Unit 124 Powder Rim (Area 124)
High-desert badlands where world-class pronghorn range a BLM sea broken by the checkerboard
Red Desert · Last reviewed 2026-07-12
Area
2,872
sq mi
Public land
65%
approx.
Elevation
6,400–8,200
feet
Motorized
moderate
access
Overview
Hunt Area 124 covers the Powder Rim country on the southern edge of Wyoming's Red Desert, straddling Sweetwater and Carbon counties west of Baggs and south of Wamsutter. This is vast, mostly-public BLM badlands anchored by the Adobe Town Wilderness Study Area, the Haystacks, and the long east-west spine of the Powder Rim itself, which serves as crucial big-game winter range and a major migration corridor. Pronghorn are the marquee draw here, with mule deer in the draws and rims and transient elk drifting down off the Sierra Madre and Elkhead Mountains. Access is generally excellent on foot but complicated in places by the Union Pacific land-grant checkerboard.
Terrain
Rolling high-desert basin and sage flats cut by badland rims, dry washes, and the escarpments of Adobe Town and the Powder Rim; open country with long sightlines and little relief cover.
Cover: Wyoming big sagebrush, greasewood, saltbush and rabbitbrush over gravel and clay; scattered juniper and limber pine on the higher rims; cottonwood and willow only along the rare drainage.
Landmarks: Powder Rim · Adobe Town Wilderness Study Area · The Haystacks · Cherokee Trail · Powder Wash · Sand Creek / Vermillion Creek drainages
Access
Large blocks of contiguous BLM south into the Adobe Town WSA, but the northern and central belt lies in the classic southwest Wyoming checkerboard — alternating one-square-mile BLM and private (Union Pacific land-grant) sections that touch only at corners. Corner-crossing is legally contested; plan routes that stay on unambiguously public ground. Verify section status with a mapping app before every stalk.
Managers: BLM, WY state trust, private ranch
Access points: Powder Wash / County Road 4 from Baggs and CO-13 · Wamsutter exit off I-80 and BLM roads south · Sweetwater County Road access from Rock Springs · Two-tracks off WY-789 near Baggs
Species notes
Pronghorn
abundant qualityCore Red Desert antelope range with high densities and good buck quality; the marquee tag and a high-success spot-and-stalk hunt across open sage.
- →Glass from rim edges and knobs at first and last light, then plan a stalk using washes and folds for cover
- →Cover ground by vehicle on BLM two-tracks to locate herds, then hunt on foot
- →Watch waterholes, reservoirs and windmills in dry early-season heat
- →Judge horns carefully at distance — the open country makes bucks look bigger than they are
Mule Deer
common opportunityDesert mule deer hold in the badland rims, cedar pockets and brushy draws; lower density than the pronghorn but honest public-land opportunity with occasional heavy-antlered bucks.
- →Still-hunt the broken rims and juniper stringers around Adobe Town
- →Glass shaded north slopes and draw heads midday
- →Focus on greasewood bottoms and water near cover
Rocky Mountain Elk
transient opportunityElk are seasonal visitors, using the Powder Rim as winter range and migrating in from the Sierra Madre and Elkhead Mountains; numbers and locations shift year to year.
- →Hunt later in the season as animals push down to winter range on the Rim
- →Scout for fresh sign along the escarpment before committing
- →Be prepared to cover big country to find a huntable group
Pro tips
- →Load a land-ownership mapping layer and treat the checkerboard as a puzzle — stay on solid public and never assume a corner is legal to cross
- →Use the rims and washes as your only terrain cover; a low, patient stalk beats trying to close fast across flat sage
- →Hunt water in the early season — reservoirs, windmills and the few live creeks pull antelope and deer
- →The Powder Rim and Adobe Town escarpment are the terrain features worth basing your hunt around
- →Air down and carry two spares; sharp gravel and gumbo eat tires out here
Watch out for
- !Union Pacific checkerboard — alternating private/BLM sections and legally contested corner-crossing
- !Gumbo roads become impassable when wet; storms can trap vehicles
- !No water, fuel or services deep in the unit — full self-sufficiency required
- !Wild-horse herds and gas-field traffic share the country
- !Adobe Town WSA travel restrictions in places
Logistics
Extremely remote high desert — services are minimal. Powder Wash is little more than gas-field infrastructure; fuel, groceries, lodging and cell service are back in Baggs, Wamsutter, Rawlins or Rock Springs. Carry extra fuel, water, recovery gear and paper maps. Roads turn to greasy, impassable gumbo when wet, so a high-clearance 4x4 and self-sufficiency are essential.
Nearest towns: Baggs, Wamsutter, Rock Springs, Rawlins, Craig, CO
Seasons & regulations
This page carries no season dates or regulations. Get current rules from the official Wyoming sources:
Research sources: WGFD Antelope Hunt Planner · BLM Adobe Town HMA (Powder Rim winter range / migration) · WyoFile — the Red Desert checkerboard · Explore Wyoming — Adobe Town, Sweetwater County
FAQ
- How big is Unit 124 in Wyoming?
- Unit 124 (Powder Rim (Area 124)) covers about 2,872 square miles, ranging from roughly 6,400 to 8,200 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
- How much public land is in Unit 124?
- Approximately 65% of the unit is public land. Primary managers: BLM, WY state trust, private ranch. Always verify ownership boundaries on the ground.
- What species does the catalog list for Unit 124?
- Pronghorn, Mule Deer, Rocky Mountain Elk. For seasons, tags, and regulations, use the official Wyoming agency resources linked on this page — this page carries no regulatory information.
Put Unit 124 on your map.
Boundary lines, public/private ownership, topo, and offline maps for this unit — in Baseline Maps, free for 14 days.