3-D satellite terrain of Unit 120, served by Wayward — the free iPhone GPS app from the people behind Sleeper Units. Drag to turn, scroll or pinch to zoom. Get Wayward and the whole unit rides on your phone, offline.
Edit
Area 120 covers the Powder River Basin country south of Buffalo and west of Kaycee—classic central Wyoming sage prairie, broken creek country, and the foothills climbing toward the Bighorn front. Elevations run from about 4,500 feet on the basin floor to 6,500 feet on the higher benches and breaks. The country is rolling sage and bunchgrass prairie with eroded creek-side breaks, scattered ponderosa pine on the higher ridges, and cottonwood ribbons along the Powder River and its tributaries. The Hole-in-the-Wall country in the southern reach—where Butch Cassidy's Wild Bunch holed up—is a recognizable regional landmark. Coal-bed methane and oil-and-gas development is widespread; pumpjacks and lease roads are part of the landscape.
BLM, state trust, and significant private ranch share the country with extensive HMA and Walk-In access. I-25 frames the east; county and lease roads thread the basin. Buffalo and Kaycee are the local supply towns; Casper is the larger metro hub south. Cell service is fair on I-25 and reasonable in the developed gas fields. Antelope rifle in October is the bread-and-butter; the open sage holds strong pronghorn density and the broken creek country is where the mature bucks live. Mule deer in the breaks and pine-edge country; whitetail in the river bottoms. Wind blows hard, energy traffic is constant, and the country is bigger than it looks driving I-25.
Unit Stats
Hunting Season Temps (3-yr avg)
Sep
77°
50°
Oct
56°
36°
Nov
42°
24°
Dec
34°
17°
Jan
29°
15°
Feb
27°
9°
Recent Trophy Scores · 2020–2025
Trophy score data is tracked by county, so the overlap with GMU boundaries is approximate. These numbers tell you whether the area is capable of growing big animals — they do not indicate public vs. private land. Big elk can come from anywhere; most elk in the lower 48 trace back to Yellowstone stock that was transplanted west after the species was nearly extirpated in the early 1900s.
County
Species
Method
Count
Avg Score
Top Score
Natrona
Elk
Archery
4
321
336
Natrona
Mule Deer
Archery
2
162
172
Natrona
Pronghorn
Archery
9
71
78
Natrona
Pronghorn
Rifle
4
83
84
Edit
Nearest Towns
Sundance
Small town; gas, groceries, lodging. Gateway to Black Hills NF and Devils Tower.
Gillette
Full services: gas, groceries (Walmart, Smiths), lodging, hospital (Campbell County Health). Largest NE WY city.
Newcastle
Full services: gas, groceries, lodging, medical clinic. Southern Black Hills access.
Moorcroft
Small town; gas, basic supplies. Near Keyhole Reservoir and Devils Tower.
Hulett
Small town near Devils Tower; gas, basic supplies, lodging.
Edit
Campgrounds
Reuter Campground
USFS (Black Hills NF)
Near Sundance; 24 sites; 6,200 ft; ponderosa pine setting.
Cook Lake Campground
USFS (Black Hills NF)
Bear Lodge area; 32 sites; 5,800 ft; trout lake.
Devils Tower Campground
NPS
Devils Tower NM; 46 sites; scenic; fills up quickly.
Keyhole State Park
WY State Parks
Keyhole Reservoir; multiple loops; good base for NE WY hunts.
Dispersed camping
USFS (Black Hills NF) / BLM
Available along forest roads in the Bear Lodge Mountains and BLM land throughout the Powder River Basin.
Edit
Statewide Outfitters & Directories
These outfitters operate statewide or in multiple regions. Check each one's website to confirm they cover Unit 120.