Twin Buttes Wilderness Study Area is spread over 8,165 acres of land, managed by the Bureau of Land Management. This wilderness area is known for its characteristic eroded bed lands and huge patches of grass, juniper, and sagebrush outstretching all over the wilderness area. The most dominant features of this wilderness, however, are the Twin Buttes and the Black Mountain. The highest elevation in the wilderness is found at Twin Buttes Mesa at 8,012 feet.
This wilderness area in Sweetwater County, Wyoming is perfect for those seeking solitude and unconfined primitive opportunities for outdoor activities. Hunters, campers, hikers, and rock hounding enthusiasts are found frequenting the area.
Twin Buttes Wilderness Study Area ended up as a study area mainly because of its rare, unique, and very odd geological features. The reason why explorers and environmental researchers love this wilderness is that you can find numerous fossil deposits and traces of early man in these lands.
A hunter-gatherer lifestyle was maintained in these lands by Indian nomads. Archeological sites and various other significant cultural traces are also found in these lands.
Outdoor activities in Twin Buttes Wilderness Study Area include, but are not limited to, camping, hunting, hiking, rockhounding, off-highway driving, and sightseeing. Pack wisely and bring all the necessities when making a trip to Twin Buttes Wilderness Study Area.
Twin Buttes Wilderness Area is located in Sweetwater County in Wyoming and is only a five-mile drive away from Devil’s Playground Wilderness Study Area. The Wilderness Study Area is also about a two hours’ drive away from Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest.
From the nearest town of Green River, Wyoming the Wilderness Study Area is 3 and a half hours away. Exit the town and head east on I-80. Follow I-80 towards Hunt Road in Albany County and take the exit at 290. Then get on the WY-12 and drive east onto Big Hollow Road and towards Golden Spur Trail and your destination will be ahead.
As per BLM’s rules, motorized travel is prohibited here and the WSA is closed to visitors trying to make a mineral entry, including gold panning. A high-clearance vehicle is recommended.
Twin Buttes Wilderness Study Area offers purely primitive camping opportunities. There aren’t any facilities or amenities offered in the wilderness, and you’ll be required to bring your own water and pack and carry the trash away yourself. You can choose any campsite you want to stay at for up to 14 days. Cutting live vegetation is prohibited and you can only use dead and down wood.
This wilderness is a sensitive area with cultural significance, so it is prohibited to tamper with archeological sites. Leave no traces behind. Leashed and behaved pets are welcomed in the wilderness study area. Some sections of the boundary route of the WSA are ADA accessible.
The closest developed public campground from the WSA is nearly four hours away. Firehole Canyon Campground boasts 32 single sites and four double sites. Every campsite comes with a cabana, picnic table, and a campfire ring. The campground also offers several recreational activities including picnicking, fishing, and various water-based activities.
Hunting is a popular activity here at Twin Buttes and hundreds of hunters make their way to the wilderness during the high season. Antelope and deer are hunted in large numbers. Coyote hunting opportunities are also found here.
This is a primitive BLM wilderness, which means hunters cannot leave any traces behind and must clean-up carcasses and all traces of their hunting and camping. Most hunters use off-road vehicles for hunting purposes.
There aren’t any particularly marked trails in the area but the WSA is quite natural with its eroded bed lands, deeply incised canyons and pockets of salt brush, sagebrush, and 300 to 400 years old juniper here and there.
The only signs that disturb the natural state of the WSA are the 23 seismic and two-track trails, two fences, and 17 reservoirs. However, these trails are faded and nearly unnoticeable.
Many visitors approach the wilderness study area to explore and discover the numerous archeological sites found in the region. They can either hike up to these points or just walk through the wilderness to explore. Nomadic Indians used this area for approximately 9000 years, which a lot of time to leave lots of traces.
One important cultural ACEC site found here is the Pine Springs archeological site, which is located adjacent to the wilderness area. Another trace of the post-archaic era is found on the southeast flanks of Black Mountain, in the form of a tipi ring. Twin Buttes Wilderness Study Area has been recognized as a culturally sensitive and significant area.
There are opportunities for off-highway vehicle use in the area and visitors can take advantage of that. However, most off-highway vehicle use in the USA only has been hunting-related. There are no designated trails specifically intended for OHV use, but that doesn't mean you can't set out on your own journey of discovery.
When you get tired from all the hiking and exploring, you can take a break and find a suitable spot under really old juniper trees for picnicking in the Twin Buttes Wilderness Study Area. Be prepared though, you might be joined by some wildlife during your picnic.
Once you have eaten your snacks, lay down on your back, and wait for the stars to come out in the clear sky.
Twin Buttes WSA is home to a variety of wildlife habitats including small mammals, big games, raptors and sage grouse. Wildlife that you might come across during your foray into the wilderness includes mule deer and pronghorn antelope. Prairie dogs are also often spotted here.
As always with wildlife, keep your distance and never feed the animals, no matter how cute they are.
