3-D satellite terrain of Unit 85, 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 85 covers the Wyoming Range north of LaBarge between the Greys River drainage and the upper Green River basin. Elevations run from about 7,000 feet on the lower forest fringes to over 11,000 feet on the Wyoming Peak country and surrounding crest. The forest is mature: aspen and lodgepole pine on the lower slopes, transitioning into Engelmann spruce, subalpine fir, and lodgepole through the mid-elevations, with whitebark pine on the highest exposed ridges and alpine meadow above timberline. Major drainages include the upper Greys River, Cottonwood Creek, and the headwaters of the LaBarge Creek. The Wyoming Range here is a long, north-south spine of mountain that tilts west into the Greys River canyon and east into the upper Green.
Bridger-Teton National Forest dominates. Forest roads from Big Piney climb into the timber from the east; the Greys River Road from Alpine on the west provides the other access. Big Piney has gas and a small grocery; Pinedale is the bigger supply town; Alpine on the Snake River has basics. Cell service drops fast. Quality elk in the timber and meadow margins, mule deer in the aspen pockets, and feedground influence shows up on the eastern flank during seasonal migrations. Grizzly bear country, increasingly so. The Wyoming Range is overshadowed by the Tetons and the Wind Rivers—that's exactly why it's a quality elk hunt.
Unit Stats
Hunting Season Temps (3-yr avg)
Sep
65°
39°
Oct
49°
27°
Nov
32°
14°
Dec
26°
10°
Jan
24°
10°
Feb
24°
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
Lincoln
Elk
Archery
5
316
330
Lincoln
Mule Deer
Archery
1
185
185
Lincoln
Mule Deer
Rifle
1
181
181
Lincoln
Pronghorn
Archery
6
71
77
Lincoln
Pronghorn
Rifle
2
83
85
Teton
Elk
Archery
2
310
320
Teton
Elk
Rifle
1
364
364
Teton
Pronghorn
Archery
1
70
70
Edit
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.
Edit
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.
Edit
Statewide Outfitters & Directories
These outfitters operate statewide or in multiple regions. Check each one's website to confirm they cover Unit 85.