Featuring two unique landforms – uplifted mountains of granite rocks, and the flats of Nolen Pocket - Lankin Dome Wilderness Study Area (WSA) is a great site for sightseeing, nature study and observation, and premier primitive recreation. This 10 square mile Bureau of Land Management property, located about 10 miles east of Jeffrey City, Wyoming, is a good place to spend time away from the noise of everyday life and enjoy refreshing solitude. Because of the nature of the roads that lead to the wilderness area, high clearance four-wheel-drive vehicles are recommended. In any case, motorized vehicles are not allowed within the wilderness boundaries.
No services or facilities are available or provided in this BLM wilderness, so you should be prepared for primitive backcountry camping experiences in the park. Come along with all you’ll need during your stay here. The closest developed campground is at Green Mountain. Nearby National Forests that offer enhanced camping options include Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest and Shoshone National Forest.
Recreational opportunities available within Lankin Dome WSA include flora and fauna viewing, hiking and backpacking, horseback riding, and mountaineering. Additional outdoor activities such as fishing, bird viewing, and hunting are available nearby.
Lankin Dome Wilderness Study Area lies about 10 miles east of Jeffrey City, Wyoming, in Fremont County. This Bureau of Land Management property is accessible from the Agate Flats Roads, off US Highway 287.
If you’re coming to this BLM wilderness, it’s advisable that you have high clearance, four-wheel-drive vehicles and possess good navigational skills. This is because the roads that lead to the park are unnamed/unsigned, and can be impossible to find if your navigational equipment and skills are not sound. Other relevant information that can help you prepare adequately for the trip is a knowledge of the adverse weather and road conditions in the area.
The use of motorized vehicles within the wilderness is expressly prohibited. Other mechanical equipment is also not allowed. However, guests can use wheelchairs in the park.
Parking areas are available around the wilderness boundaries. You may come across good parking spots on your way to the wilderness, so keep your eyes peeled, and be ready to continue your trip on foot or on your horseback.
Cottonwood Campground is a modern camping area located west of Lankin Dome WSA within a semi-alpine setting. The campground is open from June to September and offers campsites that are available on a first-come, first-served basis only.
There are 18 campsites in the campground, all of which are equipped with fire rings and picnic tables. Other amenities provided to campers include potable water, vault toilets, and trash receptacles. Tents and RVs are accommodated in the campground.
Things to do in this campground include biking, hiking, horseback riding, fishing, and nature observation.
One of the popular places to visit while vacationing at Lankin Dome WSA is the BLM Split Rock WSA which lies five miles south. Split Rock WSA is a nature lover’s paradise as it features diverse landscapes and beautiful plant communities. The rocky landscape that consists of uplifted mountains of reddish granite features flora such as limber pine, juniper, and aspen.
Big game fauna such as antelope, elk, and mule deer provide good hunting opportunities here, while raptors also offer good bird viewing opportunities.
Constructed in the early 1900’s, Pathfinder Reservoir is listed as part of the National Register of Historical Places in the US, making it a popular tourist attraction in the area. Besides, in recent times, the reservoir’s been home to a wide variety of fish species, which now make it a Mecca for anglers in Lankin Dome WSA. So, if you have your fishing gear and tackle, nothing will be in the way of your angling adventure.
Fish species that you’ll find here include rainbow trout, brown trout, ohrid trout, cutthroat trout, and walleye.
Ferris Mountain WSA occupies about 35 square miles of land within a steep, rugged, spectacular and unusual setting. This BLM park is home to large stands of Douglas-fir tress that are interspersed by grasslands, creating an alpine setting that’s perfect for nature observation, photography, and picnics.
Recreational opportunities available to guests within this wilderness include big game hunting, hiking and backpacking, fishing, horseback riding, and biking. Many visitors in the wilderness fancy a climb to the top of Ferris Peak, the highest point in the wilderness.
There are no direct public transportation services to this BLM park. However, if you require travel or camping equipment, you’ll be able to rent around Pathfinder Reservoir and Fremont County.
Come along with your camera when you’re visiting Lankin Dome WSA so that you can capture the resplendent flora and beautiful fauna that live and thrive in this BLM wilderness. To make the best of your sightseeing adventure, you should explore the entire extent of the park. That way, you’ll get to some of the remote and less-visited parts that house plant and animal species that only a privileged few see.
More commonly observed plants here are juniper, aspen, and limber pine, while mule deer, antelope, and elk are the most popular wildlife.
If you’re an avid bird watcher, your best bet after viewing those that soar the skies above Lankin Dome WSA is to visit Pathfinder National Wildlife Refuge. The Refuge is a fall and spring migration staging area for birds that fly along the North Platte River Corridor, and features significant populations of waterfowl and shorebirds. Moreover, the National Refuge is a major nesting area for Willet, American Avocet and Wilson’s Phalarope. You’ll find even more birds in habitats like grasslands, riparian meadows, sagebrush shrubland, sands, and rock outcrops.
Bring your bird guide book and binoculars/camera(s).
Mountaineering is an exciting sport in Lankin Dome WSA and guests often come geared up for the exercise. The topography of the wilderness which is made up of uplifted mountains of reddish granite rocks makes it very possible for campers and visitors to make their way up the mountains. The spectacular view that climbers and hikers enjoy at the top of the landscape features in the wilderness is entirely rewarding.
Nearby, guests also make their way to the top of McIntosh Peak and many other surrounding peaks.
