NATURAL AREAS AND REGIONS 



245 



daily stage or Craig (D. & S. L. Ry.) 

 tri-weekly stage. 



Deer refuge areas, in Trapper's Lake 

 region, four of about 1000 acres each. 

 Black-tailed deer during July, August 

 and September. Best seen July 15 to 

 August 15. Best areas west of Trapper's 

 Lake. Reached by saddle and pack, 

 30 mi. from Yampa (D. & S. L. Ry.). 

 Outfit at Yampa; hotel, ranger. 



Mountain sheep refuge of about 2000 

 acres on Sheep Mountain. Bighorn 

 sheep can be easily seen throughout 

 summer. Big open country surrounded 

 by rim rock. Can be connected with 

 trip to deer refuges. Outfit at Yampa. 



Bighorn National Forest (Wyoming) 



This forest covers the Bighorn Moun- 

 tains in north central Wyoming. The 

 lower portions of the uplift are mainly 

 sedimentary rocks, while the upper 

 belongs to the Archean. 



The forest on the slopes up to 7500 ft. 

 is western yellow pine, Douglas fir, 

 limber pine and some juniper in mixed 

 stands. The upper portions are covered 

 with extensive bodies of lodgepole pine 

 and Engelmann spruce. Open grass and 

 sagebrush parks are extensive and are 

 grazed by domestic stock. Grassy 

 meadows and willow thickets are 

 frequent. 



Game animals are elk, deer, bighorn 

 sheep, black and grizzly bear. Original 

 elk herd reinforced by artificial stocking 

 in 1912; have increased so that they are 

 again plentiful on north end of Forest. 

 Bighorn sheep scarce; only few bands 

 remain around the peaks in central 

 part of Forest. A few grizzly bear on 

 the north end. Fur-bearing animals 

 include coyote, beaver, lynx, fox, mar- 

 ten, and weasel. Wolf and cougar are 

 scarce. 



Winter Elk Range on Horse Creek in 

 Tongue River Canyon. Includes approx- 

 imately 1600 acres. Domestic stock is 

 excluded by natural barriers and fenc- 

 ing. 500 elk use it as a winter feeding- 

 ground. Reached by (a) from Sheridan 

 to Dayton, 25 mi. thence 8 mi. (w) or (h). 



Hayden National Forest (Wyoming} 



The Forest lies astride the Sierra 

 Madre Range in southern Wyoming, 

 extending a few miles into Colorado. 

 The formation is almost wholly granitic. 



It is estimated that lodgepole pine 

 occupies 135,000 acres, Engelmann 

 spruce 30,000 acres and aspen 100,000 

 acres of this forest, the last on the west 

 slope. During the mining boom most 

 of the north end was burned and cut- 

 over. A large part of this area is re- 

 stocking naturally with lodgepole pine. 

 On Big Creek watershed some virgin 

 lodgepole is to be found. 



Native trout in streams on west side 

 of the Forest. Elk and black-tail deer 

 are present but not abundant. Big- 

 horn sheep not seen in recent years. 

 Antelope present on sheep range north 

 of Forest. Black bear, coyotes, bob- 

 cats, cougar, beaver, marten, mink and 

 fox are fairly abundant. Sheep and 

 cattle graze almost the entire Forest. 



In 1924 small fenced areas have been 

 set aside to determine effect of grazing 

 on the forage types and on progress of 

 pine reproduction. Obtain details of 

 location from Supervisor. 



Between the Hayden and Medicine 

 Bow Forest lies the broad and beautiful 

 valley of the North Platte, abandoned 

 ages ago when that stream found a new 

 channel well back in the mountains to 

 the east. The remarkable situation can 

 best be viewed on the Rocky Mt. high- 

 way from Laramia, by which Encamp- 

 ment may also be reached. 



Medicine Bow National Forest (Wyoming] 



Nearly this entire area is accessible 

 to stock and is grazed by cattle and 

 sheep. 85% of entire area is timber- 

 producing, and of this 95% is lodgepole 

 forest, mostly virgin though this Forest 

 has been center of tie-producing region 

 for many years. 9% of area has been 

 burned within 30 to 50 years and bears 

 dense stands lodgepole reproduction. 

 Forpark is center of tie industry, on 

 C. W. & E. Ry. from Laramie, which 

 reaches other points within Forest. 



