Shoshone National Forest
Encyclopedia
Shoshone National Forest (icon ) is the first federally
protected National Forest
in the United States and covers nearly 2.5 million acres (10,000 km2) in the state
of Wyoming
. Originally a part of the Yellowstone Timberland Reserve, the forest was created by an act of Congress
and signed into law by U.S. President
Benjamin Harrison
in 1891. There are four wilderness
areas within the forest, protecting more than half of the managed land
area from development. From sagebrush
plains through dense spruce
and fir
forest to craggy mountain
peaks, Shoshone National Forest has a rich biodiversity
rarely matched in any protected area.
Three major mountain ranges are partially in the forest: the Absaroka, the Beartooth
and the Wind River Range
. Yellowstone National Park
forms part of the boundary to the west; south of Yellowstone, the Continental Divide
separates the forest from its neighbor, the Bridger-Teton National Forest
, to the west. The eastern boundary includes privately owned property, lands managed by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management
and the Wind River Indian Reservation
, which belongs to the Shoshone
and Arapahoe Indians. Custer National Forest
along the Montana
border is the boundary to the north. The Oregon Trail
, the 19th-century covered wagon
route, passes just south of the forest, where broad and gentle South Pass
allowed the migrants to bypass the rugged mountains of the forest. All of the forest is a part of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem
, an unbroken expanse of federally protected lands encompassing an estimated 20 million acres (81,000 km2).
Shoshone National Forest is named after the Shoshone Indians
, who, along with other Native American
groups such as the Lakota, Crow and Northern Cheyenne, were the major tribes encountered by the first white
explorers into the region. Archeological
evidence suggests that the presence of Indian tribes in the area extends back at least 8,000 years. The forest provided an abundance of game meat, wood products, and shelter during the winter months from the more exposed high plains
to the east. Portions of the more mountainous regions were frequented by the Shoshone and Sioux (Lakota people|Lakota) for spiritual healing and vision quest
s. By 1840, Chief Washakie had become the leader of the easternmost branch of the Shoshone Indians. In 1868 he negotiated with the U.S. Government for 2.2 million acres (8,900 km2) to be preserved as tribal lands, known today as the Wind River Indian Reservation
. Prior to the establishment of the reservation, the U.S. Cavalry
constructed Fort Brown on the reservation lands, which was subsequently renamed Fort Washakie. During the late 19th century, the fort was staffed by African-American
members of the U.S. Cavalry, better known as the Buffalo Soldiers. Chief Washakie is buried at the fort, which is located immediately east of the forest boundary. Rumor has it that Sacajawea, the Shoshone Indian who provided invaluable assistance to Meriwether Lewis
and William Clark during the Lewis and Clark Expedition
, is also buried here, but it is now considered that this is unlikely and that her actual burial place is much farther east.
In the early 19th century, the forest was visited by mountain men
and explorers such as John Colter
and Jim Bridger
. Colter is the first white man known to have visited both the Yellowstone region and the forest, which he did between 1806 and 1808. Having been an original member of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, Colter requested permission from Meriwether Lewis to leave the expedition after it had finished crossing the Rocky Mountains
during their return journey from the Pacific Ocean
. Colter teamed up with two unaffiliated explorers the expedition had encountered, but soon thereafter decided to explore regions south of where his new partners wished to venture. Traveling first into the northeastern region of what is today Yellowstone National Park, Colter then explored the Absaroka Mountains, crossing over Togwotee Pass
and entering the valley known today as Jackson Hole
. Colter survived a grizzly bear
attack and a pursuit by a band of Blackfeet
Indians who had taken his horse. The explorer later provided William Clark, who had been his commander on the Lewis and Clark Expedition, with previously unknown information on the regions he had explored, which Clark published in 1814.
Travels by fur trappers
and adventurers, such as Manuel Lisa
and Jim Bridger from 1807 to 1840, completed the exploration of the region. With the decline of the fur trade in the late 1840s and much of the prized beaver
long since made scarce by over-trapping, few white explorers entered the forest over the next few decades. Explorations under direction of F.V. Hayden
in 1871 were the first federally financed and supported. Hayden was primarily interested in documenting the Yellowstone country west of the forest, but his expedition also established that the forest was a prime resource that merited protection. Travels in the forest in the 1880s by later U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt
, who was also a strong advocate of land conservation
, as well as by General Philip Sheridan
, provided the impetus that subsequently established the Yellowstone Timberland Reserve in 1891, creating the first national forest in the U.S.
In 1902 President Roosevelt first greatly expanded the reserve and then divided the reserve into four separate units, with Shoshone being the largest. Upon the creation of the U.S. Forest Service
in 1905, the reserve was designated a National Forest
, but the current wording and title were formulated forty years later in 1945. A remnant of the earliest years of the forest management is the Wapiti Ranger Station
which is located west of Cody, Wyoming
. The station was built in 1903 and is the oldest surviving ranger station in any national forest, and is now designated a National Historic Landmark
.
During the last decade of the 19th century, minerals such as gold
were mined with limited success. The last mine was abandoned in 1907, but panning
for gold is still allowed in many areas of the forest, and in most circumstances no permit is required. After the end of the mining era, numerous camps were established by the Civilian Conservation Corps
to help combat unemployment during the Great Depression
of the 1930s. The camps housed groups of unemployed men who were paid by the federal government to build roads, hiking
trails, and campgrounds for future travelers to the Yellowstone region. Visitation increased after the end of World War II
with the advent of better roads and accessibility to the region.
Shoshone National Forest is managed by the U.S. Forest Service
, an agency within the U.S. Department of Agriculture
. The forest is separated into five districts and has a staff of 145 employees. The annual operating budget is $
15,000,000, with much of it from grants
. The headquarters and a visitor center are in Cody, Wyoming
and a smaller information center is in Lander, Wyoming
. There are local ranger
district offices in Cody
, Dubois
, and Lander
.
As is true with all National Forests in the U.S., Shoshone National Forest practices conservation
of resources, which ensures a sustainable flow of some raw materials from the forest, such as lumber
for construction purposes and wood pulp
for paper products. Additionally, mineral
extraction through mining
and oil
and gas
exploration and recovery are also conducted, though in Shoshone National Forest this has become less common due to a consensus to protect the natural surroundings. More common than logging and mining are the lease options that are offered to ranchers to allow them to graze cattle
and sheep. The forest provides guidelines and enforces environmental regulations to ensure that resources are not overexploited and that necessary commodities are available for future generations, though conservation groups have voiced concerns over the management practices of the leasing program and especially cattle overgrazing problems.
The efforts of environmentalists
combined with public demand led to the creation of wilderness
designated zones beginning in 1964 within most U.S. Government land areas that fit the criteria of wilderness. The wilderness designation provides a much higher level of land protection and prohibits any alterations by man to the resource. In Shoshone National Forest, less than ten percent of the total area is utilized for land lease, logging
or mineral extraction. The rest of the forest is either designated wilderness, reserved for habitat protection for plants and animals, or set aside for visitor recreation. However, the overgrazing of cattle in riparian areas and into zones not within lease agreements are continuous points of argument. Oil and gas exploration interest groups also lobby to explore regions that may adversely impact wildlife habitat. Plans to build roads into nonwilderness areas for easier extraction of timber have come under fire and are not in compliance with recent legislation that prohibits such construction. Illegal off-road
motorized transport by all-terrain vehicle
s and snowmobile
s continues to be a problem, especially in wilderness areas. Lastly, protection of threatened
and endangered species
such as the grizzly
and wolf is sometimes met with opposition from local ranching interests.
of plant
s. Lower elevations often have sagebrush
and grass
-dominated vegetation
types, while forested areas are dominated by various combinations of species. These include lodgepole pine
, which along with Rocky Mountain juniper
, douglas fir and quaking aspen
are found at elevations up to 9,000 feet (2,700 m). At higher elevation subalpine fir
, Engelmann spruce
, whitebark pine
and limber pine
, are common, each occurring up to timberline. Along lower elevation riparian corridors, cottonwoods and willow
s are typically dominant. Numerous plant species are endemic
to the region. Among them, the whitlow grass
, fremont bladderpod
, shoshonea, and the north fork Easter daisy
provide vivid white and yellow flowers during the spring and summer.
Exotic species, accidentally introduced by tourists, are usually found near roadways and campgrounds. The mountain pine beetle
is a naturally occurring insect
species that is known to infest forest groves, and is particularly common in areas with numerous lodgepole pines and fir trees. During strong infestations, the beetle can wipe out huge areas of forest, increasing wildfire
potential and reducing habitat and the sustainability of the forest. The Forest Service has an invasive species control effort that identifies and attempts to contain the further spread of non-native plants.
grey wolf into Shoshone National Forest after the successful Wolf Reintroduction
Program in the Yellowstone region commenced in the late 1990s, virtually all of the known 50 mammal
species that existed prior to white settlement still exist.
An estimated 125 grizzly bears roam between the forest, Yellowstone National Park and the two other National Forests that border the Shoshone. The grizzly is listed as a threatened species
by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in the lower 48 states, and the forest is one of their last strongholds. For what are considered to be "problem bears", non-lethal traps are set to capture them so that they can be relocated to remote areas, away from civilization. In the case of the grizzly, each captured bear is tranquilized and then ear tagged with an identifying number. Each number is registered, and if the bear continues to return to areas where they pose a risk of imminent threat to human safety, they are exterminated. The grizzly recovery efforts implemented by federal agencies have often been the subject of major disagreements with local landowners and surrounding municipalities. This situation occurs less frequently with the smaller and less aggressive black bear
, of which an estimated 500 reside in the forest. An active management program, in conjunction with other National Forests and National Parks within the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, works cooperatively to maximize human safety and to ensure habitat protection for both species of endemic bears. Visitors are mandated to store their food in their vehicles or in steel containers found in campgrounds, and bear-proof
trash receptacles are located in the front-country zones throughout the forest. In the backcountry
, food must be stored some distance from campsites, and other related precautions are enforced to help prevent bad encounters.
The mountain lion (also known as the puma or cougar) and the gray wolf are the major carnivore
s that inhabit the forest. The nocturnal mountain lion is rarely seen and their numbers are not known, but evidence such as numerous paw prints suggests they are widespread. The wolf has migrated into the forest from Yellowstone National Park but is less common in the forest. The population of wolves is hoped to increase over time for this endangered species. Other omnivorous mammals in the forest include the wolverine
, coyote
, bobcat
, weasel
, marten
and ferret
. Additionally, the beaver
, marmot
, pika
, raccoon
and badger
are commonly found throughout the forest.
Native herbivores such as the moose
are found in small numbers near waterways, especially at lower elevations. Elk
(also known as wapiti), mule deer
and pronghorn
(also called pronghorn antelope) are some of the most commonly seen mammals and there are some small populations of bison
. Bighorn sheep
and mountain goat
s inhabit the rocky terrain and highest elevations. During the winter, the largest bighorn sheep herd in the lower 48 states congregate in the region around Dubois, Wyoming
; however, their numbers since 1990 have been greatly diminished due to disease and coyote predation.
An estimated 300 species of birds are found in the forest at least part of the year. Bald
and golden eagle
s are more common now than they have been for decades and tend to inhabit areas near waterways. Peregrine falcon
, merlin
, hawk
s and the great horned owl
are other birds of prey that have become more widespread. The gregarious black-billed magpie
and Clark's nutcracker
(in the crow family
) frequent areas near campgrounds and lakes. The trumpeter swan
is found in very limited numbers, primarily in or near lakes and streams. Other waterfowl such as the great blue heron
, white pelican
, Canada goose
and numerous species of duck
s are also seen. pheasant
, sage grouse
and wild turkey
are widely distributed across the open sage lands.
