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Home , Ferris Mountains, Great Divide Basin, Pilot Butte (Oregon), Red Desert (Wyoming), South Pass (Wyoming), Steamboat Mountain

to the northeast and also marks a crossing of the panorama of , buttes, and wild lands. A short Historical Marker the vistas you see here are remarkably similar to Hikers can remain along the rim or drop down into Honeycomb Buttes historic freight and stage road used to haul supplies walk south reveals the mysterious Pinnacles. The South Pass area of the has been a those viewed by thousands of travelers in the past. the basin. Keep an eye out for fossils, raptors, and The Honeycomb Buttes Wilderness Study Area is to South Pass City. See map for recommended hiking human migration pathway for millennia. The crest A side road from the county road will take you to bobcat tracks. one of the most mesmerizing and difficult-to-access access roads for hiking in this wilderness study area. The Jack Morrow Hills several historical markers memorializing South Pass of the flattens out onto high-el- landscapes in the Northern Red Desert. These The The Jack Morrow Hills, named for a 19th-century evation steppes, allowing easy passage across and the historic trails. Buttes badlands are made of colorful sedimentary rock crook and homesteader, run north-south between the . Native Americans and their The Oregon Buttes, another wilderness study layers shed from the rising Wind River Mountains As you drive through this central section of the the Oregon Buttes and Steamboat Mountain and ancestors crossed Indian Gap to the south and Whitehorse Creek Overlook area, stand proudly along the Continental Divide, millions of years ago. Iron-rich minerals in these Northern Red Desert, you’ll cross into the Great define the western edge of the Great Divide Basin. traveled this area to hunt and trade. European Whitehorse Creek is one of the easiest landscapes sentinels to the Great Divide Basin, and mark the sediments transformed into vibrant reds, purples, Divide Basin, the only place in North America where These hills are a complex of sagebrush-clad ridges Americans first traversed the pass in 1812 and to access in the Northern Red Desert. A short drive northern edge of the Jack Morrow Hills. European yellows, and greens. The gray and brown layers the Continental Divide splits into two paths, creating and rims, with seeps and drainages that provide were followed by fur trappers, missionaries, from the county road offers excellent viewpoints American emigrants traveling westward along the above these colorful badlands are composed of a basin in the middle where waters flow neither to important habitats for birds and ungulates, including pioneers, riders, and gold prospec- along the ridgeline that marks the wilderness study Oregon, , and Mormon Trails entered sediments from lakes and tropical swamps that the Atlantic nor the Pacific. The road runs along a sage-grouse, , elk, and mule deer. Sports- tors. Our nation’s history of westward expansion area’s northern boundary, where visitors can look Oregon Territory after crossing South Pass just were home to massive turtles, crocodiles, fish, and rim of land looking south towards Alkali Draw and men and women prize the chance to hunt the elk that was etched into the sagebrush sea here: the out over the magnificent striped badlands in the west of the buttes, which gave these iconic small mammals for millions of years. In the present The Pinnacles Wilderness Study Areas. Alkali Draw roam between the , the Jack Morrow Hills, and Oregon, California, and Mormon National Historic foreground and enjoy an expansive view of the formations their name. The springs along their environment, horned lizards abound, as do small contains rugged cliff escarpments, and its springs the badlands of the Great Divide Basin. The east- NORTHERN ROUTE NORTHERN Trails cross over from the east to enter what was Wind Rivers. There are areas here for primitive eastern flanks, and the hardy stands of pine and mammals—including bobcats. Desert elk find refuge and seeps help support several wildlife herds. The facing slopes of Bush Rim sport a kaleidoscope of known as the Oregon Territory. As many as 500,000 camping, including a rock fire pit. (Be sure to aspen, bitterbrush communities, and sagebrush, in the maze of badlands. The Honeycombs offer Pinnacles are named for their pyramid shapes and colorful sediment layers and hidden springs support- emigrants in the mid-late 1800s followed these bring your own firewood and do not cut down or are crucial for a variety of wildlife. Today, local some of the West’s best hiking, photography, and colorful landforms. This country is some of the ing lush groves of trees that offer shaded respite for a trails alongside oxen-drawn wagons or pulled use the local limited wood.) The pitted sandstone adventurers climb the buttes to enjoy the views of stargazing. Nearby is Continental Peak, a summit that wildest undeveloped desert lands in the northern convenient lunch spot. handcarts, constituting one of the largest voluntary outcrops and cliffs along the rim, as well as the the Great Divide Basin and Wind River Mountains. offers tremendous views and is well worth the climb. Rocky Mountain states. At the suggested stop, take human migrations recorded. The dirt ruts visible at twisted juniper, pine trees, and dense sagebrush Easy hiking access to the crest of the buttes is The suggested stop offers views of the Honeycombs time to get out of the vehicle and view the 360-degree this stop are those of the actual , and help support mule deer and a resident elk herd. from the northern height of the road, as marked.

