Featuring lodgepole pine and aspen forests that cover more than two-thirds of its entire area, Prospect Mountain Wilderness Study Area is the perfect place to enjoy solitude, nature observation, and exciting outdoor activities. This 1.8 square mile Bureau of Land Management wilderness area located about 22 miles southeast of Riverside, Wyoming, can be accessed by vehicles off Wyoming Highway 230E. If you’re driving to the park, come in high clearance four-wheel drive vehicles. Note, however, that vehicles are not allowed within the wilderness itself.
Besides the unique opportunity this BLM wilderness offers guests to enjoy alone time, other recreational activities that can be enjoyed here include horseback riding, hiking and backpacking, hunting, and nature study and photography. Rock climbers and mountaineering enthusiasts will knock themselves out exploring the different mountains that surround the wilderness. The North Platte River which is adjacent to the WSA offers float-boating and high-quality fishing opportunities. More primitive adventures can be enjoyed nearby at Platte River Wilderness too.
Only dry camping opportunities are available in the wilderness. However, more developed camping options are provided at Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest.
Prospect Mountain Wilderness Study Area lies about 22 miles southeast of Riverside, Wyoming. Access to this Bureau of Land Management park from Riverside is via Wyoming Highway 230E, a 19-mile journey that leads to Prospect Peak Road which directly leads to the wilderness boundary. From the junction of Prospect Peak road to the wilderness, the travel distance is five miles.
Access to the wild lands in this area requires that visitors possess good navigational skills and the appropriate vehicle to negotiate the rough dirt roads. Four-wheel-drive or high clearance vehicles are the recommended means of transport. In addition, all are advised to be prepared for adverse road and weather conditions on approach to the wilderness.
The use of motorized vehicles and other mechanical equipment is prohibited within the boundaries of the wilderness, so as soon as you arrive at the boundary, park your vehicle(s) and continue the rest of the journey on foot or horseback. Parking spaces are provided outside the wilderness area and at Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest. Wheelchairs are allowed in the wilderness.
There are no direct public transportation services to this BLM park.
If you wish to get developed camping equipment such as RVs, fifth wheels, and trailers, you will find rental services at Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest and Carbon County.
Six Mile Campground is a modern campground that lies close to North Platte River and Platte River Wilderness Area. This campground is open between June and September and features campsites that are available on a first-come, first-served basis.
There are six tent sites in the campground, and three RV sites. Amenities provided include picnic tables, food storage containers, potable water, toilets, and trash receptacles. Fire grates are also available. Parking areas are provided for campers, hikers, and river floaters.
Things to do here include river floating, fishing, and hiking. Camping limit is 14 days.
Maximum RV/trailer length in the campground is 32 feet.
Pelton Creek Campground sits on the eastern edge of Platte River Wilderness, within Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest, and consists of campsites that are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Open season is from May to October. The campground runs parallel to Pelton Creek and sits among lodgepole pines.
There are 16 campsites in the campground, some of which overlook the creek and a meadow. Amenities available here include picnic tables, potable water, vault toilets, and fire grates. There are no trash receptacles provided. RV length limit is 16 feet.
Recreational activities to engage in here include fishing and hiking.
Prospect Mountain WSA is a great place to enjoy a high level of solitude, the kind that leaves guests entirely refreshed and recharged. Many factors contribute to this, one of which is the combination of dense forest cover, riparian setting and numerous secluded places that abound in the wilderness.
Owing to the fact that 70 percent of this wilderness is covered by trees, guests are very easily screened from one another, making everyone enjoy good quality time as well as some peace and quiet.
North Platte River, dubbed the crowning jewel of central Wyoming, is a popular destination for campers and visitors at Prospect Mountain WSA. This unique river plays host to a lot of recreational activities that make it a Mecca for visitors in the region.
As the only floatable waterway in central Wyoming, it is a top destination for fishing in the State and highly valued as a class 1 fishery. Game fish available here include cutthroat trout, brown trout, and rainbow trout.
Hunting is a common activity within and around Prospect Mountain WSA. The most commonly hunted game in the wilderness area are mule deer and elk. Outside of the park at Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest, hunters can go after everything from moose to deer to turkeys. The forest is home to a variety of game habitats and ranges and so enthusiasts will find big game such as pronghorn antelope, black bear, and bighorn sheep.
A license is required to hunt in the forest.
Sitting within the Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest, just east of Prospect Mountain WSA is Platte River Wilderness, a 37 square mile US Forest Service-managed wilderness area that offers good opportunities for outdoor recreation.
Top of the list of things to do in Platte River Wilderness are hiking and backpacking. Guests also get the chance to hunt game and watch wildlife in the wilderness. With the appropriate license, fishing is also open to interested anglers who wish to go after trout on Douglas Creek.
Blackhall Mountain, located west of this BLM wilderness is a high mountain peak that rises to an elevation of 10,974 feet above sea level. This mountain is hard to miss for every guest in the wilderness and so presents interested vacationers with good mountaineering opportunities.
Hikers and backpackers also fancy their chances here, especially considering the reward at the top of the mountain. At the summit lies a lookout tower constructed in 1963 where scenic views of the entire area are enjoyed by those that find their way to its peak.
Cycling and mountain biking opportunities abound at Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest for those that love the activity and come along with their bikes. Cycling, for instance, is a great way to get around the forest lands as there are numerous cycling trails provided within the forest areas. Remote winding roads are also provided for cyclists to enjoy exploratory trips.
Mountain bikers will find miles of trails and roads that are best explored in summer and fall.