There are eight species and subspecies of trout
present in streams in the Forest, with the cutthroat trout
being the only species native to Wyoming. The Yellowstone cutthroat trout
is found only in the forest and adjacent parks and is one of four subspecies of cutthroat trout in the forest. Additional game fish species include arctic grayling
, mountain whitefish
and the shovelnose sturgeon
.
There are few reptile
s in the forest; however, several snake species including the venomous prairie rattlesnake
can be found at lower elevations along with other reptiles such as the western painted turtle
and the ornate box turtle
. Amphibians such as the Columbia spotted frog
, tiger salamander
and the boreal toad
are relatively common.
Insects such as mosquito
s and black flies
can be pesky in the spring and summer and at the highest altitudes are known to be very bothersome.
The forest contains four areas of pristine wilderness
that have remained largely untouched by human activities such as mining, logging, and road and building construction. The four regions comprise 1.5 million acres (6,000 km2) and include the North Absaroka
, Washakie
, Fitzpatrick
and Popo Agie Wilderness
es. Additionally, a small portion of the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness
extends into the extreme northwestern part of the forest, along the Montana border.
The Wilderness Act of 1964
enhanced the protection status of remote and/or undeveloped land already contained within federally administered protected areas. Passage of the act ensured that no human improvements would take place aside from those already existing. The protected status in wilderness designated zones prohibits road and building construction
, oil
and mineral
exploration or extraction
, and logging, and also prohibits the use of motorized equipment, including even bicycle
s. The only manner in which people can enter wilderness areas is either on foot or horseback
. Hunting
and fishing
are permitted in the wilderness, just as they are throughout the forest, provided those engaging in such activities have the proper licenses and permits.
, a multiagency effort of federal, state and local resources, and local land owners on the Wildland-Urban Interface, a system of fire restrictions, fuels management, and a controlled burn
plan was developed to reduce the chances of a huge catastrophic fire.
Lightning storms
cause 70% of the wildfires in the forest. These are usually produced by thunderstorms that have a lot of energy but little associated moisture, a common occurrence during midsummer. The remainder of the wildfires are attributed to neglected campfire
s and other human carelessness.
In the case of unnatural wildfires, the forest has a policy of complete suppression except in cases of prescribed burns, which are a part of the Fire Management Plan. An average of 25 fires occur every year, and larger fires of over 1000 acres (4 km²) occur about every three years. In 2003 more than 50 fires were recorded, of which five affected an area greater than 1000 acres (4 km²).
The forest maintains a full-time fire staff of a dozen individuals through the summer. Their jobs include maintaining a high level of preparedness, keeping a vigilant lookout for fire activity, responding to reports of fires, maintaining equipment, monitoring weather and relative atmospheric dryness, and preparing daily fire activity reports, which are used to post fire information for visitors and staff. The forest has five wildland fire engines, pumps, hand tools and many miles of fire hose at its disposal. A helicopter
can be summoned quickly, along with a regional base for a team of smokejumper
s and air tankers
used to provide air support in the manner of retardant
and water drops. In the case of larger fires, the National Interagency Fire Command can mobilize available resources within days or even hours.
The altitude in the forest ranges from 4600 feet (1,402.1 m) near Cody, Wyoming, to 13804 feet (4,207.5 m) at the top of Gannett Peak
, an elevation gain of over 9,200 feet (2,800 m). Of the three major mountain range
s found in the forest, they are geologically
distinct from each other. All of the mountains are a part of the Rockies
and are at the transitional point between the central Rockies and the northern Rockies. The Absaroka Mountains were named after the Crow Indian tribe, although they only inhabited the far northernmost part to the mountain range. The majority of the Absaroka Mountains are contained within the forest, with the highest peak being Francs Peak
at 13153 feet (4,009 m). Stretching north to south through the northern and eastern sections of the forest, they span over 100 miles (160.9 km) from the Montana
border to south of Dubois, Wyoming
.
Important passes
through the Absarokas include Sylvan Pass
, which leads to the eastern entrance of Yellowstone National Park; and Togwotee Pass
, which provides access to Jackson Hole and Grand Teton National Park
. The peaks of the Absaroka are basaltic in origin, having been the result of volcanic activity estimated to have occurred 50 million years ago during the Eocene
epoch
. The rocks themselves are relatively dark and consist of rhyolite
, andesite
and breccia
s. Because of the erosional influences of glacier
s and water and the relative softness of the rocks, the Absarokas are quite craggy in appearance. Gold
was mined from the slopes of Francs Peak
until 1907, and the small ghost town
of Kirwin is still visited. Few lakes exist in the Absarokas, but the headwaters of both the Bighorn
and Yellowstone River
s are found there.
The Beartooth Mountains in the northernmost section of the forest are intrusive
igneous
and metamorphic
in origin, and at 3.96 billion years old, some of these exposed Precambrian
rocks are among the oldest found on the Earth. Although often considered a part of the Absarokas, they are distinct in appearance and geologic history. Uplifted approximately 70 million years ago during the Laramide orogeny
, the Beartooths consist of vast windswept plateaus and rugged peaks with sometimes sheer cliff faces. The granite
, gneiss
and schist
rocks are rich in minerals such as chromium
and platinum
. Iron
and magnesium
are found in the biotite
, amphibole
s and pyroxene
minerals throughout the range. Quartz
and feldspar
s are also commonly found. Geologists believe that the Beartooths were at one time at least 20000 feet (6,096 m) in altitude, but subsequent erosion for tens of millions of years has reduced them to an average of 12000 feet (3,657.6 m) for the higher peaks. There are an estimated 300 lakes in the Beartooth region of Shoshone National Forest, some of them left behind by the receding glaciers of the last glacial maximum
known as the Pinedale Glaciation, which ended roughly 10,000 years ago. The Beartooth Highway
(U.S. Highway 212) crosses 10974 feet (3,344.9 m) Beartooth Pass, and from there descends to the northeast entrance to Yellowstone National Park.
The Wind River Range is in the southern portion of the forest and is composed primarily of granitic rock, gneiss and schist. Gannett Peak is the highest peak in Wyoming, and another seven peaks also exceed 13500 feet (4,114.8 m). At one time, Fremont Peak
was thought to be the tallest mountain in the Rocky Mountains due to its prominence when viewed from the Oregon Trail. Over 230 mountains rise above 12000 feet (3,657.6 m). This range is also popular with mountain climbers from all over the world because of its solid rock and variety of routes. The Cirque of the Towers
in the Popo Agie Wilderness
is one of the more popular climbing and hiking destinations, and an estimated 200 different climbing routes are located within the peaks that surround the cirque
. Hundreds of lakes are located in this region as are the headwaters of the Wind River
.
There are over 500 lakes in the forest, and 2500 miles (4,023.4 km) of streams and rivers. The Clarks Fork of the Yellowstone River is designated as a National Wild and Scenic River
for 22 miles (35.4 km) through the forest, with cliffs towering up to 2000 feet (609.6 m) as the river winds through a gorge. The forest is on the eastern slopes of the Continental Divide, and the rivers flow into the Atlantic Ocean basin
.
, centered around the highest mountain peaks. However, the state water board for Wyoming lists only 63 glaciers for the entire Wind River Range, and this includes areas outside the forest boundaries. While there is little doubt that the forest has more glaciers than any other in the rockies, there is no controversy that all of the glaciers in the forest are retreating rapidly.
Reversing the growth that occurred during the Little Ice Age
(1350–1850), there has been a reduction of mountain glacial ice
worldwide of 50% since 1850. Much of this reduction has been well documented by photographic
evidence and other data. An increase in recession rate since the 1970s, however, seems to be correlated with anthropogenic global warming
.
The behavior of the glaciers of Shoshone National Forest is consistent with this pattern. The area covered by glaciers shrank by 50% in the century after they were first photographed in the late 1890s. Research between 1950 and 1999 demonstrated that the glaciers shrank by over a third in that period. Research also indicates that the glacial retreat was proportionately greater in the 1990s than in any other decade of the last 100 years. Gannett Glacier
, on the northeast slope of Gannett Peak, is the largest single glacier in the U.S. Rocky Mountains. It has reportedly lost over 50% of its volume since 1920 with 25% of that loss since 1980. Fremont Glacier has been studied more than any other in the Wind River Range. Scientist have obtained ice core
s from the Fremont Glacier and found that there have been measurable changes in the atmosphere over the past 500 years.
The small glaciers in the forest are less able to resist melting than the great ice sheets of Greenland
and Antarctica. Once a glacier begins retreating, it may fall into disequilibrium and be unable to find mass balance
(accumulation
versus melting
rate) at any size. Without a favorable climate change, it will continue to retreat until it disappears. Glaciologists predict that if current trends continue, the remaining glaciers in the forest will disappear by 2020. Shrinkage already reduces the summer glacial runoff that supplies water to streams and lakes and provides a cold-water source vital to certain fish and plant species. This, in turn, may have a significant impact on the forest ecosystem over time.
state. However, Shoshone National Forest is located in some of the largest mountain ranges in the state, which ensure that glaciers and snowmelt provide water for streams through the dry summer months. The average temperature at the lower elevations is 72 °F (22.2 °C) during the summer and 20 °F (-6.7 °C) during the winter, and the higher peaks average 20 °F (-6.7 °C) less than those figures. Most of the precipitation falls in the winter and early spring, while summer is punctuated with widely scattered afternoon and evening thunderstorms. The fall
is usually cool and dry. Due to the altitude and dryness of the atmosphere, vigorous radiative cooling occurs throughout the year, and temperature variances of 50°F/28°C daily are not uncommon. Consequently, the nights range from very cool in the summer to extremely cold
in the winter; therefore, visitors should always remember to bring along at least a jacket, even during the summer.
, west of Cody, Wyoming
adjacent to the historic Wapiti Ranger Station; another visitor center is to the south in Lander, Wyoming
. There are 30 vehicle access campgrounds in the forest, with up to 27 individual sites each. Approximately half of these campgrounds provide running water and restroom facilities and also provide for handicapped accessibility. Referred to as "front country" campgrounds, they also permit recreational vehicle
access in most cases. All of the campgrounds are on a first come, first served basis except for the Rex Hale campground, which is on the National Recreation Reservation Service; a phone and web-based system that permits campsite reservation months ahead of time. Due to the presence of grizzly bears, some of the campgrounds require what is referred to as "hard-sided" camping only, and tent camping is not permitted.
For some visitors the greater solitude of the "backcountry" requires accessing hiking trails
and then backpacking
or horseback riding
into more remote destinations. There are dozens of trails which total over 1500 miles (2,414 km) spread throughout the forest. The Continental Divide Trail
weaves its way through the forest, though it follows alternatively named trails for some of the distance. There is also the Nez Perce National Historic Trail
and the Beartooth Loop National Recreation Trail, both of which are in the northern regions of the forest. Some remote areas can be accessed by horseback. Trailheads usually provide enough room for horse and pack animal trailers plus personal vehicles. Along forest access roads, all-terrain vehicle
s are allowed, however there are plans to limit their use in most of the forest.
Hunting
and fishing
are popular recreational activities permitted throughout the forest, provided that proper permits are obtained and the applicable rules and regulations are followed. Hunting regulations are altered each year to ensure certain species are protected from overhunting and to maximize personal safety. Many of the streams and rivers are considered to be "Blue Ribbon Trout Streams". 1700 miles (2,735.9 km) of streams and 500 lakes that can be legally fished from, provide plenty of elbow room during even the most crowded of fishing seasons. Hunting and fishing licenses are sponsored by the state of Wyoming and are available through the Wyoming Game and Fish Department.
The southern section of the forest in the Wind River Range is the primary destination for mountain climbers
. Twenty-nine of the highest 30 peaks in Wyoming are here, and the mountains are primarily of granitic rock with countless cliffs and sheer rock walls. The Cirque of the Towers is particularly popular as it has numerous peaks within a relatively short distance of each other.
