Hog Park Road

Hog Park Road starts in the middle of the beautiful Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest. This trail meanders through thick pine forests and ultimately ends up at the Colorado border. One of the main attractions of this road is the aptly named Hog Park Reservoir, which is a rather large body of water used for fishing and kayaking. The water from here feeds into the North Platte River, which is a significant contributor to the Missouri River. The history behind Hog Park Road dates back to the early 1800s, in which there were a large number of Swedish and Danish immigrants making a living cutting the abundant timber. They cut lodgepole pines into 8-foot lengths and used broad axes to flatten them on two sides. The logs were stacked on the banks of the Encampment River. When spring runoff came, the logs were floated downstream into Wyoming for use as railroad ties by the Union Pacific Railroad. The men who cut the trees were called "tie hackers." Hog Park was named for the pigs raised by the tie hacker families who cured giant hams to get them through the winter. This trail is an excellent easy trail with an incredible reservoir at the end. Couple this with others in the area for a multi-day overland trip with your friends and family!