet.  Should be a piece of cake. J

A Hot, Dry Summer

The lake level has been dropping dramatically since June 1, when the reservoir water began to be drained off for irrigation in the McKinnon, Wyoming area.  Because this past winter was so dry, the water has been needed much earlier than in past years.  Many of our campers have commented on how much lower the lake is than at this time last summer.  The dry winter and, so far, very dry summer has also contributed to a significant number of wildfires throughout the west.  This past week we’ve seen (and sometimes breathed) the smoke from some of the wildfires in Utah.  This has provided us some pretty spectacular sunsets, but I’d rather have ordinary sunsets and no wildfires.  MSNBC reported this being the worst wildfire season in recent history.

Effective June 14, the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest, where we currently make our home, was put on Stage 1 fire restrictions, which means no campfires except in campground fire pits.  Since this restriction was put into effect, the “unofficial” campsites just outside the campground have remained vacant, where they had been full only the week prior. These unofficial sites had been quite popular – offering lots of space and no fees.  What’s not to like?  No campfires.  Somehow it’s just not camping if you can’t build a fire.

The Forest Service has put us on alert that the fire situation will be re-evaluated shortly after the 4^th of July.  If they move to Stage 2, no fires will be allowed – not even in the campground fire pits.  This could be bad for business, but a wildfire would be far worse. 

Today it is raining in the valley.  I hope that the national forest is also receiving this much-needed precipitation.

The Circle of Life

In 2003, the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest first experienced an outbreak of Mountain Pine Beetles (bark beetles), which in the nine years since the infestation began have killed thousands of trees.  According to the Forest Service, in some areas along the north slope of the Uinta Mountains, these beetles have killed up to 90% of the trees.

The Forest Service’s priority in treating this epidemic has been focused on the health and safety of people and the protection of critical infrastructure.  This means reducing falling tree hazards at high use recreation areas, trails, roads, and power lines; and reducing wildfire hazards.

I have not seen an actual Mountain Pine Beetle, but I’ve seen the damage they cause.  This current outbreak has resulted in extensive stands of red and dead trees that will be visible for a long duration.  When the outbreak first began, the Forest Service attempted to spray trees, to remove beetle-infected trees from the impacted campgrounds, and to salvage trees killed by the bark beetles through timber sales.  Since then they have decided no longer to intervene and to allow nature to take its course.

This is the circle of life in the forest.  Mature trees are dying, and the infestation is a natural part of this life span.  Seeds from these trees will produce the next forest.  Indeed, it has already begun.  The photo shows that beneath the red boughs of a dying tree, three new trees have sprung up.  And the forest will go on. 

Wildlife!

About three times, when I’ve taken Ty for his morning walk across the dam, I’ve seen fresh moose tracks.  Last Friday I finally saw the moose – at least, one of them – on the other side of the lake near the horse camp.  A group of campers there told me they had seen three moose, which makes sense with the patterns of the tracks.  I guessed that there were at least two.

The moose are by far the largest of our wildlife neighbors.  We’ve seen several antelope on the road leading to the campground, but so far none have ventured within our boundaries. The only other mammals we’ve seen in the campground were chipmunks, squirrels and potguts (the Utah nickname for the Uinta ground squirrel – they look like fat rats with short tails.) 

We have a robin and a couple of hummingbirds that hang out around our campsight.  There is also a pair of bald eagles – they look pretty young – that we’ve seen flying overhead.  They seem to be camera-shy; twice I’ve aimed the camera at one of them perched in a tree, and both times she or he flew away before I could get the shot. 

The Forest Service has re-introduced Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep to this area.  I know this because there are signs posted – but I have yet to see them.  We’ve seen them in the Flaming Gorge area and they are quite beautiful, but quite aloof. 

The Uinta Mountains are also home to black bears.  Again, I know this because there are not only signs posted – one on every bulletin board and one in each restroom at the proper eye level for normal usage of the facility – but we also give a bear brochure to each camper as they come in.  We’re told there has never been a bear in the Hoop Lake campground, but just this year one was spotted about two miles away and another about four miles away.  Like most wildlife, bears tend to leave humans alone.  But we’re encouraging our campers not to tempt them by leaving food out.