Winter activities include cross-country skiing
and snowmobiling. The Continental Divide Snowmobile Trail is a popular maintained snowmobile route that can be accessed from Togwotee Pass. With up to 40 feet (12.2 m) of snow annually in the higher elevations, the snowmobile season extends usually from the beginning of December to the middle of April. Lander
, Cody
and the area near Togwotee Pass are the hubs of snowmobile activity in the forest. Numerous outfitters rent snowmobiles on a daily basis and can provide guided trips for those less experienced, and a number of motels also remain open during the winter to provide food and lodging. Snowmobile activity has increased in the forest with increased restrictions on their use within Yellowstone National Park.
As a gateway to two entrances leading into Yellowstone National Park from the east, the forest has a number of scenic roadways. A federally designated All-American Road, the Beartooth Highway
(U.S. Highway 212), weaves through the forest and serves as the northeastern entranceway to Yellowstone National Park. Immediately south of the Beartooth Highway, the Chief Joseph Scenic Byway
(Wyoming Highway 296) follows the old trail in which Chief Joseph
and the Nez Perce tribe attempted to flee the U.S. Cavalry
in 1877. South of there, Buffalo Bill Cody Scenic Byway
(US 14/16/20) heads west from Cody, Wyoming and crosses Sylvan Pass
as it enters Yellowstone. Lastly, the Wyoming Centennial Scenic Byway
(US 26/287) heads west from Dubois, Wyoming
, over Togwotee Pass and enters Jackson Hole and Grand Teton National Park. The Chief Joseph, Buffalo Bill Cody and Wyoming Centennial byways have all been designated as
Wyoming State Scenic Byways.
Federal government of the United States
The federal government of the United States is the national government of the constitutional republic of fifty states that is the United States of America. The federal government comprises three distinct branches of government: a legislative, an executive and a judiciary. These branches and...
protected National Forest
United States National Forest
National Forest is a classification of federal lands in the United States.National Forests are largely forest and woodland areas owned by the federal government and managed by the United States Forest Service, part of the United States Department of Agriculture. Land management of these areas...
in the United States and covers nearly 2.5 million acres (10,000 km2) in the state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Wyoming
Wyoming
Wyoming is a state in the mountain region of the Western United States. The western two thirds of the state is covered mostly with the mountain ranges and rangelands in the foothills of the Eastern Rocky Mountains, while the eastern third of the state is high elevation prairie known as the High...
. Originally a part of the Yellowstone Timberland Reserve, the forest was created by an act of Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
and signed into law by U.S. President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Benjamin Harrison
Benjamin Harrison
Benjamin Harrison was the 23rd President of the United States . Harrison, a grandson of President William Henry Harrison, was born in North Bend, Ohio, and moved to Indianapolis, Indiana at age 21, eventually becoming a prominent politician there...
in 1891. There are four wilderness
Wilderness
Wilderness or wildland is a natural environment on Earth that has not been significantly modified by human activity. It may also be defined as: "The most intact, undisturbed wild natural areas left on our planet—those last truly wild places that humans do not control and have not developed with...
areas within the forest, protecting more than half of the managed land
Land management
Land management is the process of managing the use and development of land resources. Land resources are used for a variety of purposes which may include organic agriculture, reforestation, water resource management and eco-tourism projects.-See also:*Sustainable land management*Acreage...
area from development. From sagebrush
Sagebrush
Sagebrush is a common name of a number of shrubby plant species in the genus Artemisia native to western North America;Or, the sagebrush steppe ecoregion, having one or more kinds of sagebrush, bunchgrasses and others;...
plains through dense spruce
Spruce
A spruce is a tree of the genus Picea , a genus of about 35 species of coniferous evergreen trees in the Family Pinaceae, found in the northern temperate and boreal regions of the earth. Spruces are large trees, from tall when mature, and can be distinguished by their whorled branches and conical...
and fir
Fir
Firs are a genus of 48–55 species of evergreen conifers in the family Pinaceae. They are found through much of North and Central America, Europe, Asia, and North Africa, occurring in mountains over most of the range...
forest to craggy mountain
Mountain
Image:Himalaya_annotated.jpg|thumb|right|The Himalayan mountain range with Mount Everestrect 58 14 160 49 Chomo Lonzorect 200 28 335 52 Makalurect 378 24 566 45 Mount Everestrect 188 581 920 656 Tibetan Plateaurect 250 406 340 427 Rong River...
peaks, Shoshone National Forest has a rich biodiversity
Biodiversity
Biodiversity is the degree of variation of life forms within a given ecosystem, biome, or an entire planet. Biodiversity is a measure of the health of ecosystems. Biodiversity is in part a function of climate. In terrestrial habitats, tropical regions are typically rich whereas polar regions...
rarely matched in any protected area.
Three major mountain ranges are partially in the forest: the Absaroka, the Beartooth
Beartooth Mountains
The Beartooth Mountains are located in south central Montana and northwest Wyoming, U.S. and are part of the 900,000 acre Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness, within Custer, Gallatin and Shoshone National Forests. The Beartooths are the location of Granite Peak, which at 12,807 feet is the highest...
and the Wind River Range
Wind River Range
The Wind River Range , is a mountain range of the Rocky Mountains in western Wyoming in the United States. The range runs roughly NW-SE for approximately 100 miles . The Continental Divide follows the crest of the range and includes Gannett Peak, which at 13,804 feet , is the highest peak...
. Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone National Park, established by the U.S. Congress and signed into law by President Ulysses S. Grant on March 1, 1872, is a national park located primarily in the U.S. state of Wyoming, although it also extends into Montana and Idaho...
forms part of the boundary to the west; south of Yellowstone, the Continental Divide
Continental Divide
The Continental Divide of the Americas, or merely the Continental Gulf of Division or Great Divide, is the name given to the principal, and largely mountainous, hydrological divide of the Americas that separates the watersheds that drain into the Pacific Ocean from those river systems that drain...
separates the forest from its neighbor, the Bridger-Teton National Forest
Bridger-Teton National Forest
Bridger-Teton National Forest is located in western Wyoming, United States. The forest consists of , making it the second largest National Forest outside of Alaska. The forest stretches from Yellowstone National Park, along the eastern boundary of Grand Teton National Park and from there rides...
, to the west. The eastern boundary includes privately owned property, lands managed by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management
Bureau of Land Management
The Bureau of Land Management is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior which administers America's public lands, totaling approximately , or one-eighth of the landmass of the country. The BLM also manages of subsurface mineral estate underlying federal, state and private...
and the Wind River Indian Reservation
Wind River Indian Reservation
Wind River Indian Reservation is an Indian reservation shared by the Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho tribes of Native Americans in the central western portion of the U.S. state of Wyoming...
, which belongs to the Shoshone
Shoshone
The Shoshone or Shoshoni are a Native American tribe in the United States with three large divisions: the Northern, the Western and the Eastern....
and Arapahoe Indians. Custer National Forest
Custer National Forest
Custer National Forest is located primarily in the southern part of the U.S. state of Montana but also has separate sections in northwestern South Dakota. With a total area of 1,278,279 acres , the forest comprises over 10 separate sections...
along the Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
border is the boundary to the north. The Oregon Trail
Oregon Trail
The Oregon Trail is a historic east-west wagon route that connected the Missouri River to valleys in Oregon and locations in between.After 1840 steam-powered riverboats and steamboats traversing up and down the Ohio, Mississippi and Missouri rivers sped settlement and development in the flat...
, the 19th-century covered wagon
Covered wagon
The covered wagon, also known as a Prairie schooner, is an icon of the American Old West.Although covered wagons were commonly used for shorter moves within the United States, in the mid-nineteenth century thousands of Americans took them across the Great Plains to Oregon and California...
route, passes just south of the forest, where broad and gentle South Pass
South Pass
South Pass is two mountain passes on the Continental Divide in the Rocky Mountains in southwestern Wyoming. The passes are located in a broad low region, 35 miles broad, between the Wind River Range to the north and the Oregon Buttes and Great Divide Basin to the south, in southwestern Fremont...
allowed the migrants to bypass the rugged mountains of the forest. All of the forest is a part of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem
Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem
The Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem is one of the last remaining large, nearly intact ecosystems in the northern temperate zone of the Earth and is partly located in Yellowstone National Park. Conflict over management has been controversial, and the area is a flagship site among conservation groups...
, an unbroken expanse of federally protected lands encompassing an estimated 20 million acres (81,000 km2).
Human history
Shoshone
The Shoshone or Shoshoni are a Native American tribe in the United States with three large divisions: the Northern, the Western and the Eastern....
, who, along with other Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
groups such as the Lakota, Crow and Northern Cheyenne, were the major tribes encountered by the first white
Caucasian race
The term Caucasian race has been used to denote the general physical type of some or all of the populations of Europe, North Africa, the Horn of Africa, Western Asia , Central Asia and South Asia...
explorers into the region. Archeological
Archaeology
Archaeology, or archeology , is the study of human society, primarily through the recovery and analysis of the material culture and environmental data that they have left behind, which includes artifacts, architecture, biofacts and cultural landscapes...
evidence suggests that the presence of Indian tribes in the area extends back at least 8,000 years. The forest provided an abundance of game meat, wood products, and shelter during the winter months from the more exposed high plains
Great Plains
The Great Plains are a broad expanse of flat land, much of it covered in prairie, steppe and grassland, which lies west of the Mississippi River and east of the Rocky Mountains in the United States and Canada. This area covers parts of the U.S...
to the east. Portions of the more mountainous regions were frequented by the Shoshone and Sioux (Lakota people|Lakota) for spiritual healing and vision quest
Vision quest
A vision quest is a rite of passage in some Native American cultures.In many Native American groups, the vision quest is a turning point in life taken before puberty to find oneself and the intended spiritual and life direction. When an older child is ready, he or she will go on a personal,...
s. By 1840, Chief Washakie had become the leader of the easternmost branch of the Shoshone Indians. In 1868 he negotiated with the U.S. Government for 2.2 million acres (8,900 km2) to be preserved as tribal lands, known today as the Wind River Indian Reservation
Wind River Indian Reservation
Wind River Indian Reservation is an Indian reservation shared by the Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho tribes of Native Americans in the central western portion of the U.S. state of Wyoming...
. Prior to the establishment of the reservation, the U.S. Cavalry
United States Cavalry
The United States Cavalry, or U.S. Cavalry, is the designation of the mounted force of the United States Army. The role of the U.S. Cavalry is reconnaissance, security and mounted assault. Cavalry has served as a part of the Army forces in every war in which the United States has participated...
constructed Fort Brown on the reservation lands, which was subsequently renamed Fort Washakie. During the late 19th century, the fort was staffed by African-American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
members of the U.S. Cavalry, better known as the Buffalo Soldiers. Chief Washakie is buried at the fort, which is located immediately east of the forest boundary. Rumor has it that Sacajawea, the Shoshone Indian who provided invaluable assistance to Meriwether Lewis
Meriwether Lewis
Meriwether Lewis was an American explorer, soldier, and public administrator, best known for his role as the leader of the Lewis and Clark Expedition also known as the Corps of Discovery, with William Clark...
and William Clark during the Lewis and Clark Expedition
Lewis and Clark Expedition
The Lewis and Clark Expedition, or ″Corps of Discovery Expedition" was the first transcontinental expedition to the Pacific Coast by the United States. Commissioned by President Thomas Jefferson and led by two Virginia-born veterans of Indian wars in the Ohio Valley, Meriwether Lewis and William...
, is also buried here, but it is now considered that this is unlikely and that her actual burial place is much farther east.
Mountain man
Mountain men were trappers and explorers who roamed the North American Rocky Mountains from about 1810 through the 1880s where they were instrumental in opening up the various Emigrant Trails allowing Americans in the east to settle the new territories of the far west by organized wagon trains...
and explorers such as John Colter
John Colter
John Colter was a member of the Lewis and Clark Expedition . Though party to one of the more famous expeditions in history, Colter is best remembered for explorations he made during the winter of 1807–1808, when Colter became the first known person of European descent to enter the region now known...
and Jim Bridger
Jim Bridger
James Felix "Jim" Bridger was among the foremost mountain men, trappers, scouts and guides who explored and trapped the Western United States during the decades of 1820-1850, as well as mediating between native tribes and encroaching whites...