109°30'0"W 109°15'0"W 109°0'0"W 108°45'0"W 108°30'0"W # L Sweetwater Wildcat Butte O ock 132 !9 !9 # U R Cr. Rock Creek 24 miles to Lander I Gap Guard 9636 ft Granite Peak S # 132 L Reservoir Blucher # A 28 's Station CG 10404 ft K # Little Prospect Mtn Creek E Bridger-Teton Pabst Peak R 8866 ft D Atlantic Roundtop Mtn Schoettlin Mtn CG 10261 ft# # National Forest City 8736 ft Miner's Delight 7123 ft DT Project Cemetery Sweetwater C # Rennecker Peak !O reek # Dilabaugh Buttes Flat Top L S Beaver C 7516 ft a Bridge CG !9 w 10053 ft 300 !O 19 REd 7536 ft nd e e e !9 Big Atlantic Gulch # r t C w # !9 & Atlantic City CGs r Bl a

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h South Pass City D r 237 42°30'0"N # e Fort R r 2.3 F R Information Sign F C !O Pencil Point C i National Forest Stambaugh O r Desert 118 T e v # !O e E Atlantic 7284 ft U e r !O k C O a 42°30'0"N r s City e N N t 479 D S 237 R iv R R T 5 IC CIT Y 32 miles to Pinedale y O I N w NT d E e A H L n N La e T K t - A a n w GH 117 miles to Jackson L T d !O 22 FT. STAMBAU e a E 132 r 28 A C t re e W - Big S ek r i ll

Tabernacle Butte R ow C Willie's Handcart L . re

7583 ft Oregon South Pass City ek D V # 511 Company # I I Trail - 225 Elkhorn Junction D B L State Historic Site " IG A S Lander E A N D 22 !O N ER RD Cutoff 479 D S L Y/ w Sweetwater Canyon # A LA ee R N N tw !O o WSA Elk Mountain D DE at c E R e k R C r R 8015 ft - U C r P T i e I v P re v

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y O T d HP T . H Saint Marys Peak TRIANGLE n T 2.8 E R R K a U S T I # V L S N 7601 ft O R E E le S D OR O tt -CA M R Y - i N MO R V D L South Pass # PRIVA I A 10 !O TE E N RO Pronghorn Antelope Y Interpretive 0.8 AD W !O A R S. & High Cold Desert S Original South Pass Summit C Fo B Station U rk G !O I # S T ulp B B h LM 445 OFF u 231 3.3 r 7 Pacific Butte C r.

