The town of Ten Sleep, WY (pop. 260) isn’t one that many people know of outside of Wyoming locals (Wyomingans?)—but for climbers it serves as a popular rest stop near the famous Ten Sleep Canyon climbing area. The canyon is located just a few miles south west of the Bighorn National Forest. As you drive through Hwy 16 near the southern portion of the Bighorn National Forest, you’ll see it–an immense, clean, continuous wall of limestone to the north. That wall spans for miles, and is full of incredible limestone sport climbing. There are almost 1000 sport climbs (and counting) in Ten Sleep Canyon. If you’re interested in checking out this area or already have a trip planned for the first time, read our Ten Sleep climbing guide for some tips on how to prepare for Ten Sleep Canyon.
Camping and Lodging in Ten Sleep Canyon
Dispersed Roadside Camping
There are several options if you want to camp or stay in Ten Sleep Canyon. The cheapest option is the free dispersed camping along the dirt roadside that parallels Hwy 16 as you enter Bighorn National Forest. Campsites are typically large, flat, and can accompany multiple cars. Probably the biggest downside is that they generally lack shade and it can get hot in the peak months.
Fee: $0
Bathrooms: None (bury or pack out your waste!)
Cars: Suggested 0-4
Dog friendly?: Yes
Camp-specific perks: Great open cliffside views of the canyon
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Leigh Creek Campground
Leigh Creek campground is across from the Fish Hatchery on Hwy 16. Just turn onto Hwy 435 as you’re driving down Hwy 16. Also, there’s a little shade from the nearby trees, so bring a hammock!
Fee: $0
Bathrooms: 2 Porta-potties
Cars: Suggested 0-6
Dog friendly?: Yes
Camp-specific perks: River nearby, very large campgrounds
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Ten Sleep Rock Ranch
The Ten Sleep Rock Ranch is an iconic climber destination if you’re headed to Ten Sleep Canyon! Here you can schlep it with other climbers and vanlifers in a hostel-like environment similar to the Red River Gorge’s infamous Miguel’s Pizza! You can also access the Rock Ranch directly from Hwy 16 as you pass through the Canyon.
Fee: $5/person/night
Bathrooms: Multiple, $2 showers
Cars: 1
Dog friendly?: Yes
Camp-specific perks: Great way to meet other people! Plus WiFi and electrical outlets included.
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Lodging in the City of Ten Sleep
No internet and phone service, but you need to do some work? If you drive about 5 miles further west on Hwy 16, you’ll hit the town of Ten Sleep—another iconic place to grab nalgene stickers! Furthermore, stores like Dirty Sally’s fully embrace the fact that climbers come and go frequently and have all the general store goods you could want. Once in the town, you can stay at the Carter Inn or Log Cabin Motel. Their prices vary throughout the season, but if you absolutely have to stay in a small town, those are the places to go.
Fee: $55-85/night
Bathrooms: Multiple
Cars: Varies
Dog friendly?: Yes
Perks: Phone reception, various bars, restaurants, and supply stores.
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Food and Supplies in Ten Sleep
Dirty Sally’s – A popular general store with Wi-Fi, food, camp supplies, and your necessary Ten Sleep swag.
Big Horn Bar – You want to experience a real western, cowboy bar? Stop on in.
Ten Sleep Saloon – Good burgers, beer, and a patio. What else do you need?
Ten Sleep climbing guide packlist
Your camping supplies will vary depending on season, so we’ll be focusing on the peak summer season. All of the campsites are car camping sites, as a result there’s no need to go ultra light with what you bring. Here’s most of what you will need for your trip to Ten Sleep:
- Tent
- Sleeping bag
- Sleeping pad
- Nice camp chair
- Cooler
- Swimsuit
- Towel
- Bugspray (Deet)
- Hiking boots/shoes
- Light long sleeve shirt
- Light pants
- Climbing gear (duh)
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Ten Sleep Climbing Guide
Probably the best thing about Ten Sleep climbing (other than the actual climbing) is the late start to the days—you can party hard in the evenings, sleep in, and STILL beat the rush. The canyon is typically too hot in the morning, so you can wake up later, cook breakfast AND lunch, then leave to the crag afterwards. Here’s our Ten Sleep climbing guides example schedule for the day:
7:00AM – Breakfast
10:00AM – Dip in the river
11:00AM – Lunch
12:00PM – Head to the crag
7-9:00PM – Head back to camp
9:30PM – Dinner
Late starts and late days are the name of the game at Ten Sleep! This means you can get some quality lunches in, and if you’ve read our camp recipes article, you’ll know I’m all about having a great meal.
