TM
Kathy Lichtendahl
NorthernRedDesert 7:45am–4:30pm Monday through Friday through Monday 7:45am–4:30pm
www.wyomingoutdoorcouncil.org/ 307-332-8400
Lander, WY 82520 WY Lander, out: Check Desert? Red
1335 Main Street Main 1335 Northern the about more learn to Want
Nicolaus Wegner/LightAlive Photography, Association courtesy of Wyoming Wilderness Office Field Lander BLM
by practicing Leave No Trace principles. principles. Trace No Leave practicing by
7:45am–4:30pm Monday through Friday through Monday 7:45am–4:30pm Help keep the Northern Red Desert wild wild Desert Red Northern the keep Help
307-352-0256
Rock Springs, WY 82901 WY Springs, Rock
80 Highway 191 North 191 Highway 80 drive off-road. off-road. drive
BLM Rock Springs Field Office Field Springs Rock BLM trash, do not park in undisturbed areas, and do not not do and areas, undisturbed in park not do trash,
but cars are prohibited inside the boundary. Pack out out Pack boundary. the inside prohibited are cars but
8am–5pm Monday through Friday through Monday 8am–5pm boundaries are two-track routes that can be driven, driven, be can that routes two-track are boundaries
307-332-7031 preserve their wilderness character. Most of their their of Most character. wilderness their preserve
Lander, WY 82520 WY Lander, Buttes are wilderness study areas managed to to managed areas study wilderness are Buttes
262 Lincoln Street Lincoln 262 Whitehorse Creek, Oregon Buttes, and Honeycomb Honeycomb and Buttes, Oregon Creek, Whitehorse
Wyoming Outdoor Council Outdoor Wyoming As Are tudy s Wilderness
Springs or Lander. or Springs
Bureau of Land Management offices in Rock Rock in offices Management Land of Bureau
Take appropriate maps and know how to use them. use to how know and maps appropriate Take • contact the Wyoming Outdoor Council, or the the or Council, Outdoor Wyoming the contact
tion, tion, A orm F in more For
and do not travel on wet roads. wet on travel not do and
Check the weather before heading into the desert desert the into heading before weather the Check •
cold-weather gear, regardless of time of year. of time of regardless gear, cold-weather
Rock Springs Rock •
Bring extra water and food, a first aid kit, and and kit, aid first a food, and water extra Bring •
Farson Farson •
your travel plans. travel your
Red Desert Basin Basin Desert Red •
personal locator device and let someone know of of know someone let and device locator personal and awe-inspiring landscape. awe-inspiring and South Pass Pass South •
Do not rely on cell service. Consider carrying a a carrying Consider service. cell on rely not Do • Lander and Rock Springs, are recommended: are Springs, Rock and Lander
Northern Red Desert is a wild wild a is Desert Red Northern
scale topographic maps, available at field offices in in offices field at available maps, topographic scale
ready to fix a flat tire (or two). (or tire flat a fix to ready
Four Bureau of Land Management BLM 1:100,000 1:100,000 BLM Management Land of Bureau Four
Use a high-clearance, 4WD or AWD vehicle and be be and vehicle AWD or 4WD high-clearance, a Use •
Wind River Country’s Country’s River Wind mAps
pe. CA nds A l rugged
And And remote A is esert d
esert! d red
red red orthern n Wyoming’s
orthern orthern n Wyoming’s
xplore e
W 789 I N Adventures Abound in D Lander Wind river Country
R I After a day hiking, or a weekend camping, in the Northern V Sinks Canyon Red Desert, be sure to check out: E State Park • South Pass City State Historic Site R 28 • Red Canyon Overlook M 287 • Sinks Canyon and the Loop Road O More information on these driving tours U N Loop Red Canyon is available at windriver.org T Road Scenic A Overlook hoW to get there I N Wyoming’s Northern Red Desert is easily accessed S from Highway 28 between Farson and Lander. From Farson: Drive northeast on WY 28 for 33 Atlantic miles, then turn right onto Oregon Buttes Road City