. Colter is the first white man known to have visited both the Yellowstone region and the forest, which he did between 1806 and 1808. Having been an original member of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, Colter requested permission from Meriwether Lewis to leave the expedition after it had finished crossing the Rocky Mountains
Rocky Mountains
The Rocky Mountains are a major mountain range in western North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch more than from the northernmost part of British Columbia, in western Canada, to New Mexico, in the southwestern United States...
during their return journey from the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
. Colter teamed up with two unaffiliated explorers the expedition had encountered, but soon thereafter decided to explore regions south of where his new partners wished to venture. Traveling first into the northeastern region of what is today Yellowstone National Park, Colter then explored the Absaroka Mountains, crossing over Togwotee Pass
Togwotee Pass
Togwotee Pass is a mountain pass located on the continental divide in the Absaroka Mountains of the United States, between the towns of Dubois and Moran Junction, Wyoming in the Jackson Hole valley....
and entering the valley known today as Jackson Hole
Jackson Hole
Jackson Hole, originally called Jackson's Hole, is a valley located in the U.S. state of Wyoming, near the western border with Idaho. The name "hole" derives from language used by early trappers or mountain men, who primarily entered the valley from the north and east and had to descend along...
. Colter survived a grizzly bear
Grizzly Bear
The grizzly bear , also known as the silvertip bear, the grizzly, or the North American brown bear, is a subspecies of brown bear that generally lives in the uplands of western North America...
attack and a pursuit by a band of Blackfeet
Blackfeet
The Piegan Blackfeet are a tribe of Native Americans of the Algonquian language family based in Montana, having lived in this area since around 6,500 BC. Many members of the tribe live as part of the Blackfeet Nation in northwestern Montana, with population centered in Browning...
Indians who had taken his horse. The explorer later provided William Clark, who had been his commander on the Lewis and Clark Expedition, with previously unknown information on the regions he had explored, which Clark published in 1814.
Travels by fur trappers
Fur trade
The fur trade is a worldwide industry dealing in the acquisition and sale of animal fur. Since the establishment of world market for in the early modern period furs of boreal, polar and cold temperate mammalian animals have been the most valued...
and adventurers, such as Manuel Lisa
Manuel Lisa
Manuel Lisa, also known as Manuel de Lisa , was a Spanish-American fur trader, explorer, and United States Indian agent. He was among the founders in St. Louis of the Missouri Fur Company, an early fur trading company...
and Jim Bridger from 1807 to 1840, completed the exploration of the region. With the decline of the fur trade in the late 1840s and much of the prized beaver
Beaver
The beaver is a primarily nocturnal, large, semi-aquatic rodent. Castor includes two extant species, North American Beaver and Eurasian Beaver . Beavers are known for building dams, canals, and lodges . They are the second-largest rodent in the world...
long since made scarce by over-trapping, few white explorers entered the forest over the next few decades. Explorations under direction of F.V. Hayden
Ferdinand Vandeveer Hayden
Dr. Ferdinand Vandeveer Hayden was an American geologist noted for his pioneering surveying expeditions of the Rocky Mountains in the late 19th century. He was also a physician who served with the Union Army during the Civil War.-Early life:Ferdinand Hayden was born in Westfield, Massachusetts...
in 1871 were the first federally financed and supported. Hayden was primarily interested in documenting the Yellowstone country west of the forest, but his expedition also established that the forest was a prime resource that merited protection. Travels in the forest in the 1880s by later U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt was the 26th President of the United States . He is noted for his exuberant personality, range of interests and achievements, and his leadership of the Progressive Movement, as well as his "cowboy" persona and robust masculinity...
, who was also a strong advocate of land conservation
Conservation movement
The conservation movement, also known as nature conservation, is a political, environmental and a social movement that seeks to protect natural resources including animal, fungus and plant species as well as their habitat for the future....
, as well as by General Philip Sheridan
Philip Sheridan
Philip Henry Sheridan was a career United States Army officer and a Union general in the American Civil War. His career was noted for his rapid rise to major general and his close association with Lt. Gen. Ulysses S...
, provided the impetus that subsequently established the Yellowstone Timberland Reserve in 1891, creating the first national forest in the U.S.
United States Forest Service
The United States Forest Service is an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture that administers the nation's 155 national forests and 20 national grasslands, which encompass...
in 1905, the reserve was designated a National Forest
United States National Forest
National Forest is a classification of federal lands in the United States.National Forests are largely forest and woodland areas owned by the federal government and managed by the United States Forest Service, part of the United States Department of Agriculture. Land management of these areas...
, but the current wording and title were formulated forty years later in 1945. A remnant of the earliest years of the forest management is the Wapiti Ranger Station
Wapiti Ranger Station
Wapiti Ranger Station is the oldest U.S. Forest Service ranger station in the United States. The station is located in Shoshone National Forest, Wyoming and has been used continuously since it was built in 1903. The station was the first forest service ranger station built with federal funding...
which is located west of Cody, Wyoming
Cody, Wyoming
Cody is a city in Park County, Wyoming, United States. It is named after William Frederick Cody, primarily known as Buffalo Bill, from William Cody's part in the creation of the original town. The population was 9,520 at the 2010 census...
. The station was built in 1903 and is the oldest surviving ranger station in any national forest, and is now designated a National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
.
During the last decade of the 19th century, minerals such as gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
were mined with limited success. The last mine was abandoned in 1907, but panning
Placer mining
Placer mining is the mining of alluvial deposits for minerals. This may be done by open-pit or by various surface excavating equipment or tunneling equipment....
for gold is still allowed in many areas of the forest, and in most circumstances no permit is required. After the end of the mining era, numerous camps were established by the Civilian Conservation Corps
Civilian Conservation Corps
The Civilian Conservation Corps was a public work relief program that operated from 1933 to 1942 in the United States for unemployed, unmarried men from relief families, ages 18–25. A part of the New Deal of President Franklin D...
to help combat unemployment during the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
of the 1930s. The camps housed groups of unemployed men who were paid by the federal government to build roads, hiking
Hiking
Hiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often in mountainous or other scenic terrain. People often hike on hiking trails. It is such a popular activity that there are numerous hiking organizations worldwide. The health benefits of different types of hiking...
trails, and campgrounds for future travelers to the Yellowstone region. Visitation increased after the end of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
with the advent of better roads and accessibility to the region.
Forest management
United States Forest Service
The United States Forest Service is an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture that administers the nation's 155 national forests and 20 national grasslands, which encompass...
, an agency within the U.S. Department of Agriculture
United States Department of Agriculture
The United States Department of Agriculture is the United States federal executive department responsible for developing and executing U.S. federal government policy on farming, agriculture, and food...
. The forest is separated into five districts and has a staff of 145 employees. The annual operating budget is $
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
15,000,000, with much of it from grants
Federal grant
In the United States, federal grants are economic aid issued by the United States government out of the general federal revenue. A federal grant is an award of financial assistance from a federal agency to a recipient to carry out a public purpose of support or stimulation authorized by a law of...
. The headquarters and a visitor center are in Cody, Wyoming
Cody, Wyoming
Cody is a city in Park County, Wyoming, United States. It is named after William Frederick Cody, primarily known as Buffalo Bill, from William Cody's part in the creation of the original town. The population was 9,520 at the 2010 census...
and a smaller information center is in Lander, Wyoming
Lander, Wyoming
Lander is a city in, and the county seat of, Fremont County, Wyoming, United States. Named for transcontinental explorer Frederick W. Lander, Lander is located in central Wyoming, along the Middle Fork of the Popo Agie River. A tourism center with several dude ranches nearby, Lander is located just...
. There are local ranger
National Park Ranger
National Park Service Rangers are among the uniformed employees charged with protecting and preserving areas set aside in the National Park System by the United States Congress and/or the President of the United States...
district offices in Cody
Cody, Wyoming
Cody is a city in Park County, Wyoming, United States. It is named after William Frederick Cody, primarily known as Buffalo Bill, from William Cody's part in the creation of the original town. The population was 9,520 at the 2010 census...
, Dubois
Dubois, Wyoming
Dubois is a town in Fremont County, Wyoming. The population was 962 at the 2000 census, although it nearly doubles in the summer with many part-time residents.-Geography:...
, and Lander
Lander, Wyoming
Lander is a city in, and the county seat of, Fremont County, Wyoming, United States. Named for transcontinental explorer Frederick W. Lander, Lander is located in central Wyoming, along the Middle Fork of the Popo Agie River. A tourism center with several dude ranches nearby, Lander is located just...
.
As is true with all National Forests in the U.S., Shoshone National Forest practices conservation
Conservation biology
Conservation biology is the scientific study of the nature and status of Earth's biodiversity with the aim of protecting species, their habitats, and ecosystems from excessive rates of extinction...
of resources, which ensures a sustainable flow of some raw materials from the forest, such as lumber
Lumber
Lumber or timber is wood in any of its stages from felling through readiness for use as structural material for construction, or wood pulp for paper production....
for construction purposes and wood pulp
Wood pulp
Pulp is a lignocellulosic fibrous material prepared by chemically or mechanically separating cellulose fibres from wood, fibre crops or waste paper. Wood pulp is the most common raw material in papermaking.-History:...
for paper products. Additionally, mineral
Mineral
A mineral is a naturally occurring solid chemical substance formed through biogeochemical processes, having characteristic chemical composition, highly ordered atomic structure, and specific physical properties. By comparison, a rock is an aggregate of minerals and/or mineraloids and does not...
extraction through mining
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
and oil
Oil exploration
Hydrocarbon exploration is the search by petroleum geologists and geophysicists for hydrocarbon deposits beneath the Earth's surface, such as oil and natural gas...
and gas
Natural gas
Natural gas is a naturally occurring gas mixture consisting primarily of methane, typically with 0–20% higher hydrocarbons . It is found associated with other hydrocarbon fuel, in coal beds, as methane clathrates, and is an important fuel source and a major feedstock for fertilizers.Most natural...
exploration and recovery are also conducted, though in Shoshone National Forest this has become less common due to a consensus to protect the natural surroundings. More common than logging and mining are the lease options that are offered to ranchers to allow them to graze cattle
Cattle
Cattle are the most common type of large domesticated ungulates. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae, are the most widespread species of the genus Bos, and are most commonly classified collectively as Bos primigenius...
and sheep. The forest provides guidelines and enforces environmental regulations to ensure that resources are not overexploited and that necessary commodities are available for future generations, though conservation groups have voiced concerns over the management practices of the leasing program and especially cattle overgrazing problems.
