Ellis WHMA — Ellis South
FIRE BAN: WGFD flags this area as 'Fire Ban is in Effect for this Area' -- check before you plan on any open flame. SEASONAL CLOSURE -- READ THIS FIRST: Closed Jan. 1 - May 31 Wyoming closes many of these areas in winter and spring to protect wintering big game, and a closure is not advisory. Confirm the current dates with Game and Fish before you drive out. This is a designated campground on the Ellis Wildlife Habitat Management Area in Johnson County, land acquired or administered by the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission. The area runs about 3,836 acres. Camping here is genuinely free and first come, first served -- and unlike neighbouring states, Wyoming does NOT make you buy a license or a habitat/entrance pass simply to be on the land or to camp. (If you intend to hunt or fish while you are there, that is a different matter: you need the appropriate Wyoming license and a conservation stamp for that activity.) The rules that bind: you may only camp in the designated spots, no more than 14 consecutive days, and you cannot leave a camp unattended more than 48 hours. After you hit the limit you have to be off that same Game and Fish land for at least 72 hours before returning. Some areas post a limit shorter than 14 days on the sign at the entrance -- if the sign says less, the sign wins. Area-specific regulations from Game and Fish: 14 day camping limit. No camping outside designated camping areas. Weed free certified hay only. Exceptions noted for this area: Foot and horse traffic Sept 1 to Dec 31. Closed to human presence Jan 1 to May 30. Vehicle closure Sept 1 through Dec 31. Amenities listed by Game and Fish for the area: Parking Note on this campground: Camping allowed in Parking lot only These are working wildlife areas first and campgrounds second -- they exist for habitat, so expect gravel, expect stock, and leave it cleaner than you found it. We have not visited; confirm current conditions and closures with the Wyoming Game and Fish Sheridan regional office before you go.
Everything you need — measured from Ellis WHMA — Ellis South · Wyoming Game & Fish · WY
- GGrocery25 mi
- FFuel25 mi
- WWater34 mi
- DDump39 mi
- @Mail39 mi
- HHardware50 mi
- +Urgent care51 mi
- MMechanic51 mi
- LLaundry55 mi
- EVEV fast charger55 mi
The read: water is a real 34-mi drive, fuel & food sit about 25 mi out, the nearest EV fast charger is a 55-mi run (and back).
Not within 60 mi: Propane. Plan those before you head up.
One dot per need — the nearest of each kind, straight-line from camp. Places from OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors); the EV fast charger from the US DOE station locator. Open in Google Maps ↗
The site — Ellis WHMA — Ellis South
Nearby & resupply — around Ellis WHMA — Ellis South · Wyoming Game & Fish · WY (OpenStreetMap)
- Water featureMiddle Fork Powder River (river) · nearby
- Nearest townFrench Vee · ~10.6 mi
- Drinking waternone within 10 mi
- Fuelnone within 30 mi
- Propane / LPGnone within 31 mi
- GroceriesKaycee General Store · ~25.1 mi
- Mapping is thin out hereAn empty row means nothing is mapped within that radius — not that nothing exists. Small stores, seasonal resorts and single fuel pumps out here often never make it onto the map. Treat these as unconfirmed and ask locally.
EV charging — from Ellis WHMA — Ellis South · Wyoming Game & Fish · WY — nearest public DC fast & Level 2 (US DOE station data)
- Nearest public DC fast charger55.2 mi straight-line W — Wind River Canyon Whitewater & Fly Fishing, Thermopolis, WY · EV Connect · CCS · 2 fast ports listed · listed open, last confirmed by AFDC 2026-09-16 · hours: 24 hours daily · directions
- Public DC fast stations within reachnone within 25 mi · none within 50 · 12 within 100 · 20 within 150
- Nearest listing NACS (Tesla)68.7 mi — Evansville, WY - Tesla Supercharger, Evansville
- Nearest listing CHAdeMO86.0 mi — SHERIDAN MOTORS CPE250, Sheridan
- Nearest public Level 2 (J1772)50.5 mi — Washakie Museum, Worland - Tesla Destination · Tesla Destination · J1772, NACS (Tesla) · 1 Level 2 port listed · listed open, last confirmed by AFDC 2026-08-27 · hours: 24 hours daily. Open to all vehicles.
- Pricing at the fast chargernot listed
- Power (kW)not listed by AFDC — “DC fast” spans roughly 24 to 350 kW, so ask the network.
- Read this honestlyStraight-line miles, like every distance on this site. Roads run longer than this, and you have to get back. We know where a charger is listed. We don’t know if it works today, how fast it is, or the road miles. Check the network before you commit.
Snapshot 2026-09-16 · AFDC record 462372 · US DOE Alternative Fuels Data Center
Nearby restrooms — around Ellis WHMA — Ellis South · Wyoming Game & Fish · WY — pit toilets, restrooms & rest areas (government data)
- RestroomMiddle Fork Powder River Rr · ~1.8 mi SW · BLM
- Vault / pit toiletOutlaw Cave Vault Toilet · ~8.4 mi E · BLM
- RestroomGrave Spring Restroom · ~10.7 mi SW · BLM
- RestroomBuffalo Creek Restroom · ~12.1 mi SW · BLM
Open Ellis WHMA — Ellis South elsewhere
Other camps near Ellis WHMA — Ellis South
If this one is full, gated or washed out.
- Ellis WHMA — Middle Fork Powder River Camping Location~0.9 mi
- Ellis WHMA — Sullivan Creek Camping Location~1.3 mi
- Ellis WHMA — Ellis North Parking Lot~1.3 mi
- Middle Fork of the Powder River Campground~1.7 mi
Snow, and when this opens
The nearest automatic snow station is Middle Powder at 7,760 ft, about 4 miles away. That is about the height of this camp, so it is a fair proxy. We do not repeat a depth here, because any number we stored would be stale by the time you read it — the station publishes today's.
How we know this — Ellis WHMA — Ellis South
What we don’t know about Ellis WHMA — Ellis South
A land record can put you within a few meters of a spot. It cannot tell you any of this — so check it yourself, and treat anything below as the open question it is.
- Road surface & last-mile access
- How many rigs actually fit
- Cell coverage by carrier
- Current fire restrictions
- Whether any water here is drinkable
- Shade & wind exposure
- Noise and who else shows up
- Whether a listed EV charger works today, or the road miles to it