Unit 66 Basin (Area 66)
The heart of the basin around Basin, Greybull, and Worland — big BLM badlands and sage with world-class pronghorn and river-bottom whitetails.
Bighorn Basin · Last reviewed 2026-07-12
Area
1,916
sq mi
Public land
55%
approx.
Elevation
3,800–6,500
feet
Motorized
extensive
access
Overview
Hunt Area 66 covers a large slice of the central Bighorn Basin around the towns of Basin, Greybull, Manderson, and Worland — nearly 1,900 square miles of sage flats, painted badland breaks, and the cottonwood corridors of the Bighorn, Greybull, and Nowood Rivers. This is classic Wyoming basin country: expansive BLM with private irrigated ranch and farm ground threaded along the waterways. Pronghorn are the marquee draw, riding a Bighorn Basin population that has been stable to increasing with good fawn production, while mule deer work the breaks, whitetails hold in the river bottoms, and scattered Cody-herd elk use the foothill and agricultural fringes.
Terrain
Wide-open Bighorn Basin floor of sagebrush flats, eroded clay badlands, and rimrock benches cut by the Bighorn, Greybull, and Nowood River valleys, rising gently toward foothills on the basin margins.
Cover: Sagebrush-grassland and greasewood across the flats, sparse desert shrub and barren badland clay, cottonwood and willow galleries along the rivers, with juniper and mountain-mahogany on the higher benches and foothill slopes.
Landmarks: Bighorn River · Greybull River · Nowood River · Sheep Mountain · Tatman Mountain · Gooseberry badlands · Basin · Greybull
Access
The southern-Wyoming Union Pacific checkerboard does not extend into the Bighorn Basin, so access here is a straightforward BLM-versus-deeded-ranch mosaic rather than a section-by-section land-grant grid. Vast BLM tracts cover the open sage and badlands, but the productive irrigated bottoms and many benches are private ranchland. Some public sections are landlocked behind deeded ground — check the ownership layer and know Wyoming's corner-crossing rules before crossing between diagonal public parcels. Walk-in and Hunter Management Areas open additional private acreage in the basin; secure permission slips in advance.
Managers: BLM, private ranch, WY state trust
Access points: US 16 / US 20 corridors through Basin, Greybull, and Worland · BLM roads into the Gooseberry and Fifteenmile badlands · Nowood Road up the Nowood River valley · Greybull River access west of Basin · county roads onto BLM sage flats
Species notes
Pronghorn
abundant qualityThe signature animal of the unit — pronghorn are widespread across the basin's sage flats and badland margins, and Bighorn Basin herds have shown increased fawn production and hunter success in recent seasons.
- →Cover ground and glass the open sage and greasewood flats for feeding bands
- →Use the folds of the badlands and dry washes to stalk into range
- →Focus near reliable water in the dry, hot early season
- →Sort out BLM-versus-private early and hunt the big public blocks
Mule Deer
common opportunityMule deer inhabit the badland breaks, rimrock benches, and brushy draws throughout the basin, with better bucks in the rougher, less-accessible country.
- →Glass rims, coulees, and mahogany pockets at first and last light
- →Hunt the badland breaks and river-break edges
- →Check cover near water sources during warm early seasons
Whitetail Deer
common opportunityWhitetails hold in the cottonwood and willow bottoms and adjacent farm edges along the Bighorn, Greybull, and Nowood Rivers.
- →Still-hunt river cottonwoods and brush lines morning and evening
- →Watch transitions between crop fields and riparian cover
- →Most bottomland is private — arrange permission or use river access
Rocky Mountain Elk
limited opportunityElk are a minor presence in the open basin, tied to the Cody herd and using foothill fringes and agricultural ground on the unit margins rather than the interior desert.
- →Focus on foothill and river-break cover on the basin edges
- →Watch field edges near cover at dawn and dusk
- →Expect low densities and largely private holding ground
Pro tips
- →This is one of Wyoming's strong pronghorn units — put in for it and plan to cover a lot of open ground
- →Study the BLM/private ownership map first; the biggest public blocks are in the sage and badlands, not the bottoms
- →Hunt water and shade edges in the hot early pronghorn and archery seasons
- →Know Wyoming's corner-crossing rules — landlocked public sections sit behind deeded ranches here
- →Never head onto the clay two-tracks with rain in the forecast; gumbo will strand you
Watch out for
- !Irrigated river bottoms and many benches are private — verify boundaries against the ownership layer
- !Landlocked BLM/state sections require corner-crossing awareness
- !Clay two-tracks become impassable gumbo when wet
- !Hot, dry, waterless country early; carry ample water and fuel
- !Little shelter from basin wind and sudden weather swings
Logistics
Basin, Greybull, and Worland offer fuel, lodging, groceries, and basic supplies along the US 16/20 corridor, making this an easy unit to base and access. The basin is gridded with BLM two-tracks and ranch roads that turn to impassable gumbo when wet — carry recovery gear, extra water, and fuel for long loops on the open ground.
Nearest towns: Basin, Greybull, Worland, Manderson
Seasons & regulations
This page carries no season dates or regulations. Get current rules from the official Wyoming sources:
Research sources: WGFD 2025 Wyoming Hunt Forecast (Bighorn Basin pronghorn/deer) · WGFD Nonresident Deer Area 66 · WGFD Chapter 7 Elk Hunting Seasons — Cody herd areas
FAQ
- How big is Unit 66 in Wyoming?
- Unit 66 (Basin (Area 66)) covers about 1,916 square miles, ranging from roughly 3,800 to 6,500 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
- How much public land is in Unit 66?
- Approximately 55% of the unit is public land. Primary managers: BLM, private ranch, WY state trust. Always verify ownership boundaries on the ground.
- What species does the catalog list for Unit 66?
- Pronghorn, Mule Deer, Whitetail 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 66 on your map.
Boundary lines, public/private ownership, topo, and offline maps for this unit — in Baseline Maps, free for 14 days.