C O N T I N # E N N TR. k O Whitehorse ree T M !9 C A R w L D Creek Overlook do R O Mea D . M Oregon Trail - 9 I R - !O V W Big Sandy CA 6.8 . Al k C Parting of the Ways - Hay Meadow Reservoir Whitehorse 5.6 I kali Cre e D OR !F D E Res. - Farson 20 Hay Meadow Creek WSA R Reservoir # Continental Peak E Picket Lake F 8431 ft F . r !O !F O N O I T A R G I M R E E D E L U M CUT C k SWEETWATER CO # Oregon Buttes S E y e 42°15'0"N U T e E O B L ET d r REGON 28 n # - CALIF 28 C # ORNI a c D 8 ![ A T Haystack S i RAIL if I # e ac S ek Butte tl P OREGON a re

k n 42°15'0"N e V CAUTION: d C # Eden it re BUTTES 6845 ft C R O D I R R O C Oregon #

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83 21 Jack Morrow Hills 6856 ft !³!­ 8.3 # 8 !¸# !O 74 Little Sandy Crossing, HILLS F 5 LS R Great Divide GREAT

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- a Alka aw 21 R r H # O iv e ¤£191 67 M R Essex Mountain B U S H R I M - y # 3.5 A 28 d Buffalo Hump 8045 ft -C an 7104 ft # BASIN R S Simpson's Hollow, O ig B Indian k Alkali Draw WSA K I L L P E C K E R D U N E F I E L D " e The Utah Wars, e !¸# Eden Gap r !F Burning Wagons C w w ra o 15 B o D orr 5.2 83 !O n e Buffalo Hump M k 3.5 WSA S T E A M B O A T R MI c

a BLM 4102 # 21 Luman Butte J Tri-Territory # 4 !O South Pinnacles 6977 ft

!O Burial on the Trail, Historical Marker

42°0'0"N # Boar’sTusk & WSA # Emigrant/Indian Relations, Sand Dunes WSA and other markers FIFTEEN MILE KNOLL CUTOFF Killpecker Sand 1.9 15.5 # Dunes WSA Killpecker Steamboat Mountain & 42°0'0"N 60 miles Steamboat 3 ![ Red Lake Sand Dunes Mountain Mule Deer Migration Corridor 2aa !F P ORV Area 8694 ft to Kemmerer ![ # # O ALKALI BASIN ach D I co raw N ge 2.2 Red Lake ta Boar's Tusk 2bb !9 !5!_!L T S 2.2 " O 7095 ft Crookston Ranch 4.8 WSA

2.3 # 83 F Alkali Basin/Sand Dunes WSA 17 R S A N D D U N E S 20 Clay Buttes # 10 O # 6691 ft # CHILTON RD C Sand Knolls 17 K easewood Wash North S Gr DRIVING DISTANCES / 5 # S 7931 ft # 17 a 9.5 miles # 3.2 O 1 2a how to use # 15 Chalk Butte # South Table Mountain U # 6713 ft Fifteenmile Knoll T D !F 11.8 miles 19.5 8287 ft B L A C K R O C K F L A T 21 1 2bb

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# Endlich Hill this map A L E U CT I EH L LI S 15 2a 3a 19.3 miles S # D 2.8 Cedar Canyon 7307 ft S The Red Desert Driving Tour routeA is indicated

R 1 S P 19N M # B b 17 miles l R 2b 3 H Hague Hill a

in red.RI Aside from sections on paved US Highway 191 £191 c 82 ¤ D White k # E T 7654 ft R Black Rock U oc andL State Highway 28, the route is entirelyU on dirt or gravel Mountain 7201 ft 3 4 1.9 miles B k MT O Cr S N. PetroglyphsWHITE MTN. eek roads. The Red Desert is a wild, backcountry landscape— 23.3 miles N 4 k # 5 A e Spring Butte SD please respect its remote nature and come prepared! e Y r 7591 ft 19N R 17 C WYOMING 5 6 9.3 miles r Deer Butte B e # Hatcher Mesa The entire loop can be driven in a long day k 7891 ft # B with c 7636 ft I e ID T 6 7 12.4 miles p C T D Emmons Cone limited time for short stops and hikes. The route can be ll E R i O # 7863 ft an Wash R K # ead M N N Cabin Butte D C 7 8 3.4 miles T Map Extent NE accessed from either south or north, from US Highwayeek 191 O 7990 ft I N R r T 21 i C E N T A L E al L D

k I 15 E or State Highway 28. Al I H Ice V K 8 9 5.6 miles C I

Caves D E R

# Natural D 11.5 4.1 miles The4 tour can also be divided into two loops, Zirkel Mesa Corrals 9 10

a southern route ( - ) and northern route ( - ), 7550 ft 5 Red Desert N Loop = 82.3 miles S LoopB = 101.9 miles providing more time for exploration and hikes. Use County F 18 F 15 A R O Total Loop = 153 miles T X

