Quick Guide for Visitors & New Residents
Welcome to Burns! While Burns is a peaceful, tight-knit rural town of under 300 people without its own dedicated courts, it sits just 30 miles (about a 30-40 minute drive) east of Cheyenne, WY, which serves as the region's tennis hub. To play, you will make the short trip to Cheyenne, where you'll find excellent public parks, a welcoming Community Tennis Association (CTA), and seasonal indoor facilities.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Reach out to the Cheyenne Tennis Association via their facebook.com group or connect with the Frontier Park Tennis Club. USTA flex leagues and local community Facebook groups are the most active ways to match up with 3.0 to 4.5 players.
Drop by the Frontier Park Tennis Center on weekend mornings or Thursday evenings during the summer. You can also use platforms like findtennislessons.com to connect with coaches who can quickly introduce you to local players.
For public courts (like Holliday Park and Martin Luther King Jr. Park), courts are strictly first-come, first-serve and 100% free. No reservations are needed. For private courts, the Cheyenne Country Club allows guest play if you have reciprocal club privileges from your home club or are hosted by a member.
Group clinics and lessons run through the local Parks & Recreation department during the summer. For private coaching year-round, reach out to teaching pros at the Cheyenne Country Club or search local directories on findtennislessons.com.
USTA Wyoming (ustawyoming.com) runs structured leagues specifically segmented by NTRP ratings. Additionally, the local Parks and Recreation department offers beginner and intermediate adult clinics that are perfect for meeting hitting partners at the 2.0-3.5 levels.
Why Burns is Great for Tennis Travelers
For the avid tennis traveler and community organizer, Burns offers the ultimate best-of-both-worlds scenario. You get the tranquil, wide-open spaces of rural Wyoming as your basecamp, free from traffic and crowds, with direct highway access to the vibrant, growing tennis community in Cheyenne. It is ideal for the social player who loves driving into town, meeting new people, participating in a bustling tournament like the Wyoming Governor’s Cup, and returning to a quiet, starry night in Burns.
Courts & Facilities (Cheyenne Hub)
Since Burns is a small rural community, all major tennis infrastructure is located in nearby Cheyenne.
Public Parks (Free, First-Come, First-Serve)
- Frontier Park Tennis Center: The premier public tennis facility in the area. Recently renovated with the help of the Cheyenne CTA. Excellent lighting for night play.
- Holliday Park: Features multiple well-maintained outdoor hard courts. Great central location with nearby amenities.
- Martin Luther King Jr. Park & Jaycee Park: Additional outdoor hard courts, usually offering easier walk-on access during peak hours.
School Courts (Public Access Outside School Hours)
- Central, East, and South High Schools: Outdoor hard courts available to the public during summer months and weekends, provided school teams are not practicing or hosting tournaments.
Private & Indoor Facilities
- Cheyenne Country Club (cheyennecountryclub.com): A private facility offering premium courts, lessons, and stringing. Access requires membership or a guest pass.
- Frontier Park Exhibition Hall (Winter): During the harsh Wyoming winters, indoor tennis is sometimes accommodated here for local clubs and programs to keep the tennis community active year-round.
Community & Associations
- Cheyenne Tennis Association (CTA): The beating heart of local tennis. This non-profit organizes the annual Wyoming Governor’s Cup, raises funds for court lighting, and runs community events.
- USTA Wyoming (ustawyoming.com): The governing body for sanctioned leagues and tournaments. They are the best resource for official NTRP league play.
- Frontier Park Tennis Club: A local player's club that organizes regular meetups, clinics, and social play. Information can generally be found via cheyenne.org or local community boards.
Lessons & Coaching
Whether you are a raw beginner or an advanced player refining your kick serve, coaching is accessible:
- Parks & Recreation Clinics: Affordable group lessons for adults and juniors during the summer. Book via cheyennecity.org.
- Private Pros: Certified teaching pros operate out of the Cheyenne Country Club, and independent coaches can be found via findtennislessons.com.
Shops & Stringing Services
Finding specialized gear in a rural area takes a little planning:
- Cheyenne Country Club Pro Shop: The most reliable local spot for professional racquet stringing, grip replacement, and basic gear. Call (307) 637-2221 for turnaround times.
- DICK'S Sporting Goods (Cheyenne) (dickssportinggoods.com): Offers certified racquet stringing and a selection of racquets, balls, and shoes.
Local Tennis Scene & Players
While the region has not produced globally famous ATP or WTA touring pros, the local scene is fiercely competitive and deeply passionate. The talent pool is driven by strong high school athletic programs and dedicated lifelong players who compete annually in the Wyoming Governor's Cup and the "Pete Cook" Thanksgiving Classic. Local teaching pros and former collegiate athletes frequently participate in these local tournaments, providing high-level exhibition-style play for spectators.