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Pathfinder Reservoir
Nat'l Recreation Area

Pathfinder Reservoir

United States

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We display cached information from agency feeds. Hours, fees, permits, closures, fire restrictions, and conditions change without notice. Outdoors is not the permitting authority. Confirm current conditions for this park using the links above before you go — you are responsible for compliance. Last verified by us: May 20, 2026. Spot an error in our data?

About

Imported description
The North Platte Project extends 111 miles along the river valley from near Guernsey, Wyoming to below Bridgeport, Nebraska. Pathfinder Dam and Reservoir are part of this project. Pathfinder Dam is one of the first constructed by the Reclamation Service (now the Bureau of Reclamation). Listed in the National Register of Historic Places, Pathfinder Dam is the primary historic attraction at the reservoir. Construction of the masonry dam between 1905 and 1909 was a major engineering feat. A small interpretive center is located in the historic dam tender's house. The dam is in a granite canyon on the North Platte River about 3 miles below its junction with the Sweetwater River. Parts of the reservoir are included in the Pathfinder National Wildlife Refuge. There are 3 campgrounds and 3 boat ramps. Pathfinder facilities. Available fish species include brown trout, cutthroat trout, rainbow trout, ohrid trout, and walleye. Rainbow and cutthroat trout are stocked annually in the reservoir. The Pathfinder Interpretive Center and 1.7-mile interpretive trail are located near the dam. The interpretive trail may be accessed across the historic suspension bridge or from the dam. Current Reservoir Levels

Source: recreation.gov

From Wikipedia

Pathfinder Reservoir is located in the U.S. state of Wyoming on the North Platte River between Casper and Rawlins. It sits 47 miles (76 km) southwest of Casper, in Carbon County and Natrona County. The reservoir was created by Pathfinder Dam and has a storage capacity of 1,016,000 acre-feet (1.253×109 m3). The shoreline consists of 117 miles (188 km). Much of the water used to serve the 335,000 acre (1360 km2) North Platte Project is stored here. Some of the water in the reservoir is released to satisfy other water rights and to operate power plants downstream of the reservoir. Much of the Pathfinder Reservoir is included in the Pathfinder National Wildlife Refuge. Pathfinder Reservoir is the site of the only established population of the Macedonian Ohrid Trout (S. letnica) in the United States.

Source: Wikipedia — text licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Verify alerts and operational details with the managing agency below.

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