Road 21 from State14 Highway 28 for middle access to these14 CU !Z UT CO (157.4 miles with 2a and 2b)

F NS / R O LE R 17 U MI D # O D RTEEN LT 18 HI South Superior 41°45'0"N shorter loops. Tour stops are described in southern route 14 C S G N I R P S K C O R Landscapes SUPERIOR CUTOFF RD Union Hall N I S A B R E T X A B . N D and northern route sections. 2.8 of Power e

RA a T I L # MAP SYMBOLS N. C HE E 18 d

R 41°45'0"N OK E !O M 53 # 17 a n The main tour, using only county-maintained roads, is 2 Driving Tour Trailsw T F I L P U 371 W w ra a ra D marked by the thick red line. Side road tour stops and s D Sm ey h Roadse & Highways i l Historic Trail / Road 58 (!1 Driving Tour Stop il suggested hiking access roads are marked by a thin red nm Te 19N Continental Divide Main Driving Tour Route §¨¦80 Interstate line, but these dirt two tracks should be evaluated carefully National Scenic Trail

5 43 9 D

before venturing out. The half-tour access road on County # Wild Horse Loop ¤£191 US Highway

R 9 # Mule Deer Migration Corridor Road 21 from State Highway 28 is marked by a thin red N Reliance Tipple # #

T AIL Shiprock 28 State Highway

7 line. Other county roads and tracks are marked in black/ M R !O Point of Interest N. CHE !O T 6837 ft ROKEE TRAIL Low Use Area E 80 D Be aware that there are many dirt roads T reek I ¨¦§ gray. C Bitter N Point of Rocks !Z National Historic Register Site 17 County Road H A Medium Use Area throughout the Red Desert which are not on Pilot Butte VERL W O Stagecoach Station # 7921 ft maps—use these at your own risk! ¤£191 !F Hiking Area High Use Area 17 Railroad 25 Data Disclaimer: Users should be aware that data !_ B ATV Area !_ on this mapl may have changed since its creation, !L a 84 80 c ¨¦§ and that this map does not include all of the back-

Creek k Water Features Natural Features

G Rock itter roads in theB region. Due to the remote nature of # B Viewpoint w

u ![ re Wyoming's Red Desert, it is strongly recommended ra e t

n te D R 5 P Rock Springs 48 that users carry with them a paper Wyoming topo- Canal Continentalick Divide i atr v O Stage Station Springs C Campground" P e !O graphic atlasr with map scales of 1:225,000 or larger !9 B O e i 19S r tt L 370 Rock Springs - e e Stream (more zoomedk in) and a compass. GPS units are r 24 Sand Field !¸!³ !Ä C E Sweetwater County Airport also highly recommended, but they must be Picnic Tables r 372 e WHITE MOUNTAINS !5 Intermittent Stream independent of cellular service to function and are e R 69 !Z k O !O k always dependent on weather and other conditions H First Mine, National Bank, e D e Gas Station Lake IL Slovenski Dom, Taliaferro House, r for accuracy. !¸ Land Designations W C Data Sources: Bureau of Land Management, s 16 376 Wardell Court Historic District l l Delorme WY Atlas & Gazetteer, Esri, USDA The Towers 51 SOUTH e !_ Toilet Facilities Seasonal Reservoir Wilderness Study Area (WSA) L W Forest Service, Geological Survey, 53 t

6502 ft i l Black Buttes

51 tt 50 BAXTER Wyoming Game & Fish, Wyoming GeoHub, # l 45 a . # e 8097 ft 430 BASIN S # !³ Food / Groceries Seasonal Laker Special Designation Area B C