The efforts of environmentalists
Environmentalism
Environmentalism is a broad philosophy, ideology and social movement regarding concerns for environmental conservation and improvement of the health of the environment, particularly as the measure for this health seeks to incorporate the concerns of non-human elements...
combined with public demand led to the creation of wilderness
Wilderness
Wilderness or wildland is a natural environment on Earth that has not been significantly modified by human activity. It may also be defined as: "The most intact, undisturbed wild natural areas left on our planet—those last truly wild places that humans do not control and have not developed with...
designated zones beginning in 1964 within most U.S. Government land areas that fit the criteria of wilderness. The wilderness designation provides a much higher level of land protection and prohibits any alterations by man to the resource. In Shoshone National Forest, less than ten percent of the total area is utilized for land lease, logging
Forestry
Forestry is the interdisciplinary profession embracing the science, art, and craft of creating, managing, using, and conserving forests and associated resources in a sustainable manner to meet desired goals, needs, and values for human benefit. Forestry is practiced in plantations and natural stands...
or mineral extraction. The rest of the forest is either designated wilderness, reserved for habitat protection for plants and animals, or set aside for visitor recreation. However, the overgrazing of cattle in riparian areas and into zones not within lease agreements are continuous points of argument. Oil and gas exploration interest groups also lobby to explore regions that may adversely impact wildlife habitat. Plans to build roads into nonwilderness areas for easier extraction of timber have come under fire and are not in compliance with recent legislation that prohibits such construction. Illegal off-road
Off-roading
Off-roading is a term for driving a vehicle on unsurfaced roads or tracks, made of materials such as sand, gravel, riverbeds, mud, snow, rocks, and other natural terrain.-Off-road vehicle:...
motorized transport by all-terrain vehicle
All-terrain vehicle
An all-terrain vehicle , also known as a quad, quad bike, three wheeler, or four wheeler, is defined by the American National Standards Institute as a vehicle that travels on low pressure tires, with a seat that is straddled by the operator, along with handlebars for steering control...
s and snowmobile
Snowmobile
A snowmobile, also known in some places as a snowmachine, or sled,is a land vehicle for winter travel on snow. Designed to be operated on snow and ice, they require no road or trail. Design variations enable some machines to operate in deep snow or forests; most are used on open terrain, including...
s continues to be a problem, especially in wilderness areas. Lastly, protection of threatened
Threatened species
Threatened species are any speciesg animals, plants, fungi, etc.) which are vulnerable to endangerment in the near future.The World Conservation Union is the foremost authority on threatened species, and treats threatened species not as a single category, but as a group of three categories,...
and endangered species
Endangered species
An endangered species is a population of organisms which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters...
such as the grizzly
Grizzly Bear
The grizzly bear , also known as the silvertip bear, the grizzly, or the North American brown bear, is a subspecies of brown bear that generally lives in the uplands of western North America...
and wolf is sometimes met with opposition from local ranching interests.
Natural resources
Flora
Shoshone National Forest has about 1,300 documented speciesSpecies
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
of plant
Plant
Plants are living organisms belonging to the kingdom Plantae. Precise definitions of the kingdom vary, but as the term is used here, plants include familiar organisms such as trees, flowers, herbs, bushes, grasses, vines, ferns, mosses, and green algae. The group is also called green plants or...
s. Lower elevations often have sagebrush
Sagebrush
Sagebrush is a common name of a number of shrubby plant species in the genus Artemisia native to western North America;Or, the sagebrush steppe ecoregion, having one or more kinds of sagebrush, bunchgrasses and others;...
and grass
Grassland
Grasslands are areas where the vegetation is dominated by grasses and other herbaceous plants . However, sedge and rush families can also be found. Grasslands occur naturally on all continents except Antarctica...
-dominated vegetation
Vegetation
Vegetation is a general term for the plant life of a region; it refers to the ground cover provided by plants. It is a general term, without specific reference to particular taxa, life forms, structure, spatial extent, or any other specific botanical or geographic characteristics. It is broader...
types, while forested areas are dominated by various combinations of species. These include lodgepole pine
Lodgepole Pine
Lodgepole Pine, Pinus contorta, also known as Shore Pine, is a common tree in western North America. Like all pines, it is evergreen.-Subspecies:...
, which along with Rocky Mountain juniper
Juniperus scopulorum
Juniperus scopulorum is a species of juniper native to western North America, in Canada in British Columbia and southwest Alberta, in the United States from Washington east to North Dakota, south to Arizona and also locally western Texas, and northernmost Mexico from Sonora east to Coahuila...
, douglas fir and quaking aspen
Aspen
Populus section Populus, of the Populus genus, includes the aspen trees and the white poplar Populus alba. The five typical aspens are all native to cold regions with cool summers, in the north of the Northern Hemisphere, extending south at high altitudes in the mountains. The White Poplar, by...
are found at elevations up to 9,000 feet (2,700 m). At higher elevation subalpine fir
Subalpine Fir
The Subalpine Fir or Rocky Mountain Fir is a western North American fir, native to the mountains of Yukon, British Columbia and western Alberta in Canada; southeastern Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, western Montana, Wyoming, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, northeastern Nevada, and the...
, Engelmann spruce
Engelmann Spruce
Picea engelmannii is a species of spruce native to western North America, from central British Columbia and southwest Alberta, southwest to northern California and southeast to Arizona and New Mexico; there are also two isolated populations in northern Mexico...
, whitebark pine
Whitebark Pine
Pinus albicaulis, known commonly as Whitebark Pine, Pitch Pine, Scrub Pine, and Creeping Pine occurs in the mountains of the Western United States and Canada, specifically the subalpine areas of the Sierra Nevada, the Cascade Range, the Pacific Coast Ranges, and the northern Rocky Mountains –...
and limber pine
Limber Pine
The Limber Pine, Pinus flexilis, is a species of pine tree-the family Pinaceae that occurs in the mountains of the Western United States, Mexico, and Canada. It is also called Southwestern White Pine and Rocky Mountain White Pine...
, are common, each occurring up to timberline. Along lower elevation riparian corridors, cottonwoods and willow
Willow
Willows, sallows, and osiers form the genus Salix, around 400 species of deciduous trees and shrubs, found primarily on moist soils in cold and temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere...
s are typically dominant. Numerous plant species are endemic
Endemic (ecology)
Endemism is the ecological state of being unique to a defined geographic location, such as an island, nation or other defined zone, or habitat type; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsewhere. For example, all species of lemur are endemic to the...
to the region. Among them, the whitlow grass
Draba
Draba is a large genus of cruciferous plants, commonly known as whitlow-grasses. There are over 400 species:*Draba abajoensis Windham & Al-Shehbaz*Draba × abiskoensis O.E.Schulz*Draba × abiskojokkensis O.E.Schulz...
, fremont bladderpod
Brassicaceae
Brassicaceae, a medium sized and economically important family of flowering plants , are informally known as the mustards, mustard flowers, the crucifers or the cabbage family....
, shoshonea, and the north fork Easter daisy
Asteraceae
The Asteraceae or Compositae , is an exceedingly large and widespread family of vascular plants. The group has more than 22,750 currently accepted species, spread across 1620 genera and 12 subfamilies...
provide vivid white and yellow flowers during the spring and summer.
Exotic species, accidentally introduced by tourists, are usually found near roadways and campgrounds. The mountain pine beetle
Mountain pine beetle
The mountain pine beetle Dendroctonus ponderosae, is a species of bark beetle native to the forests of western North America from Mexico to central British Columbia. It has a hard black exoskeleton, and measures about 5 millimeters, about the size of a grain of rice.Mountain pine beetles inhabit...
is a naturally occurring insect
Insect
Insects are a class of living creatures within the arthropods that have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body , three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae...
species that is known to infest forest groves, and is particularly common in areas with numerous lodgepole pines and fir trees. During strong infestations, the beetle can wipe out huge areas of forest, increasing wildfire
Wildfire
A wildfire is any uncontrolled fire in combustible vegetation that occurs in the countryside or a wilderness area. Other names such as brush fire, bushfire, forest fire, desert fire, grass fire, hill fire, squirrel fire, vegetation fire, veldfire, and wilkjjofire may be used to describe the same...
potential and reducing habitat and the sustainability of the forest. The Forest Service has an invasive species control effort that identifies and attempts to contain the further spread of non-native plants.
Fauna
Since the migration of the endangeredEndangered species
An endangered species is a population of organisms which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters...
grey wolf into Shoshone National Forest after the successful Wolf Reintroduction
Wolf reintroduction
Wolf reintroduction involves the artificial reestablishment of a population of wolves in areas where they have been extirpated. Wolf reintroduction is only considered where large tracts of suitable wilderness still exist and where certain prey species are abundant enough to support a predetermined...
Program in the Yellowstone region commenced in the late 1990s, virtually all of the known 50 mammal
Mammal
Mammals are members of a class of air-breathing vertebrate animals characterised by the possession of endothermy, hair, three middle ear bones, and mammary glands functional in mothers with young...
species that existed prior to white settlement still exist.
Threatened species
Threatened species are any speciesg animals, plants, fungi, etc.) which are vulnerable to endangerment in the near future.The World Conservation Union is the foremost authority on threatened species, and treats threatened species not as a single category, but as a group of three categories,...
by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in the lower 48 states, and the forest is one of their last strongholds. For what are considered to be "problem bears", non-lethal traps are set to capture them so that they can be relocated to remote areas, away from civilization. In the case of the grizzly, each captured bear is tranquilized and then ear tagged with an identifying number. Each number is registered, and if the bear continues to return to areas where they pose a risk of imminent threat to human safety, they are exterminated. The grizzly recovery efforts implemented by federal agencies have often been the subject of major disagreements with local landowners and surrounding municipalities. This situation occurs less frequently with the smaller and less aggressive black bear
American black bear
The American black bear is a medium-sized bear native to North America. It is the continent's smallest and most common bear species. Black bears are omnivores, with their diets varying greatly depending on season and location. They typically live in largely forested areas, but do leave forests in...
, of which an estimated 500 reside in the forest. An active management program, in conjunction with other National Forests and National Parks within the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, works cooperatively to maximize human safety and to ensure habitat protection for both species of endemic bears. Visitors are mandated to store their food in their vehicles or in steel containers found in campgrounds, and bear-proof
Bear-resistant food storage container
Bear-resistant food storage containers, commonly called bear canisters or simply bear cans, are usually hard-sided containers used by backpackers to protect their food from theft by bears...
trash receptacles are located in the front-country zones throughout the forest. In the backcountry
Backcountry
A backcountry area in general terms is a geographical region that is:* isolated* remote* undeveloped* difficult to accessThe term may apply to various regions that are reasonably close to urban areas but are:* not immediately accessible by car...
, food must be stored some distance from campsites, and other related precautions are enforced to help prevent bad encounters.
Carnivore
A carnivore meaning 'meat eater' is an organism that derives its energy and nutrient requirements from a diet consisting mainly or exclusively of animal tissue, whether through predation or scavenging...
s that inhabit the forest. The nocturnal mountain lion is rarely seen and their numbers are not known, but evidence such as numerous paw prints suggests they are widespread. The wolf has migrated into the forest from Yellowstone National Park but is less common in the forest. The population of wolves is hoped to increase over time for this endangered species. Other omnivorous mammals in the forest include the wolverine
Wolverine
The wolverine, pronounced , Gulo gulo , also referred to as glutton, carcajou, skunk bear, or quickhatch, is the largest land-dwelling species of the family Mustelidae . It is a stocky and muscular carnivore, more closely resembling a small bear than other mustelids...
, coyote
Coyote
The coyote , also known as the American jackal or the prairie wolf, is a species of canine found throughout North and Central America, ranging from Panama in the south, north through Mexico, the United States and Canada...
, bobcat
Bobcat
The bobcat is a North American mammal of the cat family Felidae, appearing during the Irvingtonian stage of around 1.8 million years ago . With twelve recognized subspecies, it ranges from southern Canada to northern Mexico, including most of the continental United States...
, weasel
Weasel
Weasels are mammals forming the genus Mustela of the Mustelidae family. They are small, active predators, long and slender with short legs....
, marten
Marten
The martens constitute the genus Martes within the subfamily Mustelinae, in family Mustelidae.-Description:Martens are slender, agile animals, adapted to living in taigas, and are found in coniferous and northern deciduous forests across the northern hemisphere. They have bushy tails, and large...
and ferret
Ferret
The ferret is a domesticated mammal of the type Mustela putorius furo. Ferrets are sexually dimorphic predators with males being substantially larger than females. They typically have brown, black, white, or mixed fur...
. Additionally, the beaver
Beaver
The beaver is a primarily nocturnal, large, semi-aquatic rodent. Castor includes two extant species, North American Beaver and Eurasian Beaver . Beavers are known for building dams, canals, and lodges . They are the second-largest rodent in the world...
