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Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management, BLM
Wyoming : Red Gulch/Alkali : National Back Country Byway
National Back Country Byway : Red Gulch/Alkali
Let the Adventure Begin…
For the next 32 miles take a step back in time as the Red Gulch/Alkali National Back Country Byway highlights many different kinds of transportation used to explore the Bighorn Basin .
Near each of the two entrances to this historic route you will see a National Back Country Byway kiosk. It provides historical information about the byway as well as road conditions.
The northern access from U.S. Highway 14, is four miles west of Shell. The southern entry can be reached from U.S. Highway 31, north of Hyattville. The route is marked with mileage signs. Milepost 0 is near Shell and milepost 32 is close to Hyattville. You can use these markers and your odometer to locate the six interpretive stops described in this brochure.
The Red Gulch/Alkali National Back Country Byway can be driven from May through October. Even light rains cause muddy, unsafe traveling conditions on the byway. The road negotiates undeveloped country which could be hazardous if traveled by the unprepared. Please take all necessary safety precautions. The road is maintained on an annual basis, however some areas of the road can accumulate several inches of dust. In normal conditions a high clearance, two-wheel drive vehicle can manage the road without much difficulty.
The steep, rugged canyons cut into the mountains along the byway and offer many challenging and interesting hiking opportunities. Among the wondrous sights you may see are hoodoos. These strangr, artistic rock formations were carved over the centuries by Wyoming 's wind.
3 miles
Exploratory oil drilling in the Cherry Anticline in the late 1950s suggested the possibility of a successful field. The Red Gulch Road was improved by the passage of heavy machinery traveling to and from well sites. Hopes for a productive field dwindled after twelve wells were drilled and not enough oil was found for commercial production. The wells were then abandoned and dry hole markers were left in their place.
10 miles
The red walls of the Chugwater Formation can be seen for miles. Their bright color comes from iron mixing with oxygen when the sediment was deposited by an inland sea 220 million years ago.
17 miles
According to local legends the Red Gulch Road may have been a spur of the Sioux War Trail, the largest of six trails used by American Indians to traverse the Bighorn Mountains . The trails crossed lowland valleys to reach the forested high country. Rock cairns, or stones stacked on top of each other, were used to mark locations along the route. During later years the same rock cairns were used by sheepherders, wood cutters, and others to mark locations. Circles of rocks may have been used to stabilize large tepees. Today these circles are occasionally seen throughout the area.
[Image: Photo of grasslands with mountains in the background.]
[Image: Photo of trees with dunes in the background.]
20 miles
The Alkali Road, completed in 1897, served as a mail route over the Bighorn Mountains. Mail was transported by wagon, horseback, sleds, and snowshoes between the communities of Big Horn and Hyattville. The trip over the mountain took several long days. The road washed out in 1899.
22 miles
Over 300 million years ago winds formed sand dunes which later solidified into the white sandstone formations in front of you. Notice the striations exposed in the dunes created by the strong Wyoming winds.
30 miles
Historic structures like the Harvey and Stan Walters homestead can be found throughout the Bighorn Basin . After crossing the Bighorn Mountains to homestead, travelers had to repeat the journey to file their claim in the General Land Office in Buffalo .
Get Away From It All
Dayhike or backpack into one of three areas nominated for the National Wilderness Preservation System.
For more information contact the nearest BLM office.
[Image: Photo of canyon.]
The Red Gulch/Alkali National Back Country Byway has a unique character and beauty. It will lead you through historic places and to unspoiled and little known treasures.
Recreational activities abound in this area. Although there are no developed sites along the byway, you may stop along the road to picnic or camp on your public lands. Spectacular scenic views offer outstanding photographic opportunities. Nearby Medicine Lodge State Archaeological Site was home to American Indians 10,000 years ago and is worth a visit.
The best way to get to know a place is to get off the highway and on the back roads where the real West awaits you. The Bureau of Land Management wants you to explore the beauty of the Red Gulch/Alkali, and similar roads and trails that have been designated as National Back Country Byways.
It's a great way to get to know America 's public lands.
[Image: Photo of grasslands, canyon and mountain.]
Public land is your land and belongs to everyone. treat it with care and respect.
Red Gulch/Alkali
[Image: Map of Red Gulch/Alkali Back Country Byway]
TREAD LIGHTLY! ON PUBLIC AND PRIVATE LAND
Red Gulch/Alkali National Back Country Byway
For more information about this and other recreational opportunities on public land contact or visit-
Worland District Office
101 South 23rd Street
P.O. Box 119
Worland , Wyoming , 82401
(307) 347-5100
Community Services
| Basin | Fuel | Food | Lodging | Vehicle Repair |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greybull | Fuel | Food | Lodging | Vehicle Repair |
| Hyattville | Food | Lodging | ||
| Manderson | Food | |||
| Shell | Fuel | Food | Lodging | |
| Worland | Fuel | Food | Lodging | Vehicle Repair |
United States Department of the Interior
Bureau of Land Management
BLM/WY/AE-90/022+4332+REV97
U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: 1997 - 573-220 / 24306 REGION NO. 8
Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management
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