80 r Table Rock

§ ek i ¨¦ t e Map Projection: Lambert Conformal Conic e t " t r 7486 ft # t Green River 29 e 0 2.5 5 i # r C r te Map Datum: North American Datum 1983 Ice Cream B Green River it !­ US National Forest 37 £191 C B ¤ Miles Cartography: Lauren Heerschap 2019 r O Historic District !Z!O!¸!³ . V IL E LAN A RL VER D T R A 109°30'0"W O 109°15'0"W 109°0'0"W 108°45'0"W ND 108°30'0"W T R A IL Steamboat Mountain and Mountains. The aspen glades on Steamboat’s nearly the entire stretch of the Sand Dunes, with Black site sacred. Please be respectful and do not touch ponds which are formed when sand blows over and northern slopes are a favorite of campers and Rock and Spring Buttes in the foreground. The White Mountain Petroglyphs, containing or deface the petroglyphs. They are located on the insulates snow drifts in the winter, causing pockets World’s Longest Deer Migration hunters. The boulder fields and cliffs on the northeast Tri-Territory Historical Marker hundreds of carved figures etched into the sand- cliff face at the end of a ¼-mile foot-path. of hardened snow that melts out slowly in the spring A massif visible for miles and recognizable for side (visible from the noted viewpoint) served as a stone bedrock, is estimated to date back some and summer. Standing 400 feet tall just south of The Tri-Territory Historic Site marks the spot where Sand Dunes and Boar’s Tusk the small pyramid midway along its otherwise flat buffalo jump for Native American hunters—a place 200–1,000 years. The area is managed to protect the sand dunes is a rare monolith: Boar’s Tusk. This summit, Steamboat Mountain rises above the Jack where the animals were herded off a steep incline Mexico, the Louisiana Purchase, and the Oregon this important artifact of Plains Indian rock art. The sand dunes that stretch more than 100 volcanic plug—the core of an extinct —is Morrow Hills in the background. Indian Gap Trail, a and killed. The Red Desert is home to the southern Territory intersected. This isolated location tells Cultural historians and tribal elders believe most of miles—from near Farson to the an icon of the Northern Red Desert and sacred to favored Plains Indian route across the Red Desert, terminus of the longest mule deer migration in the the story of the western expansion and how three these etchings were created between the late 18th to the east—make up one of the largest “living” many Native Americans. Take the 1a access road passes directly to the west of Steamboat and east world. Every spring, thousands of deer leave their nations competed and fought for control of the North and early 19th centuries, with many scenes depict- sand dune complexes in the United States. The for hiking within the Sand Dunes Wilderness Study of Essex Mountain. Steamboat is a volcanic butte winter range in this area and cross Steamboat American continent. The snowy crest of the southern ing hunting and wildlife, contact with European complex contains four wilderness study areas Area and proceed to the 2b road for access to the similar to the other dramatic buttes to its south, Mountain toward summer range in the Hoback region Wind River Mountains—renowned for its rock culture, and the advent of horses. Members of the and the Killpecker Sand Dunes Open Play Area. motorized play area and campground. south of Jackson. At the top of the road, you can see climbing terrain—is visible to the northwest.

SOUHTHERN ROUTE including Black Rock, Spring Butte, and the Table Shoshone, Arapaho, and Ute tribes consider this These shifting dunes contain numerous ephemeral dunes toremotesprings, badlands, fromribbonsofsand From toweringbuttestointricate again and again. again But wantbadlands. you will beware: to return and enjoy your time among the buttes and untouchedlargely by humans. tread So lightly by the Bureau ofLand Management—are sections ofthese public lands—administered and springs that Vast dotthe sagebrush sea. species that thrive on anarray ofnative plants It is home to pronghorn and horned lizards— petroglyphs to the ruts ofthe Oregon Trail. American West, from Native early American and open spaces ofthe Northern Desert. Red riders, and countless others enjoy the ruggedness well asbirders, rock-hounds, artists, horseback for aweekend, and hunters scouting as for elk, Adventurers seeking camping solitude, families the Northern is Desert adiverse landscape. Red