(Fremont County Road 445). Jennie Hutchinson South Pass City State Historic Site From Lander: Drive southeast on US 287 for eight South Pass South Pass City miles until the junction with WY 28. Stay straight to Rest Area State Historic Site join WY 28 (do not turn left to remain on US 287) 446 and drive southwest for 33 miles. Turn left onto Oregon Buttes Road (Fremont County Road 445). 28
445 WHITEHORSE CREEK Scott Copeland HONEYCOMB Red Canyon Scenic Overlook BUTTES OREGON BUTTES 191
gravel road paved road
Farson Scott Copeland highway Sinks Canyon’s Disappearing River
TM
NorthernRedDesert 7:45am–4:30pm Monday through Friday through Monday 7:45am–4:30pm
www.wyomingoutdoorcouncil.org/ 307-332-8400
Lander, WY 82520 WY Lander, out: Check Desert? Red
1335 Main Street Main 1335 Northern the about more learn to Want
BLM Lander Field Office Field Lander BLM
by practicing Leave No Trace principles. principles. Trace No Leave practicing by
7:45am–4:30pm Monday through Friday through Monday 7:45am–4:30pm Help keep the Northern Red Desert wild wild Desert Red Northern the keep Help
307-352-0256
Rock Springs, WY 82901 WY Springs, Rock
80 Highway 191 North 191 Highway 80 drive off-road. off-road. drive
BLM Rock Springs Field Office Field Springs Rock BLM trash, do not park in undisturbed areas, and do not not do and areas, undisturbed in park not do trash,
but cars are prohibited inside the boundary. Pack out out Pack boundary. the inside prohibited are cars but
8am–5pm Monday through Friday through Monday 8am–5pm boundaries are two-track routes that can be driven, driven, be can that routes two-track are boundaries
307-332-7031 preserve their wilderness character. Most of their their of Most character. wilderness their preserve
Lander, WY 82520 WY Lander, Buttes are wilderness study areas managed to to managed areas study wilderness are Buttes
262 Lincoln Street Lincoln 262 Whitehorse Creek, Oregon Buttes, and Honeycomb Honeycomb and Buttes, Oregon Creek, Whitehorse
Wyoming Outdoor Council Outdoor Wyoming As Are tudy s Wilderness
Springs or Lander. or Springs
Bureau of Land Management offices in Rock Rock in offices Management Land of Bureau
Take appropriate maps and know how to use them. use to how know and maps appropriate Take • contact the Wyoming Outdoor Council, or the the or Council, Outdoor Wyoming the contact
tion, tion, A orm F in more For
and do not travel on wet roads. wet on travel not do and
Check the weather before heading into the desert desert the into heading before weather the Check •
cold-weather gear, regardless of time of year. of time of regardless gear, cold-weather
Rock Springs Rock •
Bring extra water and food, a first aid kit, and and kit, aid first a food, and water extra Bring •
Farson Farson •
your travel plans. travel your
Red Desert Basin Basin Desert Red •
personal locator device and let someone know of of know someone let and device locator personal and awe-inspiring landscape. awe-inspiring and South Pass Pass South •
Do not rely on cell service. Consider carrying a a carrying Consider service. cell on rely not Do • Lander and Rock Springs, are recommended: are Springs, Rock and Lander
Northern Red Desert is a wild wild a is Desert Red Northern
scale topographic maps, available at field offices in in offices field at available maps, topographic scale
ready to fix a flat tire (or two). (or tire flat a fix to ready
Four Bureau of Land Management BLM 1:100,000 1:100,000 BLM Management Land of Bureau Four
Use a high-clearance, 4WD or AWD vehicle and be be and vehicle AWD or 4WD high-clearance, a Use •
Wind River Country’s Country’s River Wind mAps
pe. CA nds A l rugged
And And remote A is esert d
esert! d red
red red orthern n Wyoming’s
orthern orthern n Wyoming’s
xplore e
W 789 I N Adventures Abound in D Lander Wind river Country
R I After a day hiking, or a weekend camping, in the Northern V Sinks Canyon Red Desert, be sure to check out: E State Park • South Pass City State Historic Site R 28 • Red Canyon Overlook M 287 • Sinks Canyon and the Loop Road O More information on these driving tours U N Loop Red Canyon is available at windriver.org T Road Scenic A Overlook hoW to get there I N Wyoming’s Northern Red Desert is easily accessed S from Highway 28 between Farson and Lander. From Farson: Drive northeast on WY 28 for 33 Atlantic miles, then turn right onto Oregon Buttes Road City
