3-D satellite terrain of Unit 72, 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 72 covers the country south and east of Dubois along the Wind River, taking in the eastern flank of the Wind River Range, the Fitzpatrick Wilderness, and the foothills running toward the Owl Creek country. Elevations span from about 6,800 feet on the Wind River valley floor to over 13,000 feet on the Continental Divide—Gannett Peak (13,809 feet), Wyoming's highest, sits adjacent. The Fitzpatrick Wilderness covers about 198,000 acres of high alpine country: cirques, glaciers (the Dinwoody and Gannett Glaciers are the largest in the U.S. Rockies outside Alaska), granite peaks, and the upper Dinwoody Creek and Bull Lake Creek drainages. Below the wilderness, the country grades through spruce-fir and lodgepole timber into aspen and sage on the lower flanks. The Whiskey Mountain bighorn herd uses the southeast portion.
Shoshone NF and the Fitzpatrick Wilderness dominate, with the Wind River Reservation forming a hard southern boundary (tribal permits required, rarely issued to non-tribal) and BLM and private filling the foothills. US-26/287 is the paved access through the valley; trailheads at Trail Lake, Glacier Trail, and Dinwoody Creek climb into the wilderness. Dubois is the supply town. Cell service is gone past town. Pack-in for the high country—the access is genuinely demanding and most successful elk hunters use horses or accept multi-day backpack hauls. Bighorn sheep tags on Whiskey Mountain are among the most coveted in the West.
Unit Stats
Hunting Season Temps (3-yr avg)
Sep
58°
36°
Oct
42°
25°
Nov
26°
13°
Dec
20°
8°
Jan
18°
5°
Feb
18°
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
Teton
Elk
Archery
2
310
320
Teton
Elk
Rifle
1
364
364
Teton
Pronghorn
Archery
1
70
70
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Nearest Towns
Afton
Full services: gas, groceries (Broulim's), lodging, medical clinic. Star Valley hub.
Big Piney / Marbleton
Small towns; gas, groceries, lodging. Gateway to Wyoming Range.
LaBarge
Small town; gas, basic supplies. Access to southern Wyoming Range.
Kemmerer
Full services: gas, groceries, lodging, medical clinic. Southern gateway.
Alpine
Small town; gas, lodging, restaurants. Snake River corridor; junction of US-26 and US-89.
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Campgrounds
Swift Creek Campground
USFS (Bridger-Teton NF)
Near Afton; 12 sites; 6,700 ft; Salt River Range access.
Alfred Flat Campground
USFS (Bridger-Teton NF)
Greys River Road; 26 sites; 6,200 ft; popular hunting camp.
Lynx Creek Campground
USFS (Bridger-Teton NF)
Greys River Road; 15 sites; 6,400 ft; good elk country.
Middle Piney Lake Campground
USFS (Bridger-Teton NF)
Near Big Piney; 6 sites; 8,000 ft; trailhead into Wyoming Range.
Sacajawea Campground
USFS (Bridger-Teton NF)
Greys River; 26 sites; 6,400 ft; near forest boundary.
Dispersed camping
USFS (Bridger-Teton NF) / BLM
Widely available along Greys River Road and Wyoming Range forest 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 72.