, marmot
Marmot
The marmots are a genus, Marmota, of squirrels. There are 14 species in this genus.Marmots are generally large ground squirrels. Those most often referred to as marmots tend to live in mountainous areas such as the Alps, northern Apennines, Eurasian steppes, Carpathians, Tatras, and Pyrenees in...
, pika
Pika
The pika is a small mammal, with short limbs, rounded ears, and short tail. The name pika is used for any member of the Ochotonidae, a family within the order of lagomorphs, which also includes the Leporidae . One genus, Ochotona, is recognised within the family, and it includes 30 species...
, raccoon
Raccoon
Procyon is a genus of nocturnal mammals, comprising three species commonly known as raccoons, in the family Procyonidae. The most familiar species, the common raccoon , is often known simply as "the" raccoon, as the two other raccoon species in the genus are native only to the tropics and are...
and badger
Badger
Badgers are short-legged omnivores in the weasel family, Mustelidae. There are nine species of badger, in three subfamilies : Melinae , Mellivorinae , and Taxideinae...
are commonly found throughout the forest.
Native herbivores such as the moose
Moose
The moose or Eurasian elk is the largest extant species in the deer family. Moose are distinguished by the palmate antlers of the males; other members of the family have antlers with a dendritic configuration...
are found in small numbers near waterways, especially at lower elevations. Elk
Elk
The Elk is the large deer, also called Cervus canadensis or wapiti, of North America and eastern Asia.Elk may also refer to:Other antlered mammals:...
(also known as wapiti), mule deer
Mule Deer
The mule deer is a deer indigenous to western North America. The Mule Deer gets its name from its large mule-like ears. There are believed to be several subspecies, including the black-tailed deer...
and pronghorn
Pronghorn
The pronghorn is a species of artiodactyl mammal endemic to interior western and central North America. Though not an antelope, it is often known colloquially in North America as the prong buck, pronghorn antelope, or simply antelope, as it closely resembles the true antelopes of the Old World and...
(also called pronghorn antelope) are some of the most commonly seen mammals and there are some small populations of bison
Bison
Members of the genus Bison are large, even-toed ungulates within the subfamily Bovinae. Two extant and four extinct species are recognized...
. Bighorn sheep
Bighorn Sheep
The bighorn sheep is a species of sheep in North America named for its large horns. These horns can weigh up to , while the sheep themselves weigh up to . Recent genetic testing indicates that there are three distinct subspecies of Ovis canadensis, one of which is endangered: Ovis canadensis sierrae...
and mountain goat
Mountain goat
The Mountain Goat , also known as the Rocky Mountain Goat, is a large-hoofed mammal found only in North America. Despite its vernacular name, it is not a member of Capra, the genus of true goats...
s inhabit the rocky terrain and highest elevations. During the winter, the largest bighorn sheep herd in the lower 48 states congregate in the region around Dubois, Wyoming
Dubois, Wyoming
Dubois is a town in Fremont County, Wyoming. The population was 962 at the 2000 census, although it nearly doubles in the summer with many part-time residents.-Geography:...
; however, their numbers since 1990 have been greatly diminished due to disease and coyote predation.
An estimated 300 species of birds are found in the forest at least part of the year. Bald
Bald Eagle
The Bald Eagle is a bird of prey found in North America. It is the national bird and symbol of the United States of America. This sea eagle has two known sub-species and forms a species pair with the White-tailed Eagle...
and golden eagle
Golden Eagle
The Golden Eagle is one of the best known birds of prey in the Northern Hemisphere. Like all eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae. Once widespread across the Holarctic, it has disappeared from many of the more heavily populated areas...
s are more common now than they have been for decades and tend to inhabit areas near waterways. Peregrine falcon
Peregrine Falcon
The Peregrine Falcon , also known as the Peregrine, and historically as the Duck Hawk in North America, is a widespread bird of prey in the family Falconidae. A large, crow-sized falcon, it has a blue-gray back, barred white underparts, and a black head and "moustache"...
, merlin
Merlin (bird)
The Merlin is a small species of falcon from the Northern Hemisphere. A bird of prey once known colloquially as a pigeon hawk in North America, the Merlin breeds in the northern Holarctic; some migrate to subtropical and northern tropical regions in winter.-European and North American...
, hawk
Hawk
The term hawk can be used in several ways:* In strict usage in Australia and Africa, to mean any of the species in the subfamily Accipitrinae, which comprises the genera Accipiter, Micronisus, Melierax, Urotriorchis and Megatriorchis. The large and widespread Accipiter genus includes goshawks,...
s and the great horned owl
Great Horned Owl
The Great Horned Owl, , also known as the Tiger Owl, is a large owl native to the Americas. It is an adaptable bird with a vast range and is the most widely distributed true owl in the Americas.-Description:...
are other birds of prey that have become more widespread. The gregarious black-billed magpie
Black-billed Magpie
The Black-billed Magpie is a bird in the crow family that inhabits the western half of North America. It is notable for its domed nests, and for being one of only four North American songbirds whose tail makes up half or more of the total body length The Black-billed Magpie (Pica hudsonia) is a...
and Clark's nutcracker
Clark's Nutcracker
Clark's Nutcracker , sometimes referred to as Clark's Crow or Woodpecker Crow, is a passerine bird in the family Corvidae. It is slightly smaller than its Eurasian relative the Spotted Nutcracker . It is ashy-grey all over except for the black-and-white wings and central tail feathers...
(in the crow family
Corvidae
Corvidae is a cosmopolitan family of oscine passerine birds that contains the crows, ravens, rooks, jackdaws, jays, magpies, treepies, choughs and nutcrackers. The common English names used are corvids or the crow family , and there are over 120 species...
) frequent areas near campgrounds and lakes. The trumpeter swan
Trumpeter Swan
The Trumpeter Swan, Cygnus buccinator, is the largest native North American bird, if measured in terms of weight and length, and is the largest living waterfowl species on earth. It is the North American counterpart of the European Whooper Swan.-Description:Males typically measure from and weigh...
is found in very limited numbers, primarily in or near lakes and streams. Other waterfowl such as the great blue heron
Great Blue Heron
The Great Blue Heron is a large wading bird in the heron family Ardeidae, common near the shores of open water and in wetlands over most of North and Central America as well as the West Indies and the Galápagos Islands. It is a rare vagrant to Europe, with records from Spain, the Azores and England...
, white pelican
White Pelican
The Great White Pelican, Pelecanus onocrotalus also known as the Eastern White Pelican or White Pelican is a bird in the pelican family...
, Canada goose
Canada Goose
The Canada Goose is a wild goose belonging to the genus Branta, which is native to arctic and temperate regions of North America, having a black head and neck, white patches on the face, and a brownish-gray body....
and numerous species of duck
Duck
Duck is the common name for a large number of species in the Anatidae family of birds, which also includes swans and geese. The ducks are divided among several subfamilies in the Anatidae family; they do not represent a monophyletic group but a form taxon, since swans and geese are not considered...
s are also seen. pheasant
Common Pheasant
The Common Pheasant , is a bird in the pheasant family . It is native to Georgia and has been widely introduced elsewhere as a game bird. In parts of its range, namely in places where none of its relatives occur such as in Europe , it is simply known as the "pheasant"...
, sage grouse
Sage Grouse
The Sage Grouse is the largest grouse in North America, where it is known as the Greater Sage-Grouse. Its range is sagebrush country in the western United States and southern Alberta and Saskatchewan, Canada. A population of smaller birds, known in the U.S. as Gunnison Sage-Grouse, were recently...
and wild turkey
Wild Turkey
The Wild Turkey is native to North America and is the heaviest member of the Galliformes. It is the same species as the domestic turkey, which derives from the South Mexican subspecies of wild turkey .Adult wild turkeys have long reddish-yellow to grayish-green...
are widely distributed across the open sage lands.
Trout
Trout is the name for a number of species of freshwater and saltwater fish belonging to the Salmoninae subfamily of the family Salmonidae. Salmon belong to the same family as trout. Most salmon species spend almost all their lives in salt water...
present in streams in the Forest, with the cutthroat trout
Cutthroat trout
The cutthroat trout is a species of freshwater fish in the salmon family of order Salmoniformes. It is one of the many fish species colloquially known as trout...
being the only species native to Wyoming. The Yellowstone cutthroat trout
Yellowstone cutthroat trout
The Yellowstone cutthroat trout is a subspecies of the cutthroat trout and is a freshwater fish in the salmon family of the order Salmoniformes. Native only to a few U.S...
is found only in the forest and adjacent parks and is one of four subspecies of cutthroat trout in the forest. Additional game fish species include arctic grayling
Arctic grayling
Arctic grayling is a species of freshwater fish in the salmon family of order Salmoniformes. It comprises five subspecies native to the Nearctic and Palearctic ecozones. T. a. arcticus is widespread throughout the Arctic and Pacific drainages in Canada, Alaska, and Siberia, as well as the upper...
, mountain whitefish
Coregonus
Coregonus is a diverse genus of fish in the salmon family . The type species is the common whitefish . The Coregonus species are known as whitefishes...
and the shovelnose sturgeon
Sturgeon
Sturgeon is the common name used for some 26 species of fish in the family Acipenseridae, including the genera Acipenser, Huso, Scaphirhynchus and Pseudoscaphirhynchus. The term includes over 20 species commonly referred to as sturgeon and several closely related species that have distinct common...
.
There are few reptile
Reptile
Reptiles are members of a class of air-breathing, ectothermic vertebrates which are characterized by laying shelled eggs , and having skin covered in scales and/or scutes. They are tetrapods, either having four limbs or being descended from four-limbed ancestors...
s in the forest; however, several snake species including the venomous prairie rattlesnake
Rattlesnake
Rattlesnakes are a group of venomous snakes of the genera Crotalus and Sistrurus of the subfamily Crotalinae . There are 32 known species of rattlesnake, with between 65-70 subspecies, all native to the Americas, ranging from southern Alberta and southern British Columbia in Canada to Central...
can be found at lower elevations along with other reptiles such as the western painted turtle
Painted Turtle
The painted turtle is the most widespread native turtle of North America. It lives in slow-moving fresh waters, from southern Canada to Louisiana and northern Mexico, and from the Atlantic to the Pacific. The turtle is the only species of the genus Chrysemys, which is part of the pond turtle...
and the ornate box turtle
Box turtle
The box turtle , or box tortoise is a genus of turtle native to North America . The 12 taxa which are distinguished in the genus are distributed over four species. It is largely characterized by having a domed shell, which is hinged at the bottom, allowing the animal to close its shell tightly to...
. Amphibians such as the Columbia spotted frog
Frog
Frogs are amphibians in the order Anura , formerly referred to as Salientia . Most frogs are characterized by a short body, webbed digits , protruding eyes and the absence of a tail...
, tiger salamander
Tiger Salamander
The Tiger Salamander is a species of Mole Salamander. The proper common name is the Eastern Tiger Salamander, to differentiate from other closely related species.-Description:...
and the boreal toad
Toad
A toad is any of a number of species of amphibians in the order Anura characterized by dry, leathery skin , short legs, and snoat-like parotoid glands...
are relatively common.
Insects such as mosquito
Mosquito
Mosquitoes are members of a family of nematocerid flies: the Culicidae . The word Mosquito is from the Spanish and Portuguese for little fly...
s and black flies
Fly
True flies are insects of the order Diptera . They possess a pair of wings on the mesothorax and a pair of halteres, derived from the hind wings, on the metathorax...
can be pesky in the spring and summer and at the highest altitudes are known to be very bothersome.
Wilderness
Wilderness
Wilderness or wildland is a natural environment on Earth that has not been significantly modified by human activity. It may also be defined as: "The most intact, undisturbed wild natural areas left on our planet—those last truly wild places that humans do not control and have not developed with...
that have remained largely untouched by human activities such as mining, logging, and road and building construction. The four regions comprise 1.5 million acres (6,000 km2) and include the North Absaroka
North Absaroka Wilderness
The North Absaroka Wilderness is located in Shoshone National Forest in the U.S. state of Wyoming. It lies adjacent to the eastern border of Yellowstone National Park.U.S. Wilderness Areas do not allow motorized or mechanized vehicles, including bicycles...
