Boysen State Park
Boysen State Park is a public recreation area surrounding the Boysen Reservoir, an impoundment of the north-flowing Wind River, in Fremont County, Wyoming. The state park covers more than 35,000 acres (14,000 ha) at the south end of the Owl Creek Mountains at the mouth of the Wind River Canyon.
History
The park was established in 1956 following completion of the Boysen Dam in 1951. It is named for Asmus Boysen, who built the site's first dam in 1908. Part of the original dam can still be seen.
Climate
According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Boysen Dam has a cold semi-arid climate, abbreviated "BSk" on climate maps. The hottest temperature recorded at Boysen Dam was 108 °F (42 °C) on July 4, 1954, while the coldest temperature recorded was −39 °F (−39 °C) on January 31, 1979.
| Climate data for Boysen Dam, Wyoming, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1948–present | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 70 (21) |
69 (21) |
77 (25) |
88 (31) |
97 (36) |
103 (39) |
108 (42) |
104 (40) |
100 (38) |
89 (32) |
71 (22) |
65 (18) |
108 (42) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 48.9 (9.4) |
55.5 (13.1) |
67.8 (19.9) |
77.9 (25.5) |
86.2 (30.1) |
94.3 (34.6) |
100.1 (37.8) |
97.8 (36.6) |
92.4 (33.6) |
80.3 (26.8) |
63.6 (17.6) |
52.0 (11.1) |
100.4 (38.0) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 29.7 (−1.3) |
37.2 (2.9) |
50.4 (10.2) |
58.7 (14.8) |
68.7 (20.4) |
80.8 (27.1) |
90.5 (32.5) |
88.5 (31.4) |
76.5 (24.7) |
60.4 (15.8) |
44.4 (6.9) |
31.3 (−0.4) |
59.8 (15.4) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 17.5 (−8.1) |
24.0 (−4.4) |
36.8 (2.7) |
45.7 (7.6) |
55.7 (13.2) |
66.3 (19.1) |
75.1 (23.9) |
73.0 (22.8) |
61.8 (16.6) |
47.5 (8.6) |
33.2 (0.7) |
20.1 (−6.6) |
46.4 (8.0) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 5.4 (−14.8) |
10.7 (−11.8) |
23.3 (−4.8) |
32.7 (0.4) |
42.7 (5.9) |
51.8 (11.0) |
59.7 (15.4) |
57.4 (14.1) |
47.1 (8.4) |
34.5 (1.4) |
22.1 (−5.5) |
8.9 (−12.8) |
33.0 (0.6) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | −11.7 (−24.3) |
−8.1 (−22.3) |
−5.3 (−20.7) |
19.2 (−7.1) |
30.2 (−1.0) |
40.7 (4.8) |
51.2 (10.7) |
48.0 (8.9) |
35.3 (1.8) |
20.4 (−6.4) |
6.6 (−14.1) |
−8.1 (−22.3) |
−16.4 (−26.9) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −39 (−39) |
−36 (−38) |
−21 (−29) |
2 (−17) |
20 (−7) |
27 (−3) |
41 (5) |
38 (3) |
16 (−9) |
−3 (−19) |
−15 (−26) |
−36 (−38) |
−39 (−39) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 0.22 (5.6) |
0.32 (8.1) |
0.57 (14) |
1.10 (28) |
2.08 (53) |
1.01 (26) |
0.75 (19) |
0.46 (12) |
0.96 (24) |
0.90 (23) |
0.28 (7.1) |
0.37 (9.4) |
9.02 (229.2) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 2.8 (7.1) |
3.2 (8.1) |
3.8 (9.7) |
1.3 (3.3) |
0.1 (0.25) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.1 (0.25) |
0.8 (2.0) |
1.8 (4.6) |
2.2 (5.6) |
16.1 (40.9) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 2.9 | 3.5 | 4.1 | 5.9 | 8.1 | 5.9 | 5.0 | 4.1 | 4.8 | 4.3 | 3.3 | 3.7 | 55.6 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 1.8 | 2.1 | 2.0 | 0.9 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.8 | 1.3 | 2.0 | 11.1 |
| Source 1: NOAA | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: National Weather Service | |||||||||||||
Activities and amenities
The park offers multiple campgrounds, boat launches, and a privately operated marina. Game fish found in the reservoir include walleye, sauger, perch, crappie, ling, rainbow, cutthroat, and brown trout.
References
- ^ "Boysen Reservoir". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
- ^ "Table 1. Facilities managed by Wyoming State Parks, Historic Sites and Trails" (PDF). SOAR 2021. Wyoming Department of State Parks and Cultural Resources. p. 12. Retrieved March 15, 2017.
- ^ "Boysen State Park". Wyoming State Parks, Historic Sites & Trails. State of Wyoming. Retrieved January 22, 2023.
- ^ "NOAA Online Weather Data". National Weather Service. Retrieved August 17, 2022.
- ^ "U.S. Climate Normals Quick Access". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved August 17, 2022.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to
Boysen State Park.
Boysen State Park.
- Boysen State Park Wyoming State Parks, Historic Sites & Trails
- Boysen State Park Map Wyoming Division of State Parks and Historic Sites
