Thunder Basin National Grassland
With thousands of acres of prairies and grasslands, Thunder Basin National Grassland offers a unique set of recreational and sightseeing opportunities for the whole family. Thunder Basin National grassland is located in northeastern Wyoming in the Powder River Basin, nestled between the Black Hills and the Big Horn Mountains.
Thunder Basin is made up of 2 separate portions, which when combined, encompass over 570,000 acres. The land covers 5 northeastern Wyoming counties. The closest towns are Sundance and Gillette, which lie on the western edge. Also, once you reach the Thunder Basin National Grassland, Devils Tower is only a few minutes away.
The elevation of the grassland ranges from 3,600 to 5,200 feet, and bears a semi-arid environment, providing great opportunities to hike, hunt, fish, and sight see in a unique setting. Keep your eyes peeled for wildlife, as animals reside in the are year-round. Bird-watcher especially love the Thunder Basin National Grassland area as there are over 200 species of birds found here. Many different habitats are present here such as Ponderosa forests, scoria outcrops, sagebrush fields, grasslands, and a few wetland areas, which provide home for loons, ducks, geese, pelicans, herons, grebes, vultures, hawks, turkey, grouse, cranes, and many more.
Despite the multitude of activities offered in the grasslands, there are no developed campsites. Although camping is allowed, you must be careful to camp only in public grounds. The land system is complicated with intermingled public and private lands, making negotiating legal campsites difficult.
The official title of the area is Medicine Bow-Routt National Forests, Thunder Basin National Grassland, and it is managed by the US Forest Service. Originally, the area was divided into three separate sections, Medicine Bow National Forest, Routt National Forest, and Thunder Basin National Grassland, but were administratively combined in 1995 due to proximity and the similarity of resources.
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