Thunder Basin National Grassland

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Okay, I've got a confession to make. The picture above wasn't really taken in the Thunder Basin National Grassland, but at nearby Devils Tower the day before. We had a very pleasant drive this last December through Thunder Basin on our way to the Black Hills National Forest near Custer, but I never managed to snap a picture. (This is partly due to the fact that it was colder than hell that morning, and I didn't feel like getting out of the car — a Jim Bridger I'm not!)
Surprisingly, though, the terrain of Thunder Basin National Grassland is quite similar in appearance to that appearing in the picture above. There are pockets of strangely colored soil, sometimes black from the large amounts of coal here, and sometimes red from who knows what. Quite a few pines and junipers pop up unexpectedly in places, and the land is anything but monotonous. Anyway, this picture, taken during a beautiful snow squall, is fairly representative of some of the soils and trees you're apt to see in Thunder Basin National Grassland. And if nothing else, you now know that you're only minutes away from Devils Tower in case you need an "altitude" fix! Thunder Basin is split in two disjoint portions, both in northeastern Wyoming. The combined area is over 572,000 acres, making this one of the larger units. The closest towns to it are Sundance (which we used as a home base) and Gillette on the western edge.		A Challenge I like to make the following brag. Blindfold me and drive me to any of the ten National Grasslands I've visited so far, and don't give me any hints where we end up. Now, remove the blindfold and allow me thirty seconds to look around. I claim I can positively identify the grassland were in. Boasting? Perhaps, but the truth is each grassland is very different from the others. Even those that are in close proximity to one another (like Comanche and Cimarron) vary considerably, if not in the vegetation then in the geology or topography. In the case of Thunder Basin, it's the presence of many pines on the more elevated bluffs that make it stand out. It's a case of "the Black Hills meet the prairie."
Early in the morning, as we began our tour, the short grasses in the lower plains were completely covered in hoarfrost; what a sight! We noticed quite a few mule deer browsing by the wooded margins, and later spotted a number of bald and golden eagles. The golden eagles were very solitary in nature, but the bald eagles (three or four) congregated to feast on a little tasty carrion by the side of the road.

Ghost Towns?

Traveling to well known tourist areas in the winter can often be a challenge; your selection of motels and eateries drops off considerably. For example, on this trip we passed through Keystone, South Dakota (at the base of Mount Rushmore) and there wasn't a soul to be seen. The 50+ shops, motels and filling stations were absolutely deserted. And frequently any open restaurants you do find, charge inflated prices for rubbish. Murdo, South Dakota comes to mind here — ten bucks for a piece of shoe leather (advertised as liver and onions) is a bit much! (This wasn't the superior Star Restaurant, by the way, which was closed for the season.)

We lucked out in Sundance, Wyoming however. The cozy Arrowhead Motel was our excellent headquarters on this trip, and just across the street was the ARO Restaurant. Words can't describe the quality and value of the meals we got there — memories of the super crisp veggies in the colorful salads linger in my mind especially.

Deeper inside the grassland we saw the traditional "grasshoppers." pumping oil from the ground, and the obligatory railroads for hauling coal. This really is a mineralogical El Dorado here; there are coal, uranium and bentonite mines, as well as large fields of oil and natural gas. In fact, the largest surface coal mine in North America is located in Thunder Basin National Grassland.

As I mentioned, the winter time viewing was exquisite, but our time here was way too short. Basically, this was a quick visit during semester break, just to get out of town and try to forget the misery of grading final exams and term papers. But having gotten an overview of Thunder Basin, I know I'll be returning during warmer weather. I learned that the annual rainfall here is as low as 11 inches, and you know what that means — stunted grasses! (I think I've made it clear by now how I consider the shortgrass prairies to be among the most beautiful).

Before turning you loose on the links below, let me emphasize once again the importance of having a good map when visiting any grassland. Apart from being able to locate viable roads, you'll also need one to help you distinguish private from public land. Please be aware that land ownership changes from time to time (due to estate sales, swaps, etc.) so you might want to ask about any alterations at the Grassland office beforehand.

Contact Information		Links to Related Resources


Thunder Basin National Grassland 2250 East Richards Douglas, Wyoming 82633 Phone: (307) 358-4690 or (307) 358-1604 Email: jpennell@fs.fed.us		Federal Devils Tower National Monument Forest Service Map Orders State State of Wyoming Travel and Tourism Municipal City of Sundance Other Interesting Sites Bird Checklist for Thunder Basin Customized Topo Maps from Wildernet National Wildlife Federation's comments