3-D satellite terrain of Unit 33, 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 33 covers the country between Newcastle and Lusk in the eastern Wyoming plains—rolling sage prairie broken by ponderosa pine ridges, eroded badlands, and creek bottoms running through the Cheyenne River and Lance Creek drainages. Elevations run from about 4,000 to 5,500 feet. The country has surprising character: scattered ponderosa-and-juniper breaks rising abruptly out of grass and sage, badland formations of red and white clay where Hat Creek and the upper Cheyenne have cut through softer formations, cottonwood-and-ash creek bottoms, and the buttes and ridges that hold the eye on what would otherwise be empty horizon. This is fossil country—the dinosaur and mammal beds around Lance Creek made paleontology history.
BLM holds meaningful chunks, state trust sections fill in, and private ranch dominates the better ground. HMAs and Walk-In are the access tools; the WGFD regs booklet is required reading. US-18 and US-85 frame the access; county roads handle the rest. Newcastle and Lusk are the local towns—both small Wyoming ranch towns with gas, motels, and a cafe each. Cell service is fair on the highways. Antelope rifle in October is the bread-and-butter; the open prairie holds excellent pronghorn numbers and the country glasses for miles. Mule deer use the pine breaks and badland country; whitetail concentrate in the cottonwood bottoms. Wind is constant. The country is genuinely empty—you can drive county roads all day without seeing another truck.
Unit Stats
Roadless
6.2%
1+ mile from any road
Hunting Season Temps (3-yr avg)
Sep
74°
49°
Oct
55°
35°
Nov
42°
23°
Dec
35°
15°
Jan
32°
15°
Feb
27°
8°
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
Johnson
Elk
Archery
10
313
350
Johnson
Elk
Rifle
1
394
394
Johnson
Mule Deer
Archery
2
154
155
Johnson
Pronghorn
Archery
17
72
78
Natrona
Elk
Archery
4
321
336
Natrona
Mule Deer
Archery
2
162
172
Natrona
Pronghorn
Archery
9
71
78
Natrona
Pronghorn
Rifle
4
83
84
Washakie
Elk
Archery
2
296
310
Washakie
Pronghorn
Rifle
2
82
82
Edit
Nearest Towns
Sheridan
Full services: gas, groceries (Albertsons, Walmart), lodging, hospital (Sheridan Memorial). East slope hub.
Buffalo
Full services: gas, groceries, lodging, medical clinic. Gateway to Cloud Peak Wilderness from the east via US-16.
Ten Sleep
Small town; gas, basic supplies, cafe. Gateway to west slope Bighorns via US-16.
Worland
Full services: gas, groceries, lodging. West slope staging; 40 mi from Ten Sleep.
Dayton / Ranchester
Small communities on US-14; gas, basic supplies. Access to north Bighorns.
Edit
Campgrounds
South Fork Campground
USFS (Bighorn NF)
Near Buffalo; 15 sites; 7,600 ft; trailhead to Cloud Peak Wilderness.
Circle Park Campground
USFS (Bighorn NF)
Off US-16; 10 sites; 8,000 ft; east slope access.
Tensleep Creek Campground
USFS (Bighorn NF)
Ten Sleep Canyon; 5 sites; 5,800 ft; scenic canyon setting.
Ranger Creek Campground
USFS (Bighorn NF)
Off US-14; 11 sites; 7,400 ft; north Bighorns.
West Tensleep Lake Campground
USFS (Bighorn NF)
West slope; 10 sites; 9,100 ft; near Cloud Peak Wilderness trailhead.
Dispersed camping
USFS (Bighorn NF)
Widely available along forest roads throughout the Bighorns.
Edit
Statewide Outfitters & Directories
These outfitters operate statewide or in multiple regions. Check each one's website to confirm they cover Unit 33.