3-D satellite terrain of Unit 129, 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.
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Area 129 covers the country in the southeastern Powder River Basin around Lance Creek, Manville, and the country running between Lusk and Newcastle—rolling sage prairie, eroded badlands and breaks, and creek bottoms cutting through the country. Elevations run from about 4,200 feet on the basin floor to 5,500 feet on the higher benches. The country is open eastern Wyoming prairie: big sagebrush and bunchgrass on the flats, scattered ponderosa pine and juniper on the breaks, eroded badland formations of red and white clay where the Cheyenne River and Lance Creek have cut through softer formations, and cottonwood-and-willow ribbons along the creek bottoms. Lance Creek is fossil country—the dinosaur and mammal beds in the Lance Formation made paleontology history in the late 1800s and early 1900s.
BLM, state trust, and significant private ranch share the country with HMA and Walk-In access. WY-270, US-18/20, and county roads frame the access. Lusk and Newcastle are the local supply towns; Manville is barely there. Cell service is fair on the highways. Antelope rifle in October is the bread-and-butter; the open prairie holds excellent pronghorn density. Mule deer in the breaks and pine-edge country; whitetail in the creek bottoms. The country is genuinely empty—you can drive county roads all day without seeing another truck. Wind blows hard, the horizon is open, the badlands hold the eye.
Unit Stats
Hunting Season Temps (3-yr avg)
Sep
78°
53°
Oct
58°
37°
Nov
46°
27°
Dec
38°
19°
Jan
37°
20°
Feb
33°
13°
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
Campbell
Elk
Archery
4
331
342
Campbell
Mule Deer
Archery
1
154
154
Campbell
Pronghorn
Archery
18
71
81
Campbell
Pronghorn
Rifle
3
83
84
Crook
Elk
Archery
1
317
317
Crook
Pronghorn
Archery
2
68
70
Johnson
Elk
Archery
10
313
350
Johnson
Elk
Rifle
1
394
394
Johnson
Mule Deer
Archery
2
154
155
Johnson
Pronghorn
Archery
17
72
78
Sheridan
Elk
Archery
6
291
338
Sheridan
Elk
Rifle
1
385
385
Sheridan
Mule Deer
Archery
3
149
152
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Nearest Towns
Cody
Full services: gas, groceries (Walmart, Albertsons), lodging, hospital (West Park Hospital). Primary hub for NW Wyoming hunts.
Powell
Full services on US-14A: gas, groceries, lodging, medical clinic. 25 mi NE of Cody.
Meeteetse
Small town with gas, basic supplies, cafe. Gateway to upper Greybull River and Absaroka backcountry.
Wapiti
Unincorporated; a few lodges and gas on US-14/16/20 between Cody and Yellowstone East Entrance.
Cooke City, MT
Tiny border town at NE entrance to Yellowstone. Limited gas, lodging, restaurant. Access to Beartooth country and Area 2.
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Campgrounds
Wapiti Campground
USFS (Shoshone NF)
North Fork Shoshone; 41 sites; 6,000 ft; popular staging point for Absaroka hunts.
Rex Hale Campground
USFS (Shoshone NF)
North Fork Shoshone; 8 sites; 6,100 ft; near trailheads into the wilderness.
Hunter Peak Campground
USFS (Shoshone NF)
Sunlight Basin area; 9 sites; 6,600 ft; close to Sunlight Creek trailheads.
Dead Indian Campground
USFS (Shoshone NF)
Near Dead Indian Pass on WY-296; 12 sites; 8,000 ft; panoramic Absaroka views.
Wood River Campground
USFS (Shoshone NF)
Meeteetse area; 5 sites; 7,000 ft; trailhead access to the Wood River drainage.
Dispersed camping
USFS (Shoshone NF)
Abundant dispersed sites along North Fork Shoshone, Sunlight Basin, and Greybull River roads.
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Statewide Outfitters & Directories
These outfitters operate statewide or in multiple regions. Check each one's website to confirm they cover Unit 129.