Family Photo Locations in Cheyenne

My favorite family picture locations near Cheyenne and Laramie, Wyoming

If you’re a long time client of mine, you know that I suggest family photo locations based on the time of year, weather and a few other factors. So if you’re a new client, please don’t read this and think that you need to make a decision on location for family pictures. All of my sessions near Cheyenne and Laramie are either in-town locations or mountain locations, so ‘mountain’ versus ‘in-town’ is truly the only decision you really need to make. But I wanted to give you an idea of locations for family photos near Cheyenne, along with photos of each location and a couple tips that are specific to those locations. While I usually suggest a location to my families, if one of these locations really catches your eye, I’m happy to make that work. Certain locations work best during certain times of year, but I’m always open to discussing options you’re interested in.

To book your family photo session, click the link below. These babies are usually gone before June is over!

Mountain Family Photo Locations

Let’s start on the trails, dirt roads and forests between Cheyenne and Laramie. I absolutely love being out in Wyoming’s wide open spaces capturing families playing, laughing and exploring.

Pole Mountain Area

I love this location in early summer and early fall. Bugs can be really bad in July, so I try to avoid it then. Lovely open spaces, beautiful warm light, and lots of space to roam and play. As for all mountain locations, wear good shoes. The terrain can be a bit rocky and rough. For more tips about planning for family photos, see my What to Wear and How to Prepare for Family Photo Guide here.

Happy Jack

This is a wonderful fall or winter location. It has tons of aspens that turn bright yellow and orange in the fall, along with that perfect glowy sunset light. This one requires a USDA National Forest pass, which is included in your session. I’ll have it ready for you when you arrive. Dogs will need to be leashed for this location.

Vedauwoo Area

As you’ll see in these photos, I don’t really tend to shoot a lot at the traditional Turtle Rock area. I’ve found some spots I love that are a little less popular with bikers, hikers and climbers.

Curt Gowdy State Park

This is a popular spot for family pictures because it has so much to offer and because it’s so close. Curt Gowdy offers water, wild flowers, rock formations and beautiful sunsets. It is super easy to get to from Cheyenne, so it is definitely a go-to for many photographers. It’s especially beautiful in the fall. This location does require a state parks day pass, which is included in your session fee. I’ll have it ready for you when we first meet up.

Family Photo Locations In Cheyenne

My in-town family photo locations might be the most surprising to you. I tend to gravitate toward natural areas, even within city parks, so a lot of my in-town photo locations in Cheyenne still look very rustic. They might even be mistaken for a ‘mountain’ location. I love tall grass and open space, so that’s usually where you’ll find me. Here are a few of my go-to’s.

The High Plains Arboretum

This is a little gem of a place about 10 minutes from downtown. There is lots of open space, tons of tree varietals (it is an arboretum, after all!), and it has gorgeous sunset light. I love it both in the summer and fall. It has beautiful neutral, cool, tones in the summer and warm, punchy tones in the fall.

The light can be absolutely magical in the fall….

Lions Park

We are so lucky to have such an awesome park in the middle of town! This is an easy spot that has beautiful light and lots of safe places for kids to roam.

Lions Park can be gorgeous through late fall, as it tends to keep leaves longer than many of our mountain locations.

Cheyenne Botanic Gardens

The Cheyenne Botanic Gardens is a popular picture spot in early spring. I love the spring blossoms on the trees and the tulip show in early spring, but it also has some great fall color!

Greenways in Cheyenne

We have some little hidden gems along our greenways in Cheyenne. They offer green in the summer, tall grass year-round, and gorgeous fall color later in the year.

Downtown Cheyenne

My family clients have been requesting downtown as a photo location a lot lately. We have some awesome new murals that make downtown a fun, vibrant option for family pictures. There are a couple times I will suggest we avoid downtown for photos – Fridays in the summer and during Cheyenne Frontier Days. Fridays on the Plaza is an awesome time to visit downtown and listen to music, but it’s not the ideal time to try to get photos taken.

This first session below was an hour-long session. We were able to wander a bit and we had a blast highlighting different parts of downtown Cheyenne for this vibrant, fun family’s annual photo session.

This next family had photos taken quite near December downtown. You’ll notice a little snow on the ground. Downtown is a great option when all the leaves around town have already fallen (or blown away).

The Wyoming State Capitol

This location is one I’ll do upon request, but it’s not my favorite for family photos. Light can be a little tricky and there isn’t a ton of natural shade. If the Capitol is special to your family, then I think it’s a great location, and we can definitely use the shade of the buildings to make light work.

Your Home

In-home photos are definitely a favorite of mine. They are intimate, personal and super relaxed. I also think they highlight who you are as a family more than any other location. For more info about those, please see this post.

Here are a couple families that I’ve taken multi-year photos at their homes.

If your pets aren’t super portable, this might be a great way to highlight them in your family photos as well. I also love highlighting your green spaces and backyards that you’ve so carefully taken care of.

Real Talk…..What Location Would I Choose for My Own Family Photos?

You might be feeling overwhelmed about choosing a location for your family photos. We have a lot of great options in Cheyenne. So how would I pick a location for my own family photos?

Choose a Location that Fits Your Schedule and Lifestyle

Remember, my clients only need to decide on an in-town session versus a mountain session, and I will take care of the rest. So how do you decide between mountain versus in-town?

Honestly, choose a location that fits your family’s lifestyle at this stage of life. All of my mountain locations require at least a 20 minute car ride out of Laramie or Cheyenne. If you have babies or toddlers, while a mountain session is beautiful, the car ride might cause cranky kids before your session even starts. And as you can see, sometimes a natural session in a park setting can look just as ‘mountain-y’ as Curt Gowdy.

By the same token, getting out of town after school might be tricky for older kids with sports and activities. A downtown or natural setting in town might be just the trick to catch those busy teens in between practice and their music lesson.

Mountain sessions require more walking along rough terrain. So if there is someone in your family that requires special assistance, please let your photographer know that. There are a few accessible paths in our mountain areas that I use for this situation. But I would say that in-town locations might be a little easier for folks who find those trails tricky to navigate.

If you’re able to carve out an evening to drive a little ways out of town, our sunsets are unmatched in our state parks and along our mountain trails. If you’re wanting more landscape type photos where the people in the photo are just part of that overall scene, then I would make time for a mountain session. Most of my own family photos have been in mountain settings, just because that fits my own home decor better. But when my kids were little, we stayed in town because they really didn’t enjoy car rides.

Think About Your Home Decor When Choosing a Location

Along those lines, if your home features modern vibes with punchy pops of color, a downtown session would be perfect for displaying prints in your home. But I’ve seen families do a mix of natural and downtown all over their walls, so definitely don’t feel like you have to limit yourself to one or the other.

Or just opt for an in-home session in which the location will obviously blend seamlessly with your home decor!

As always, I’m here if you have questions or need guidance. And no matter what location you want, book EARLY. My family photos session dates are usually really picked over by March.