Alpine North Loop Campground Review: A Beautiful Campsite in a Surprisingly Noisy Location

Finding a good campground can sometimes feel like a gamble. You can look at photos online, read through the campground description, and hope that the site you reserve looks anything like the pictures when you arrive. Sometimes you end up pleasantly surprised, and other times you spend the entire trip wishing you had booked somewhere else. Our stay at Alpine North Loop Campground near Alpine, Wyoming, ended up being somewhere in between.

We had a beautiful campsite surrounded by trees, clean bathrooms, potable water, and one of the best night skies I have seen in a while. We were also close to town, which made the location convenient. On the surface, it seemed like a great place to spend a few nights camping.

The problem was the noise. Between semi trucks using their engine brakes every few minutes, dirt bike traffic, a nearby herd of sheep, wolves howling throughout the night, and a group of campers partying well into quiet hours, this was probably one of the loudest camping experiences I have ever had. We stayed at Site 11, which seemed to be one of the furthest sites from the road.

I had a lot that I liked about Alpine North Loop Campground, but there are a few things I wish I had known before booking, especially if you are tent camping and hoping for a quiet night.

Our Stay at Site 11 at Alpine North Loop Campground

The campsite itself was beautiful. We were surrounded by tall trees, and once we had everything set up, I remember thinking that we had found a really good spot. Site 11 was well laid out and had everything we needed for a comfortable stay.

The picnic table was large and in great condition, which I always appreciate at a campground. It was on a flat surface and gave us plenty of room to cook, eat, and spend time outside. The fire area was also well made and gave us a nice place to sit once the temperatures started to cool down.

During the day, I really liked sitting outside at our campsite. The trees made the site feel secluded, and it was exactly the kind of campsite I enjoy.

That is what made the noise so frustrating. If I were only reviewing Site 11 based on the campsite itself, I would have very little negative to say about it. The site was beautiful and comfortable. The problem was everything happening around it.

The Campground Was Clean and Well Maintained

Alpine North Loop Campground was well maintained during our stay. The bathrooms were clean, which is always a plus when you are camping. The campground has vault toilets, and while no one is going to confuse a campground bathroom with a hotel, these were taken care of.

There was also potable water available, which made the stay easier since we did not have to bring every bit of drinking water with us. The campground hosts were nice as well, and we had a positive experience interacting with them.

The campground itself was not the problem. The biggest issue involving other campers was a group nearby that continued partying well into quiet hours.

I understand that you are sharing a campground with other people, and you cannot expect complete silence. People are outside enjoying themselves, cooking dinner, sitting around fires, and spending time with family and friends. That is part of camping.

However, quiet hours exist for a reason.

When you are sleeping in a tent, you hear almost everything happening around you. The group continued being loud into the early morning hours, and the campground hosts did not stop them. On its own, it probably would not have ruined the experience, but combined with the highway traffic and everything else happening around the campground, it made it even harder to sleep.

Being Close to Alpine Was Convenient

The campground is only a short drive from the town of Alpine, which was convenient during our stay. It was nice having easy access to gas, groceries, or anything else we might have forgotten.

Being close to town also made it easy to explore the surrounding area without feeling like we were completely in the middle of nowhere.

The Stars Were Absolutely Beautiful

The lack of light pollution at Alpine North Loop Campground meant we could see so many stars once it got dark. We spent some time sitting outside and looking at the night sky, and it was beautiful.

Even with all the noise around us, I really enjoyed being outside and looking at the stars. The trees surrounding the campsite made the view even prettier at night.

The Nearby Reservoir Was at Only 4% Capacity

During our stay, Palisades Reservoir was only around 4% capacity. We brought our paddleboards because I wanted to paddleboard on the reservoir, but I should have checked the water levels before we went.

With the water being so low, there was a lot of exposed land around the reservoir. It was definitely not what I pictured when we booked the campground.

We also noticed quite a bit of dirt bike traffic in the area, which added more noise during the day. Between the dirt bikes and the traffic from the highway, the campground was much busier and louder than I expected.

We Spent the Night Listening to Sheep and Wolves

Throughout the night, we could hear wolves howling in the distance, and there seemed to be some serious drama happening between the wolves and the herd of sheep. I am not entirely sure what was going on, but there was clearly plenty happening nearby.

The wolves were insane to hear. It was a pretty cool reminder that you are still surrounded by wildlife even when you are staying in an established campground.

At the same time, when you are already struggling to fall asleep, wolves howling throughout the night do not exactly help.

The Biggest Problem Was the Highway Noise

As interesting as hearing the sheep and wolves was, the biggest issue we had with Alpine North Loop Campground was the highway. The campground is located close to the road, and semi trucks went by throughout the night.

I expected there to be some traffic noise since we knew the campground was near the raod, but I was not expecting to hear semi trucks using their engine brakes as often as we did.

It felt like just as things started to get quiet, another truck would come by. Since we were tent camping, there was really no way to block out the noise, and I am already a pretty light sleeper when I camp. I kept hoping the traffic would slow down later in the evening, but the trucks continued throughout the night.

This was the biggest reason I would not stay at Alpine North Loop Campground again while tent camping. I loved our actual campsite and thought Site 11 was beautiful, but I also want to be able to sleep when I am camping. After spending the day outside, setting up camp, and exploring the area, I was ready to crawl into my tent and get some sleep.

That just did not happen.

Would I Stay at Alpine North Loop Campground Again?

Honestly, probably not if I were tent camping.

I could see staying here in an RV or trailer, especially because the campground is close to Alpine and the surrounding recreation. The campground itself was clean and well maintained, and I genuinely liked Site 11. I loved the trees surrounding the campsite, the picnic table was great, the fire area was well made, and the stars were beautiful.

But after spending most of the night listening to semi trucks and engine brakes, I would choose a quieter campground for tent camping.

Final Thoughts on Alpine North Loop Campground

Alpine North Loop Campground is a beautiful campground in a location that did not work for us.

I really liked Site 11, and the campground had clean bathrooms, potable water, friendly hosts, beautiful trees, and a convenient location near Alpine. The stars were also incredible, and I enjoyed spending time outside at our campsite during the day.

The problem was the noise. The highway traffic was constant throughout the night, and the engine brakes from the semi trucks made it difficult to sleep. The dirt bike traffic added noise during the day, and the group partying into quiet hours did not help either.

Then there were the sheep and wolves, which definitely made for a camping story I will not forget.

I could see Alpine North Loop Campground working well for someone staying in an RV or trailer, especially if being close to Alpine is important. For tent camping, though, I would personally look for somewhere quieter.

I loved our campsite. I just did not love trying to sleep in it.

Would I stay here again?

Tent camping: No.

RV or trailer: Possibly.

Overall: A beautiful, well-maintained campground with a great campsite, but the highway noise made it difficult for us to enjoy as tent campers.