, Washakie
Washakie Wilderness
The Washakie Wilderness is located in Shoshone National Forest in the U.S. state of Wyoming.U.S. Wilderness Areas do not allow motorized or mechanized vehicles, including bicycles. Although camping and fishing are allowed with proper permit, no roads or buildings are constructed and there is also...
, Fitzpatrick
Fitzpatrick Wilderness
The Fitzpatrick Wilderness is located in Shoshone National Forest in the U.S. state of Wyoming. The wilderness was originally known as the Glacier Primitive Area, but was redesignated a wilderness in 1976....
and Popo Agie Wilderness
Popo Agie Wilderness
Popo Agie Wilderness is located within Shoshone National Forest, Wyoming, United States. The wilderness consists of 101,870 acres on the east side of the continental divide in the Wind River Range. Originally set aside as a primitive area in 1932, in 1984 the Wyoming Wilderness Act was passed...
es. Additionally, a small portion of the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness
Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness
Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness was created from existing National Forest lands in 1975 and is located in Montana and Wyoming, United States. The wilderness is partly in Gallatin, Custer and Shoshone National Forests and is composed of . The wilderness encompasses two distinct mountain ranges, namely...
extends into the extreme northwestern part of the forest, along the Montana border.
The Wilderness Act of 1964
Wilderness Act
The Wilderness Act of 1964 was written by Howard Zahniser of The Wilderness Society. It created the legal definition of wilderness in the United States, and protected some 9 million acres of federal land. The result of a long effort to protect federal wilderness, the Wilderness Act was signed...
enhanced the protection status of remote and/or undeveloped land already contained within federally administered protected areas. Passage of the act ensured that no human improvements would take place aside from those already existing. The protected status in wilderness designated zones prohibits road and building construction
Construction
In the fields of architecture and civil engineering, construction is a process that consists of the building or assembling of infrastructure. Far from being a single activity, large scale construction is a feat of human multitasking...
, oil
Oil exploration
Hydrocarbon exploration is the search by petroleum geologists and geophysicists for hydrocarbon deposits beneath the Earth's surface, such as oil and natural gas...
and mineral
Mineral
A mineral is a naturally occurring solid chemical substance formed through biogeochemical processes, having characteristic chemical composition, highly ordered atomic structure, and specific physical properties. By comparison, a rock is an aggregate of minerals and/or mineraloids and does not...
exploration or extraction
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
, and logging, and also prohibits the use of motorized equipment, including even bicycle
Bicycle
A bicycle, also known as a bike, pushbike or cycle, is a human-powered, pedal-driven, single-track vehicle, having two wheels attached to a frame, one behind the other. A person who rides a bicycle is called a cyclist, or bicyclist....
s. The only manner in which people can enter wilderness areas is either on foot or horseback
Equestrianism
Equestrianism more often known as riding, horseback riding or horse riding refers to the skill of riding, driving, or vaulting with horses...
. Hunting
Hunting
Hunting is the practice of pursuing any living thing, usually wildlife, for food, recreation, or trade. In present-day use, the term refers to lawful hunting, as distinguished from poaching, which is the killing, trapping or capture of the hunted species contrary to applicable law...
and fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
are permitted in the wilderness, just as they are throughout the forest, provided those engaging in such activities have the proper licenses and permits.
Fire ecology
Shoshone National Forest has an active Fire Management Program which recognizes that forest fires are a natural part of the ecosystem; however, this was not always the case. Historic fire fighting efforts, which emphasized quickly extinguishing all fires, created huge sources of fuel in the form of dead and dying trees. After the catastrophic fires in the Yellowstone region in 1988, an effort to identify areas of similar fire potential was implemented. Working cooperatively with the National Interagency Fire CenterNational Interagency Fire Center
The National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, Idaho, is the physical facility that is home to the National Interagency Coordination Center , and the National Multi-Agency Coordination group ....
, a multiagency effort of federal, state and local resources, and local land owners on the Wildland-Urban Interface, a system of fire restrictions, fuels management, and a controlled burn
Controlled burn
Controlled or prescribed burning, also known as hazard reduction burning or Swailing is a technique sometimes used in forest management, farming, prairie restoration or greenhouse gas abatement. Fire is a natural part of both forest and grassland ecology and controlled fire can be a tool for...
plan was developed to reduce the chances of a huge catastrophic fire.
Lightning storms
Thunderstorm
A thunderstorm, also known as an electrical storm, a lightning storm, thundershower or simply a storm is a form of weather characterized by the presence of lightning and its acoustic effect on the Earth's atmosphere known as thunder. The meteorologically assigned cloud type associated with the...
cause 70% of the wildfires in the forest. These are usually produced by thunderstorms that have a lot of energy but little associated moisture, a common occurrence during midsummer. The remainder of the wildfires are attributed to neglected campfire
Campfire
A campfire is a fire lit at a campsite, to serve the following functions: light, warmth, a beacon, a bug and/or apex predator deterrent, to cook, and for a psychological sense of security. In established campgrounds they are usually in a fire ring for safety. Campfires are a popular feature of...
s and other human carelessness.
The forest maintains a full-time fire staff of a dozen individuals through the summer. Their jobs include maintaining a high level of preparedness, keeping a vigilant lookout for fire activity, responding to reports of fires, maintaining equipment, monitoring weather and relative atmospheric dryness, and preparing daily fire activity reports, which are used to post fire information for visitors and staff. The forest has five wildland fire engines, pumps, hand tools and many miles of fire hose at its disposal. A helicopter
Helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
can be summoned quickly, along with a regional base for a team of smokejumper
Smokejumper
A smokejumper is a wildland firefighter who parachutes into a remote area to combat wildfires.Smokejumpers are most often deployed to fires that are extremely remote. The risks associated with this method of personnel deployment are mitigated by an extremely well developed training program that has...
s and air tankers
Aerial firefighting
Aerial firefighting is the use of aircraft and other aerial resources to combat wildfires. The types of aircraft used include fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters. Smokejumpers and rappellers are also classified as aerial firefighters, delivered to the fire by parachute from a variety of fixed-wing...
used to provide air support in the manner of retardant
Flame retardant
Flame retardants are chemicals used in thermoplastics, thermosets, textiles and coatings that inhibit or resist the spread of fire. These can be separated into several different classes of chemicals:...
and water drops. In the case of larger fires, the National Interagency Fire Command can mobilize available resources within days or even hours.
Geography and geology
Gannett Peak
Gannett Peak is the highest peak in the U.S. state of Wyoming and straddles the boundary between Fremont and Sublette Counties along the Continental Divide.- Overview :...
, an elevation gain of over 9,200 feet (2,800 m). Of the three major mountain range
Mountain range
A mountain range is a single, large mass consisting of a succession of mountains or narrowly spaced mountain ridges, with or without peaks, closely related in position, direction, formation, and age; a component part of a mountain system or of a mountain chain...
s found in the forest, they are geologically
Geology
Geology is the science comprising the study of solid Earth, the rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which it evolves. Geology gives insight into the history of the Earth, as it provides the primary evidence for plate tectonics, the evolutionary history of life, and past climates...
distinct from each other. All of the mountains are a part of the Rockies
Rocky Mountains
The Rocky Mountains are a major mountain range in western North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch more than from the northernmost part of British Columbia, in western Canada, to New Mexico, in the southwestern United States...
and are at the transitional point between the central Rockies and the northern Rockies. The Absaroka Mountains were named after the Crow Indian tribe, although they only inhabited the far northernmost part to the mountain range. The majority of the Absaroka Mountains are contained within the forest, with the highest peak being Francs Peak
Francs Peak
Francs Peak is the highest point in the Absaroka Range which extends from north central Wyoming into south central Montana, in the United States. Located in the Washakie Wilderness of Shoshone National Forest, the peak is a relatively easy climb which can be achieved in less than a day...
at 13153 feet (4,009 m). Stretching north to south through the northern and eastern sections of the forest, they span over 100 miles (160.9 km) from the Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
border to south of Dubois, Wyoming
Dubois, Wyoming
Dubois is a town in Fremont County, Wyoming. The population was 962 at the 2000 census, although it nearly doubles in the summer with many part-time residents.-Geography:...
.
Important passes
Mountain pass
A mountain pass is a route through a mountain range or over a ridge. If following the lowest possible route, a pass is locally the highest point on that route...
through the Absarokas include Sylvan Pass
Sylvan Pass
Sylvan Pass is a mountain pass located in the Absaroka Range in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. The pass provides access to the park from the east entrance....
, which leads to the eastern entrance of Yellowstone National Park; and Togwotee Pass
Togwotee Pass
Togwotee Pass is a mountain pass located on the continental divide in the Absaroka Mountains of the United States, between the towns of Dubois and Moran Junction, Wyoming in the Jackson Hole valley....
, which provides access to Jackson Hole and Grand Teton National Park
Grand Teton National Park
Grand Teton National Park is a United States National Park located in northwestern Wyoming, U.S. The Park consists of approximately and includes the major peaks of the long Teton Range as well as most of the northern sections of the valley known as Jackson Hole. Only south of Yellowstone...
. The peaks of the Absaroka are basaltic in origin, having been the result of volcanic activity estimated to have occurred 50 million years ago during the Eocene
Eocene
The Eocene Epoch, lasting from about 56 to 34 million years ago , is a major division of the geologic timescale and the second epoch of the Paleogene Period in the Cenozoic Era. The Eocene spans the time from the end of the Palaeocene Epoch to the beginning of the Oligocene Epoch. The start of the...
epoch
Epoch (geology)
An epoch is a subdivision of the geologic timescale based on rock layering. In order, the higher subdivisions are periods, eras and eons. We are currently living in the Holocene epoch...
. The rocks themselves are relatively dark and consist of rhyolite
Rhyolite
This page is about a volcanic rock. For the ghost town see Rhyolite, Nevada, and for the satellite system, see Rhyolite/Aquacade.Rhyolite is an igneous, volcanic rock, of felsic composition . It may have any texture from glassy to aphanitic to porphyritic...
, andesite
Andesite
Andesite is an extrusive igneous, volcanic rock, of intermediate composition, with aphanitic to porphyritic texture. In a general sense, it is the intermediate type between basalt and dacite. The mineral assemblage is typically dominated by plagioclase plus pyroxene and/or hornblende. Magnetite,...
and breccia
Breccia
Breccia is a rock composed of broken fragments of minerals or rock cemented together by a fine-grained matrix, that can be either similar to or different from the composition of the fragments....
s. Because of the erosional influences of glacier
Glacier
A glacier is a large persistent body of ice that forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation over many years, often centuries. At least 0.1 km² in area and 50 m thick, but often much larger, a glacier slowly deforms and flows due to stresses induced by its weight...
s and water and the relative softness of the rocks, the Absarokas are quite craggy in appearance. Gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
was mined from the slopes of Francs Peak
Francs Peak
Francs Peak is the highest point in the Absaroka Range which extends from north central Wyoming into south central Montana, in the United States. Located in the Washakie Wilderness of Shoshone National Forest, the peak is a relatively easy climb which can be achieved in less than a day...
until 1907, and the small ghost town
Ghost town
A ghost town is an abandoned town or city. A town often becomes a ghost town because the economic activity that supported it has failed, or due to natural or human-caused disasters such as floods, government actions, uncontrolled lawlessness, war, or nuclear disasters...
of Kirwin is still visited. Few lakes exist in the Absarokas, but the headwaters of both the Bighorn
Bighorn River
The Bighorn River is a tributary of the Yellowstone, approximately long, in the western United States in the states of Wyoming and Montana. The river was named in 1805 by fur trader François Larocque for the Bighorn Sheep he saw along its banks as he explored the Yellowstone River.The upper...
and Yellowstone River
Yellowstone River
The Yellowstone River is a tributary of the Missouri River, approximately long, in the western United States. Considered the principal tributary of the upper Missouri, the river and its tributaries drain a wide area stretching from the Rocky Mountains in the vicinity of the Yellowstone National...
s are found there.