A Wild Landscape A Land of Many Uses The landscape is rich with of thethe history The Northern Red Desert is often described as the largest unfenced The Red Desert has been a multiple-use landscape for thousands of

Oregon Buttes area in the Lower 48. It is home to several “wilderness study areas”— years. Today, people use the desert for everything from backcountry

large, wild, roadless tracts determined through a national process to adventures to oil and gas production. The majority of these lands contain some of our nation’s best remote opportunities for solitude are federal public lands, owned by all Americans and managed by and recreation. These areas are open to the public for camping, the Bureau of Land Management for a range of purposes. Due to its hunting, fishing, and hiking, but motorized use is prohibited. The Serengeti-like wealth of big game, this area was proposed to be set Northern Red Desert boasts nine unique WSAs, the largest concen- aside as a national winter tration in Wyoming. These special places help preserve badlands, game preserve as far back as historic trails, fossilized remains from the shores of ancient seas, and 1898. South Pass City State early Native American petroglyphs and camps. The wide-open coun- Historic Site at the desert’s try also supports abundant wildlife, including a rare desert elk herd northern edge is a historic and crucial winter range for the migratory big game herds that roam “ghost town” from the gold southwest Wyoming. rush days of the late 1800s, The Golden Triangle is a name wildlife biologists use to describe and old stage and freight

† the stretch of land north of Farson bordered by State Highway 28 roads leading north to that s and US Highway 191 and continuing to the flanks of the Wind area crisscross the sagebrush. South Pass City Jennie Hutchinson

River Mountains. This pristine stretch of sagebrush steppe is known Abandoned ranches dot View fromTri-Territory areanorthtowardtheWind RiverMountains for its exceptional wildlife habitat and rich biodiversity. The rolling the landscape and serve as a testament to the difficulty of eking out a sagebrush sea supports the world’s longest mule deer migration living on this rugged land. Currently, wild horse herds are managed corridor, huge herds of elk that summer in the Wind Rivers, plus here to assure range health, and historic trails and Native American pronghorn, golden eagles, red fox, and hundreds of other sagebrush- cultural sites are protected for their national heritage values. Today, dependent species. The region also sustains the planet’s largest much of the public land in the Northern Red Desert is leased for

population of Greater sage-grouse, a species that is imperiled across Steamboat Mountain and Mule Deer Migration Coordidor Joe Riis grazing, with large “allotments” required to support the scattered

of the We the West. Here, more than 800 male grouse perform their elaborate cattle. Visitors may encounter ranchers checking their fences, † spring mating rituals on mating grounds called leks. Longest Ungulate Migration hunters scouting their camps, or oil and gas workers near the in the United States sand dunes servicing wells. Please respect the private property you may encounter on your travels and do not disturb livestock.

Hear The longest big game migration corridor in the Lower 48 begins just north of Rock Springs in the Red Desert. Twice a year, mule deer

