3-D satellite terrain of Unit 47, 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 47 covers the upper Green River drainage and the east slope of the Wind River Range near Pinedale—some of the most spectacular mountain scenery in Wyoming combined with a productive elk herd. Elevations range from about 7,000 feet in the Green River valley to over 13,000 feet on the Wind River crest. The valley floor is sagebrush flats and irrigated hay meadows. The mountains rise through aspen, lodgepole, and spruce-fir into the granite and glacier country of the Continental Divide. The Bridger Wilderness covers the high Winds, and the alpine lakes basin is legendary among backpackers—and among elk hunters who are willing to pack deep. The New Fork and Green River drainages provide corridors between the mountain summer range and the desert winter range.
Bridger-Teton National Forest and the Bridger Wilderness cover the mountain terrain, with BLM and private ranch land in the valley. Forest roads from Pinedale reach trailheads along the range front—Elkhart Park, New Fork Lakes, and Green River Lakes are the main jumping-off points. Pinedale has full services and a strong outfitting tradition. Cell service works in Pinedale and dies at the trailheads. The Wind River Range is physically demanding—the granite terrain is steep and the altitude significant. Pack-in hunts on horseback are the traditional approach for the wilderness interior. The range-front country between the sage and the wilderness boundary offers more accessible elk hunting for day-hunt or short pack-in approaches. Migration timing drives the hunting—when snow pushes elk off the Divide and down the drainages, hunters positioned along the corridors have excellent opportunities. The Green River valley below Pinedale is critical elk winter range, and late-season hunts on the valley floor and sage flats can produce outstanding results when elk have concentrated.
Area 47 near Pinedale covers the east slope of the Wind River Range and the Green River valley, and nonresident elk tags typically require 3-6 preference points. The Bridger Wilderness (428,169 acres) covers the high Wind River Range — all wilderness regulations apply, prohibiting motorized access. No grizzly bears have been confirmed in the Wind Rivers proper, though occasional dispersers from the Yellowstone population are reported. Access is predominantly Bridger-Teton National Forest (public), with private ranch land in the Green River valley. The area is known for outstanding elk hunting along the migration corridors between the high Winds and the desert winter range — the New Fork and Green River drainages funnel elk through predictable routes when snow arrives. Trophy bull quality is good (300-330 class), and the late-season hunts on the valley-floor winter range can produce fast action when elk concentrate. The state feedground system influences elk distribution and movements in this area.
Unit Stats
Hunting Season Temps (3-yr avg)
Sep
64°
44°
Oct
45°
29°
Nov
32°
17°
Dec
24°
8°
Jan
21°
6°
Feb
18°
1°
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
Fremont
Elk
Archery
7
293
350
Fremont
Elk
Rifle
2
385
394
Fremont
Pronghorn
Archery
4
70
72
Fremont
Pronghorn
Rifle
3
82
86
Hot Springs
Elk
Archery
3
297
336
Hot Springs
Pronghorn
Rifle
1
85
85
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Nearest Towns
Laramie
Full services: gas, groceries (Walmart, Safeway), lodging, hospital (Ivinson Memorial). University town; good staging hub.
Cheyenne
Full services: capital city; gas, groceries, lodging, hospital (Cheyenne Regional). I-80/I-25 junction.
Wheatland
Full services: gas, groceries, lodging, medical clinic. Hub for Platte County hunts.
Torrington
Full services: gas, groceries, lodging. Eastern WY hub near NE border.
Douglas
Full services: gas, groceries, lodging, hospital. I-25 corridor; access to units 47-49.
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Campgrounds
Laramie Peak Campground
USFS (Medicine Bow NF)
Near Wheatland; 8 sites; 8,000 ft; Laramie Peak area.