(Fremont County Road 445). Jennie Hutchinson South Pass City State Historic Site From Lander: Drive southeast on US 287 for eight South Pass South Pass City miles until the junction with WY 28. Stay straight to Rest Area State Historic Site join WY 28 (do not turn left to remain on US 287) 446 and drive southwest for 33 miles. Turn left onto Oregon Buttes Road (Fremont County Road 445). 28
445 WHITEHORSE CREEK Scott Copeland HONEYCOMB Red Canyon Scenic Overlook BUTTES OREGON BUTTES 191
gravel road paved road
Farson Scott Copeland highway Sinks Canyon’s Disappearing River S w C e e O t w N a oregon buttes t T 446 e Sentinels to the heart of the I r N to Lander � Northern Red Desert E South Pass The Oregon Buttes were an important landmark Wyoming’s N Rest Area along the Oregon, California, and Mormon emigrant T � R trails. Once travelers heading west crossed nearby A i v South Pass, they entered Oregon Territory, earning L e northern r these iconic buttes their name. The Oregon Buttes are most often accessed from the north, but please respect private land and use a map to find the 28 routes through public land. There are various ways red desert to climb through the cliff bands to the top of the National Historic northernmost butte. From there, you can travel Trails Crossing for south through an aged and twisted forest, and then the California, traverse to the other buttes. Be sure to search for Oregon and Mormon Pioneer Trails and the mountain lion sign and golden eagles, and bring
Pony Express D a windbreaker. The wind scours the tops of these
high-altitude treasures. I
V
Kyle Duba, Courtesy Wyoming Outdoor Council � I 445 to Farson and Rock Springs D
E To get to Oregon Buttes, take County Road 445 southeast for 11.5 miles and park on the side of the road. Head due west to climb the North and South Butte. WHITEHORSE
CREEK honeyComb buttes Remnants of an ancient sea The Honeycomb Buttes are not easy to access, but these maze-like badlands are well worth the effort. This remarkable place offers some of Whitehorse Creek � the West’s best desert hiking, camping, and star-gazing. The Honeycombs Rich with wildlife, easy to access Continental Peak are remnants of an ancient sea. More than 50 million years ago, the waves of this sea lapped against a boggy swamp and tangled tropical forest. Whitehorse Creek is one of the most family-friendly landscapes Massive turtles, crocodiles, fish, and small mammals all called this coastal in the Northern Red Desert. There are excellent car camping environment home. Today, the colorfully banded sediments of this long- sites along the rim, and visitors can look out over the magnificent ago sea can be explored on foot or horseback. Under the big Wyoming badlands in the foreground and enjoy an expansive view that sky, these artistic badlands are great for photography—bring a camera to extends all the way to the far-off Wyoming Range. The pitted capture the colors at sunrise and sunset. sandstone outcrops along the rim, along with twisted juniper trees OREGON and dense sagebrush, attract mule deer and resident desert elk. HONEYCOMB Hikers can remain along the rim or drop down into the basin—keep BUTTES an eye out for fossils, raptors, and bobcat tracks. BUTTES
To get to Whitehorse Creek, take County Road 445 southeast for 6 miles and then turn right onto a To access the western side of the Honeycomb two-track route. Travel that Buttes, take County Road 445 southeast for 11.5 route southwest for .5 mile miles and park on the side of the road. Head to an unsigned parking area gravel road east along the two-track route that makes up the
Nicolaus Wegner/LightAlive Photography, courtesy of Wyoming Wilderness of Wyoming courtesy Association Photography, Wegner/LightAlive Nicolaus along the overlook. highway southern boundary of the Honeycomb Buttes WSA. Ken Driese