Roughing It

Hoop Lake is beautiful but rustic.   It sits at about 9500 feet in the Uinta Mountains, and the fact that elevation and temperature are inversely proportional holds true – it’s still very cold up here.  We arrived on the Wednesday before Memorial Day, and woke up Thursday morning to snow on the ground.  The weather stayed wet and windy most of the weekend.

The Campground Manager’s site is the only one in the campground with water and sewer hookups.  Great!  But the water wasn’t turned on yet, and we didn’t have enough sewer hose to reach the connection.  We had brought plenty of water, and thankfully the pit toilets were open.  Where were those camp hosts who were supposed to clean them?  Oh, wait – that’s us.

Memorial Day Weekend is traditionally the start of camping season here in the west.  We had our site in good shape by the time our first guests arrived.   On Friday evening two campsites were occupied.  That was it.  Apparently only the die-hards come up to Hoop Lake over Memorial Day weekend.

Our management knows this.  They arrived with our signs, forms and fee envelopes – and our cleaning supplies – on Saturday.  They turned on the water, which comes from a mountain spring, and we watched the rust from the pipes flow out the two taps in the campground.  They’ll be back to test the water on Friday, we were told, but until then we needed to let our campers know to boil the water first. 

A short orientation on the fees and paperwork, and we were ready to go – except for the fact that it was snowing and blowing way too hard to post the signs.  I ran some toilet paper over to the campers on the other side of the dam and we called it good for the day.  I laughed to myself as I carried the toilet paper – my friend Stacy told me that her most vivid memory of camping was the cute little camp host with an armful of toilet paper.  We finally cleaned the bathrooms and carried the fee envelopes over to our campers on Sunday morning.

We were motivated to get water running into the trailer, so we hooked up the hoses and turned on the water heater.  Hot water without heating it on the stove – heaven!  Until the next morning when we woke to discover that the water in the hose had frozen.  Looks like we’ll be disconnecting the hose every night and hooking it up for the afternoons when the temperature is above freezing – until it stops freezing at night. 

And speaking of freezing – our well thought-out plans for powering the trailer with solar power didn’t take into consideration the amount of battery power it would take to keep the furnace running all night and most of the day.  That, and the fact that there is no solar power if the sun is not shining, forced us to use the generator a lot more than we had expected.  As the weather warms up, we expect to use more and more solar (and less and less generator).

Our adventure has truly begun.

All About Hoop Lake

Today is my last day at work – so of course my mind keeps drifting to my “new” workplace – Hoop Lake.  Here’s what I know so far – courtesy of the U.S. Forest Service!

Introduction

Hoop Lake is a natural lake on the north slope of the High Uintas. The lake level has been augmented by construction of a dam, and the watershed has been enlarged by a diversion from Thompson Creek. The lake receives heavy use by anglers. Hoop Lake is a result of glacial moraine impounding the natural drainage of the area. The original lake was 11 feet deep.

In 1939, an earth-fill dam was built at the outlet, and in 1948 it was enlarged, raising water level a total of 25 feet. The reservoir shoreline is owned by the Wasatch-Cache National Forest, and public access is unrestricted. Reservoir water is used for irrigation in the McKinnon area of Wyoming (northwest of Manila, UT). The impounded water is drained off before mid-summer for agricultural purposes, but the 11 foot deep original lake remains. Water use is not expected to change in the foreseeable future.

Recreation

Hoop Lake is accessible from Lonetree, Wyoming. Approximately 1.5 miles east of Lonetree, turn south on the Cedar Basin Road to the national forest. A point of interest along the way is "Hole in the Rock". Travel approximately 7 miles to the intersection of FS-058. Continue southward approximately 3-4 miles past "Hole in the Rock", to the reservoir.

Recreational facilities at Hoop Lake Campground, a USFS facility, include toilet facilities, picnic areas, a swimming area and 44 campsites. Fishing, boating, swimming, camping, picnicking, and hiking are all possible. While there are no launching facilities, it is generally possible to launch a small boat. Angler use is heavy. User fees are charged.

So if you’re ever thinking about a beautiful but rustic camping spot – consider Hoop Lake.  We’ll be there to welcome you.