migrate between their winter range in the Red Desert sagebrush and A Backcountry Recreation Playground Honeycomb Buttes RJ Pieper their high-elevation summer range 150 miles north in the Hoback. The Red Desert boasts numerous opportunities for backcountry This one-way trip, aptly referred to as the Red Desert to Hoback and motorized recreation, all of which are easily accessible from Migration, allows the deer to access highly nutritious forage—essen- Rock Springs, Pinedale, and Lander. Numerous dirt roads and two Mark Gocke tial to their health and survival—over the course of several months as tracks provide access to this remote landscape. Dispersed camping the sage and grasses “green up” throughout the spring. Mule deer are is allowed throughout the area. The Red Desert is prized for its extremely faithful to their migration routes, with herds traveling the big game hunting—there are abundant deer, pronghorn, and elk exact same paths year after year. Recent scientific research suggests the herds. Its wild northern reaches showcase a vast expanse of fenceless Sage Grouse knowledge of migration routes is passed down from one generation of high-desert landscape, perfect for horseback riding, mountain biking, deer to the next, in a continuous line spanning centuries. Studies also long-distance running, and day hiking. Trout fishing is also possible show that migration corridors are threatened by human disturbance on the nearby Sweetwater River. The desert’s numerous wilderness and development, and that mule deer populations across the state are study areas provide for great backcountry camping between buttes in decline. Protecting migration corridors and crucial winter range is and mesas or in aspen glades near spring seeps. Farther south, near the essential to conserving these iconic herds. The Red Desert provides desert’s iconic sand dunes, a developed Off-Road Vehicle (ORV) area Red Desert Elk Kathy Lichtendahl some of their last, best habitat. is perfect for those interested in motorized fun. With most of this landscape largely intact and contiguous with the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, opportunities for wildlife viewing abound. As much of the desert sits well above 7,000 feet in elevation, expect to see sweeping North America’s Largest Living Sand Dunes views in all directions—a photographer’s delight. But note that the

David Showwalter David real treat comes after the shadows grow long and the sun goes down: a Boar’sTusk & Wyoming's red desert red Wyoming's

Rising from the southern Red Desert like a mirage and stretch- Killpecker Sand Dunes WSA and Tourism Sweetwater County Travel RED DESERT DRIVING TOUR MAP TOUR DRIVING DESERT RED ing over 109,000 acres from the Green River Basin to the Great the Red Desert’s night sky will leave you speechless and humbled. Divide Basin, the Killpecker Sand Dunes are the largest living dune field in North America. Comprised of granite ground down by glaciers high in the Wind River Mountains, the sand accumulated on the banks of the Big Sandy and Little Sandy Scattered throughout the rivers downstream and was blown across the Continental Divide landscape are thousand-year-old Nicolaus Wegner by westerly winds over thousands of years. Each winter, the sand Be Prepared collects snowmelt and windblown ice deposits, which support rock art sites, and stone circles • • • • • • • • • The RedDesertiswildandremote.Travelersmustcomeprepared. a The Killpecker Sand Dunes are Watch out for wildlife! but aroad, manyas are unreliable. Use extreme caution driving off main roads. Maps. There are a number dirt two-track trails of often thatwill GPS recognize a Stick to and numberedcounty roads and don’t BLM trust or Google your GPS strongExpect winds and changing temperatures. Dress appropriately. deteriorate quickly, when wet. especially We traveling suggest the route May between and October. conditions Road Bring extra and water—even food ifyoudon’t it. think need youwill at Don’t best. isspotty phone service Cell count on having asignal. We 4-wheel drive recommend vehicle to ahigh-clearance traverse the roads. dirt know someone Let where and youare when headed youplan to return. Start any and trip aspare tank tire. ofgas with afull the vegetation that stabilizes the dunes. The collected water with spiritual significance. creates ephemeral oases in the desert that sustain a surprising the largest living dune field in North array of wildlife, from migratory shorebirds to salamanders and America, stretching over 109,000 freshwater shrimp. The dunes are also a haven for pronghorn, mule deer, and a rare desert elk herd. Travelers may hear the sand acres between the Green River “sing,” as sand avalanching over the crescent shaped dunes creates Basin and the Great Divide Basin. a roaring, booming sound that can last for several minutes. Vanuga Jeff

White Mountain Petroglyphs Amber Wilson

Julia Stuble horse-based commerce that stretched for miles across Wyoming’s Early Peoples and Great Divide Basin. The area is the ancestral hunting grounds for Native American Cultural Importance many tribes and contains numerous cultural and holy sites. Since time immemorial the Red Desert has been an important home, Scattered throughout the landscape are thousand-year-old rock art hunting area, and spiritual center. The most recent Native American sites, and stone circles with spiritual significance. Tipi rings, outlining