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Climbing Conditions
You can expect vertical, pocketed and crimpy climbs at Ten Sleep Canyon. Most of the walls are only at slight overhangs, and there are plenty of rests. For the beginning climber to the advanced, there are hundreds of aesthetic climbs that are challenging and rewarding. The routes are well-bolted thanks to the efforts of the Bighorn Climber’s Coalition and their Bighorn Anchor Initiative. Check out their website to report issues, find ways to donate your time and money, or to purchase their fundraising edition of the Punk Rock Ten Sleep Guidebook.
Ten Sleep Guidebooks
The Holy Ten Sleep Electric Koolaide 3-D Acid Test ($65+)
The legendary guidebook that is truly one of kind. From Amazon: “2015, new 4th revised edition. 178 pp, 80 pages of color route and action photos, maps. 600 climbs listed, 100s of new routes added to the last edition. The world’s first 3-D climbing guidebook has arrived. When Aaron Huey announced this would be his final guide to Ten Sleep Canyon we knew it would have to be legendary. So he teamed up to produce the world’s first 3-D climbing guidebook. Complete with leather bible cover, 3-D content, 3-D glasses that stash in a pocket in the back of the book, and Aaron Huey’s signature irreverent style. So here it is, Huey’s farewell guidebook to Ten Sleep Canyon. This will be his last, and no doubt, his finest yet.”
Ten Sleep Rock Climbing (Rakkup Digital Guide; $7.99+)
A less expensive, more up to date, and digital guide. From Rakkup: “The Rakkup Ten Sleep Rock Climbing guidebook has an initial offering of some of the most popular areas along with some new and completely unheard of gems (psst, Crag 6). 448 routes of what has been described as the ‘buttery sickness’ will get you started. Longtime local and route developer Mike Snyder plans to continue to add more and more satellite crags until the guide is complete. Accurate trail maps, crag and route descriptions along with photos of each route and all the details will help you plan your trip or day of climbing.”
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Classic Climbs at Ten Sleep Canyon
Here are our Ten Sleep climbing guide must-do classic climbs in Ten Sleep Canyon. All of them are single pitch sport climbs. Also, keep in mind there are literally 100’s more quality routes, so grab a guide book or check out Mountain Project.
| Route Name | Grade | Area/Wall |
|---|---|---|
| Water into Wine | 5.9- | The Waterfall Walls |
| Plinko | 5.9+ | After 5 Crag |
| Thor | 5.10a | World Domination |
| Beer Bong | 5.10b | Dream Land |
| School's Out | 5.10+ | Slavery Wall |
| Limestoned | 5.11a | Home Alone |
| Circus in the Wind | 5.11- | Circus Wall |
| Bikini Girls with Machine Guns | 5.11a/b | Vietnam |
| Munsterlander | 5.11c | Hound Dog Crag |
| Joy of Heresy | 5.11d | The Ark |
| Cocaine Rodeo | 5.12a | Drugs and Sex |
| Stigmata | 5.12b | Ministry Wall |
| EKV: Exo-atmospheric Kill Vehicle | 5.12c | Slavery Wall |
| Circus in my Pants | 5.12d | Circus Wall |
| Shut the Fuck Up | 5.13a | Upper Psychoactive Wall |
Ten Sleep Canyon Rest Day Activities
Looking to take a day off from climbing? There’s plenty to do around Ten Sleep Canyon including fishing, mountain biking, kayaking, and hiking. Our favorite hikes start at the West Ten Sleep Trailhead.
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Ten Sleep Climbing Guide
If you ever find yourself near Wyoming, make sure to stop by Ten Sleep Canyon! With it’s endless high-quality limestone walls it’s certainly a sport climbing paradise. Let us know what you think about Ten Sleep Canyon if you’ve been there or if you have any other thoughts/tips for our Ten Sleep climbing guide.
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About the Author
Jonathan Hoang: [a jack of all passions, an undercover hipster, and an aspiring figure in the outside-the-office world.  I worked in finance and oil and gas for 7 years, and in recent years have opened my eyes up to this wonderful world that’s ripe for exploring, but also improving.]
