3-D satellite terrain of Unit 66, 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 66 covers the country south of Lander between the southern Wind River Range foothills and the Red Desert—a dramatic transition zone where the granite of the Winds gives way to the sage-steppe basin country running south toward the Continental Divide. Elevations run from about 6,000 feet in the basin to over 10,000 feet on the higher Wind River foothills and the granite escarpments around South Pass and Atlantic City. The country is varied: sage and bunchgrass on the basin benches, mountain mahogany and aspen on the foothill breaks, lodgepole and spruce-fir on the higher Wind River ridges, and the legendary granite outcrop country around the Sweetwater Rocks and South Pass. The Sweetwater River cuts through with cottonwood bottoms; Beaver Creek and Twin Creek drain the foothills.
BLM dominates the lower country, Shoshone NF covers the higher Wind River flanks, and significant private ranch fills in the foothills and along the Sweetwater. WY-28 (the South Pass Highway) and US-287 frame the access; the dirt road network out toward Atlantic City and South Pass is extensive but rough. Lander is the supply town—gas, the Lander Bar, real grocery, the City Park—and Atlantic City is the historic mining ghost-town with one tavern and a lot of character. Cell service drops past town. Mixed-species hunting is the hallmark: elk in the timbered foothills (some held over from feedground influence), mule deer in the mahogany breaks and aspen pockets, antelope on the open sage. The country glasses for miles.
Unit Stats
Hunting Season Temps (3-yr avg)
Sep
76°
52°
Oct
56°
37°
Nov
42°
24°
Dec
33°
16°
Jan
33°
17°
Feb
29°
10°
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
Big Horn
Elk
Archery
5
294
313
Big Horn
Pronghorn
Archery
11
76
81
Big Horn
Pronghorn
Rifle
3
84
88
Hot Springs
Elk
Archery
3
297
336
Hot Springs
Pronghorn
Rifle
1
85
85
Park
Elk
Archery
17
319
373
Park
Elk
Rifle
3
386
410
Park
Mule Deer
Archery
1
164
164
Park
Pronghorn
Archery
1
70
70
Washakie
Elk
Archery
2
296
310
Washakie
Pronghorn
Rifle
2
82
82
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Nearest Towns
Rawlins
Full services: gas, groceries (Walmart, City Market), lodging, hospital (Memorial Hospital of Carbon County). I-80 hub.
Saratoga
Small town; gas, groceries, lodging, hot springs. Gateway to Sierra Madre and Snowy Range from the west.
Encampment / Riverside
Small towns; gas, basic supplies, lodging. Gateway to Sierra Madre.
Elk Mountain
Tiny; gas, cafe. Near I-80; access to Elk Mountain area.
Baggs
Small town; gas, basic supplies. Southern gateway to Sierra Madre; near CO border.
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Campgrounds
Ryan Park Campground
USFS (Medicine Bow NF)
Near Saratoga; 48 sites; 8,000 ft; popular base camp for elk hunts.
Lincoln Park Campground
USFS (Medicine Bow NF)
WY-130; 12 sites; 9,200 ft; Snowy Range.
Jack Creek Campground
USFS (Medicine Bow NF)
Sierra Madre; 16 sites; 8,200 ft; quiet and close to elk habitat.
Battle Creek Campground
USFS (Medicine Bow NF)
Battle Highway (WY-70); 5 sites; 8,400 ft; Sierra Madre access.
Bow River Campground
USFS (Medicine Bow NF)
Medicine Bow Mountains; 13 sites; 9,000 ft; near good elk country.
Dispersed camping
USFS / BLM
Widely available along forest roads in the Medicine Bow NF and BLM land south of Rawlins.
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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 66.