3-D satellite terrain of Unit 83, 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 83 covers the Snake River Range and Palisades Wilderness Study Area country west of Hoback Junction along the Idaho line. Elevations run from about 6,000 feet on the Snake River bottom to over 10,000 feet on the Snake River crest. The country is dense, wet timber—Pacific moisture comes hard over from Idaho and the forest reflects it: lodgepole pine, Engelmann spruce, subalpine fir, and substantial aspen, with willow-and-alder choked drainages and dramatic glaciated cirques on the higher peaks. The Palisades WSA covers a chunk of roadless country (about 135,000 acres on the Wyoming side, more on the Idaho side). Major drainages include Bailey Creek, Indian Creek, and the Snake River itself, which here runs through the dramatic Snake River Canyon between Hoback Junction and Alpine.
Bridger-Teton National Forest and the Palisades WSA dominate. US-26/89 is the paved access through the Snake River Canyon; forest roads off it climb into the timber. Jackson is the full-service supply hub at peak prices; Alpine on the Idaho line has gas and basic supplies. Cell service drops past town. Quality elk in the dense timber, mule deer in the aspens, and the country is true grizzly bear range—standard protocols apply. Pack-in or backpack for the WSA core. The Snake River Canyon is busy with whitewater traffic in summer; by hunting season the country quiets down.
Unit Stats
Roadless
33.3%
1+ mile from any road
Hunting Season Temps (3-yr avg)
Sep
63°
33°
Oct
47°
21°
Nov
32°
6°
Dec
26°
4°
Jan
24°
4°
Feb
24°
4°
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
Sublette
Elk
Archery
9
316
350
Sublette
Mule Deer
Rifle
3
195
208
Sublette
Pronghorn
Rifle
2
82
82
Teton
Elk
Archery
2
310
320
Teton
Elk
Rifle
1
364
364
Teton
Pronghorn
Archery
1
70
70
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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 83.