Unit 45 Paint Rock Creek (Area 45)
Paint Rock Creek — Worland basin sage to the roof of the Bighorns beneath Cloud Peak.
Bighorn Mountains (southwest) · Last reviewed 2026-07-12
Area
778
sq mi
Public land
83%
approx.
Elevation
3,900–13,100
feet
Motorized
moderate
access
Overview
Hunt Area 45 anchors the southwest end of the Bighorn Mountains, running from the Bighorn River at Worland and Manderson east up Paint Rock and Medicine Lodge country to the crest at Powder River Pass and into the high wilderness near Cloud Peak. It climbs from roughly 3,900 feet of basin sage and irrigated ranch land to over 13,000 feet of rocky alpine peaks, and is about 83 percent public — mostly Bighorn National Forest with a slice of the Cloud Peak Wilderness. Elk are the draw here as part of the Paintrock herd (shared with Area 41), a small but stable population managed near objective; mule deer, some whitetail along the river, pronghorn on the basin floor, and black bear on the forest fill out the unit. Highway 16 over Powder River Pass is the main artery. This is Bighorn Basin country — there is no southern-Wyoming checkerboard.
Terrain
From basin sage and the Bighorn River bottom near Worland and Manderson, the country rises through heavy-timbered ridges and valleys to rugged, rocky alpine peaks and grassy meadows in the Cloud Peak Wilderness high country. Rough but a touch less brutal than the ranges farther west.
Cover: Basin sage, greasewood and irrigated ag low; juniper and mahogany on the breaks; dense lodgepole, fir and spruce mid-mountain; whitebark pine, tundra and rock at the crest.
Landmarks: Paint Rock Creek · Cloud Peak Wilderness · Powder River Pass (Highway 16) · Upper Medicine Lodge Lake · Ten Sleep Canyon · Bighorn River at Worland/Manderson
Access
About 83 percent public, with abundant National Forest for DIY hunters, but the private ranch belt between the basin and the forest boundary is the access filter — use forest trailheads off Highway 16 and Cold Springs / Paint Rock roads rather than crossing ranch ground. Note the Cloud Peak Wilderness: nonresidents must hunt with a licensed outfitter or an accompanying resident guide in the wilderness. No Union Pacific checkerboard in this basin.
Managers: USFS Bighorn NF, private ranch, BLM, WY state trust
Access points: Highway 16 / Powder River Pass corridor · Paint Rock Creek and Cold Springs roads · Ten Sleep Canyon access · Bighorn NF trailheads into the Cloud Peak Wilderness
Species notes
Rocky Mountain Elk
common qualityThe marquee animal and part of the Paintrock herd — a small but stable population near objective. Mature bulls come from the remote timber and wilderness canyons; a good archery-season opportunity for a patient hunter.
- →Hunt the remote timbered ridges and wilderness canyon heads for mature bulls
- →Time the rut mid-to-late September for vocal bulls
- →Access public country off Highway 16 rather than through the ranches
- →Nonresidents need an outfitter or resident guide to hunt inside the Cloud Peak Wilderness
Mule Deer
common qualityMule deer use the canyon breaks, timbered ridges and high basins, with bucks summering near timberline before storms push them down.
- →Glass timbered ridges and high meadows at first light
- →Work the mahogany-and-juniper breaks at the forest edge in early season
- →Follow an early cold front to move bucks down off the peaks
Whitetail Deer
limited opportunityWhitetails hold in the Bighorn River bottoms and irrigated corridors around Worland and Manderson.
- →Hunt the river cottonwoods and ag edges morning and evening
- →This bottom ground is overwhelmingly private — get permission first
Pronghorn
common opportunityPronghorn range the sage basin and low benches west of the mountains near Worland.
- →Glass the sage flats from basin county roads
- →Secure ranch or walk-in permission on the private basin ground
- →Use terrain folds to close on bedded bucks
Black Bear
limited opportunityBlack bears work the timbered canyons and berry pockets of the Bighorn NF portion of the unit.
- →Glass berry patches, aspen and open chutes on the forest
- →Hunt the cool hours in the canyon heads
Cougar
limited opportunityMountain lions follow deer through the canyon and breaks country; a winter snow-tracking pursuit.
- →Cut fresh tracks on snowed forest roads after a storm
- →Focus on lower-canyon deer wintering areas
Pro tips
- →Base out of Worland and use Highway 16 forest trailheads to reach public country without crossing ranch ground
- →For a mature bull, get into the remote timber and wilderness canyons away from the road
- →Nonresidents must have an outfitter or resident guide to hunt the Cloud Peak Wilderness — plan accordingly
- →Time the last two weeks of September for rutting bulls
- →Let an early cold front push deer and elk down out of the high basins
Watch out for
- !Private ranch belt between the basin and the forest — use forest trailheads, not ranch crossings
- !Cloud Peak Wilderness guide requirement for nonresidents
- !River-bottom whitetail ground is nearly all private
- !Severe, fast-changing weather above 10,000 feet; Powder River Pass and forest roads close with snow — plan for long, steep pack-outs
Logistics
Worland is the main hub for fuel, groceries and lodging; Ten Sleep and Manderson are smaller stops, and Buffalo sits over the pass to the east. Camping is plentiful on Bighorn National Forest along Highway 16. Cell service fades once you leave the basin, so carry offline maps. Highway 16 over Powder River Pass and the forest roads close or become treacherous with snow.
Nearest towns: Worland, Manderson, Ten Sleep, Hyattville, Buffalo
Seasons & regulations
This page carries no season dates or regulations. Get current rules from the official Wyoming sources:
Research sources: GOHUNT — Wyoming Unit 45 Paint Rock Creek profile · WGFD 2025 Hunt Forecast (Paintrock elk herd status) · Bighorn National Forest — Hunting & Shooting
FAQ
- How big is Unit 45 in Wyoming?
- Unit 45 (Paint Rock Creek (Area 45)) covers about 778 square miles, ranging from roughly 3,900 to 13,100 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
- How much public land is in Unit 45?
- Approximately 83% of the unit is public land. Primary managers: USFS Bighorn NF, private ranch, BLM, WY state trust. Always verify ownership boundaries on the ground.
- What species does the catalog list for Unit 45?
- Rocky Mountain Elk, Mule Deer, Whitetail Deer, Pronghorn, Black Bear, Cougar. For seasons, tags, and regulations, use the official Wyoming agency resources linked on this page — this page carries no regulatory information.
Put Unit 45 on your map.
Boundary lines, public/private ownership, topo, and offline maps for this unit — in Baseline Maps, free for 14 days.