Whitehorse Creek Overlook Michelle Smith inhabitants were the Shoshone and Ute, although many other Great campsites, are evident throughout the region. The dramatic Boar’s Basin and Plains tribes came through the area, such as the Arapaho, Tusk is strongly associated with the origins of Shoshone culture. Lakota, and Cheyenne. For the Shoshone people, the Red Desert The Indian Gap Trail, passing through Indian Gap, connected the has two names. The first is “the place where God ran out of moun- Ute tribes further south and west in Utah and with the tains.” The second name, “land of many ponies,” relates to the major the Shoshone in the Wind River Basin. Nearby, on the sheer face of Many thanks to our sponsors: change in native cultures caused by the introduction of the horse. Steamboat Mountain, was a favored “buffalo jump” hunting area for The Shoshone and the Ute tribes were among the first to develop Native Americans.

a Standing over 400 feet above the valley floor, the iconic On the northern edge of the Red Desert lie the old mining TM towns of South Pass City and Atlantic City. Directly south is the WindRiver.org VisitPinedale.org Boar’s Tusk endures as a remnant of an ancient volcanic eruption. Sweetwater River Valley, which provided an easy route to South Honeycomb Buttes Jeff Vanuga Jeff Pass and the crossing of the Rocky Mountains over the Continental Divide. The pass served as the primary mountain gateway from the east to the west for hundreds of thousands of emigrants en route Fascinating Geology Oxidation and reduction of iron-rich minerals eroded from the to Utah, California, or Oregon in the 1800s. Today, visitors can rising mountains, mixed with ash from the Absaroka volcanic field Lander The landscapes and landforms in Wyoming’s Northern Red Desert still see the network of rutted wagon trails from the thousands of Chamber of Commerce tell a dramatic story of the earth’s recent—and ancient—geologic to the north, has created an array of light-colored clays that make up TOURISM ASSET settlers who traversed this land- DEVELOPMENT the badlands. The darker gray and brown layers above the colorful processes. Some of the world’s rarest rocks and minerals are found scape. The Red Desert includes landerchamber.org wyoparks.wyo.gov wyooutdoorrecreation. travelwyoming.com in the Leucite Hills, eroded remnants of a geologically young (1-3 badlands are part of the Green River Formation, deposited in the South Pass historic trails wyo.gov Photo File, American Heritage Center, Trail Oregon sections of the Oregon, California, enormous Lake Gosiute and its coastal swamps that concentrated million years old) volcanic field composed mainly of a rock type and Mormon Trails as well as the dark organic matter. called phlogopite lamproite. These volcanic remnants now form some Western Expansion Pony Express mail route between R Continental Peak and the Oregon Buttes are also made of sedimen- ✪ of the most interesting formations of the Northern Red Desert: Boar’s Mountain men exploring the Rockies first set foot in the wild, wide- the east and west coasts in the tary rocks that are layered on top of the Green River Formation and Tusk, North and South Table Mountains, and Steamboat Mountain. open land of the Red Desert in 1812. During one of the earliest 1860s. The national significance of similar in origin, deposited in lake and river systems and mixed with These volcanic plugs, necks, dikes, flows, and cinder cones erupted surveying expeditions of the west, in 1871, Dr. Ferdinand V. Hayden, South Pass as a thoroughfare for ash from volcanic eruptions to the north. These landmarks are located violently through the crust from sources deep in the earth’s mantle. passing through part of the Red Desert, noted the region’s aspen western expansion is one reason just south of the major fault zones responsible for the uplift of the The colorful badlands of the Honeycomb Buttes and Bush Rim groves and clear, flowing springs on Steamboat Mountain. Except the area has been designated as a Wind River Mountains and subsequent down-dropping of the Wind are made of sedimentary rocks deposited along the front of the for a few roads—and the notable lack of bison herds—the landscape National Historic Landmark. For more info, go to actively rising Wind River Mountains around 50 million years ago. River Basin. Tri-Territory Historical Marker looks very similar today as it did then. Ken Driese DRedDesert.org Anne Austin Design