Intrusion
An intrusion is liquid rock that forms under Earth's surface. Magma from under the surface is slowly pushed up from deep within the earth into any cracks or spaces it can find, sometimes pushing existing country rock out of the way, a process that can take millions of years. As the rock slowly...
igneous
Igneous rock
Igneous rock is one of the three main rock types, the others being sedimentary and metamorphic rock. Igneous rock is formed through the cooling and solidification of magma or lava...
and metamorphic
Metamorphic rock
Metamorphic rock is the transformation of an existing rock type, the protolith, in a process called metamorphism, which means "change in form". The protolith is subjected to heat and pressure causing profound physical and/or chemical change...
in origin, and at 3.96 billion years old, some of these exposed Precambrian
Precambrian
The Precambrian is the name which describes the large span of time in Earth's history before the current Phanerozoic Eon, and is a Supereon divided into several eons of the geologic time scale...
rocks are among the oldest found on the Earth. Although often considered a part of the Absarokas, they are distinct in appearance and geologic history. Uplifted approximately 70 million years ago during the Laramide orogeny
Laramide orogeny
The Laramide orogeny was a period of mountain building in western North America, which started in the Late Cretaceous, 70 to 80 million years ago, and ended 35 to 55 million years ago. The exact duration and ages of beginning and end of the orogeny are in dispute, as is the cause. The Laramide...
, the Beartooths consist of vast windswept plateaus and rugged peaks with sometimes sheer cliff faces. The granite
Granite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
, gneiss
Gneiss
Gneiss is a common and widely distributed type of rock formed by high-grade regional metamorphic processes from pre-existing formations that were originally either igneous or sedimentary rocks.-Etymology:...
and schist
Schist
The schists constitute a group of medium-grade metamorphic rocks, chiefly notable for the preponderance of lamellar minerals such as micas, chlorite, talc, hornblende, graphite, and others. Quartz often occurs in drawn-out grains to such an extent that a particular form called quartz schist is...
rocks are rich in minerals such as chromium
Chromium
Chromium is a chemical element which has the symbol Cr and atomic number 24. It is the first element in Group 6. It is a steely-gray, lustrous, hard metal that takes a high polish and has a high melting point. It is also odorless, tasteless, and malleable...
and platinum
Platinum
Platinum is a chemical element with the chemical symbol Pt and an atomic number of 78. Its name is derived from the Spanish term platina del Pinto, which is literally translated into "little silver of the Pinto River." It is a dense, malleable, ductile, precious, gray-white transition metal...
. Iron
Iron
Iron is a chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. It is a metal in the first transition series. It is the most common element forming the planet Earth as a whole, forming much of Earth's outer and inner core. It is the fourth most common element in the Earth's crust...
and magnesium
Magnesium
Magnesium is a chemical element with the symbol Mg, atomic number 12, and common oxidation number +2. It is an alkaline earth metal and the eighth most abundant element in the Earth's crust and ninth in the known universe as a whole...
are found in the biotite
Biotite
Biotite is a common phyllosilicate mineral within the mica group, with the approximate chemical formula . More generally, it refers to the dark mica series, primarily a solid-solution series between the iron-endmember annite, and the magnesium-endmember phlogopite; more aluminous endmembers...
, amphibole
Amphibole
Amphibole is the name of an important group of generally dark-colored rock-forming inosilicate minerals, composed of double chain tetrahedra, linked at the vertices and generally containing ions of iron and/or magnesium in their structures.-Mineralogy:...
s and pyroxene
Pyroxene
The pyroxenes are a group of important rock-forming inosilicate minerals found in many igneous and metamorphic rocks. They share a common structure consisting of single chains of silica tetrahedra and they crystallize in the monoclinic and orthorhombic systems...
minerals throughout the range. Quartz
Quartz
Quartz is the second-most-abundant mineral in the Earth's continental crust, after feldspar. It is made up of a continuous framework of SiO4 silicon–oxygen tetrahedra, with each oxygen being shared between two tetrahedra, giving an overall formula SiO2. There are many different varieties of quartz,...
and feldspar
Feldspar
Feldspars are a group of rock-forming tectosilicate minerals which make up as much as 60% of the Earth's crust....
s are also commonly found. Geologists believe that the Beartooths were at one time at least 20000 feet (6,096 m) in altitude, but subsequent erosion for tens of millions of years has reduced them to an average of 12000 feet (3,657.6 m) for the higher peaks. There are an estimated 300 lakes in the Beartooth region of Shoshone National Forest, some of them left behind by the receding glaciers of the last glacial maximum
Last Glacial Maximum
The Last Glacial Maximum refers to a period in the Earth's climate history when ice sheets were at their maximum extension, between 26,500 and 19,000–20,000 years ago, marking the peak of the last glacial period. During this time, vast ice sheets covered much of North America, northern Europe and...
known as the Pinedale Glaciation, which ended roughly 10,000 years ago. The Beartooth Highway
Beartooth Highway
The Beartooth Highway is an All-American Road that has been called "the most beautiful drive in America," by late CBS correspondent Charles Kuralt...
(U.S. Highway 212) crosses 10974 feet (3,344.9 m) Beartooth Pass, and from there descends to the northeast entrance to Yellowstone National Park.
Fremont Peak (Wyoming)
Fremont Peak is the third highest peak in Wyoming and straddles the boundary between Fremont and Sublette counties. It is named for American explorer John C. Fremont who climbed the peak with Charles Preuss and Johnny Janisse on August 13 to August 15, 1842...
was thought to be the tallest mountain in the Rocky Mountains due to its prominence when viewed from the Oregon Trail. Over 230 mountains rise above 12000 feet (3,657.6 m). This range is also popular with mountain climbers from all over the world because of its solid rock and variety of routes. The Cirque of the Towers
Cirque of the Towers
The Cirque of the Towers is located in the Wind River Range Wyoming, U.S., part of which is in the Bridger Wilderness in Bridger-Teton National Forest, while the remainder is in the Popo Agie Wilderness in Shoshone National Forest. Located in the southern section of the Wind River Range , the...
in the Popo Agie Wilderness
Popo Agie Wilderness
Popo Agie Wilderness is located within Shoshone National Forest, Wyoming, United States. The wilderness consists of 101,870 acres on the east side of the continental divide in the Wind River Range. Originally set aside as a primitive area in 1932, in 1984 the Wyoming Wilderness Act was passed...
is one of the more popular climbing and hiking destinations, and an estimated 200 different climbing routes are located within the peaks that surround the cirque
Cirque (landform)
thumb|250 px|Two cirques with semi-permanent snowpatches in [[Abisko National Park]], [[Sweden]].A cirque or corrie is an amphitheatre-like valley head, formed at the head of a valley glacier by erosion...
. Hundreds of lakes are located in this region as are the headwaters of the Wind River
Wind River (Wyoming)
The Wind River is the name applied to the upper reaches of the Bighorn River in Wyoming in the United States. The Wind River is long. The two rivers are sometimes referred to as the Wind/Bighorn.-Course:...
.
There are over 500 lakes in the forest, and 2500 miles (4,023.4 km) of streams and rivers. The Clarks Fork of the Yellowstone River is designated as a National Wild and Scenic River
National Wild and Scenic River
National Wild and Scenic River is a designation for certain protected areas in the United States.The National Wild and Scenic Rivers Act was an outgrowth of the recommendations of a Presidential commission, the Outdoor Recreation Resources Review Commission...
for 22 miles (35.4 km) through the forest, with cliffs towering up to 2000 feet (609.6 m) as the river winds through a gorge. The forest is on the eastern slopes of the Continental Divide, and the rivers flow into the Atlantic Ocean basin
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
.
Glaciology
According to the U.S. Forest Service, Shoshone National Forest has the greatest number of individual glaciers of any National Forest in the Rocky Mountains. The forest recreation guide lists 16 named and 140 unnamed glaciers within the forest, all in the Wind River Range. Forty-four of these glaciers are in the Fitzpatrick WildernessFitzpatrick Wilderness
The Fitzpatrick Wilderness is located in Shoshone National Forest in the U.S. state of Wyoming. The wilderness was originally known as the Glacier Primitive Area, but was redesignated a wilderness in 1976....
, centered around the highest mountain peaks. However, the state water board for Wyoming lists only 63 glaciers for the entire Wind River Range, and this includes areas outside the forest boundaries. While there is little doubt that the forest has more glaciers than any other in the rockies, there is no controversy that all of the glaciers in the forest are retreating rapidly.
Reversing the growth that occurred during the Little Ice Age
Little Ice Age
The Little Ice Age was a period of cooling that occurred after the Medieval Warm Period . While not a true ice age, the term was introduced into the scientific literature by François E. Matthes in 1939...
(1350–1850), there has been a reduction of mountain glacial ice
Retreat of glaciers since 1850
The retreat of glaciers since 1850 affects the availability of fresh water for irrigation and domestic use, mountain recreation, animals and plants that depend on glacier-melt, and in the longer term, the level of the oceans...
worldwide of 50% since 1850. Much of this reduction has been well documented by photographic
Photography
Photography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film...
evidence and other data. An increase in recession rate since the 1970s, however, seems to be correlated with anthropogenic global warming
Global warming
Global warming refers to the rising average temperature of Earth's atmosphere and oceans and its projected continuation. In the last 100 years, Earth's average surface temperature increased by about with about two thirds of the increase occurring over just the last three decades...
.
Gannett Glacier
Gannett Glacier is the largest glacier in the Rocky Mountains within the United States. The glacier is located on the east and north slopes of Gannett Peak, the highest mountain in Wyoming on the east side of the Continental Divide in the Wind River Range...
, on the northeast slope of Gannett Peak, is the largest single glacier in the U.S. Rocky Mountains. It has reportedly lost over 50% of its volume since 1920 with 25% of that loss since 1980. Fremont Glacier has been studied more than any other in the Wind River Range. Scientist have obtained ice core
Ice core
An ice core is a core sample that is typically removed from an ice sheet, most commonly from the polar ice caps of Antarctica, Greenland or from high mountain glaciers elsewhere. As the ice forms from the incremental build up of annual layers of snow, lower layers are older than upper, and an ice...
s from the Fremont Glacier and found that there have been measurable changes in the atmosphere over the past 500 years.
The small glaciers in the forest are less able to resist melting than the great ice sheets of Greenland
Greenland
Greenland is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark, located between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Though physiographically a part of the continent of North America, Greenland has been politically and culturally associated with Europe for...
and Antarctica. Once a glacier begins retreating, it may fall into disequilibrium and be unable to find mass balance
Glacier mass balance
Crucial to the survival of a glacier is its mass balance, the difference between accumulation and ablation . Climate change may cause variations in both temperature and snowfall, causing changes in mass balance. Changes in mass balance control a glacier's long term behavior and is the most...
(accumulation
Accumulation zone
On a glacier, the accumulation zone is the area above the firn line, where snowfall accumulates and exceeds the losses from ablation, . The annual Glacier equilibrium line separates the accumulation and ablation zone annually...
versus melting
Ablation
Ablation is removal of material from the surface of an object by vaporization, chipping, or other erosive processes. This occurs in spaceflight during ascent and atmospheric reentry, glaciology, medicine, and passive fire protection.-Spaceflight:...
rate) at any size. Without a favorable climate change, it will continue to retreat until it disappears. Glaciologists predict that if current trends continue, the remaining glaciers in the forest will disappear by 2020. Shrinkage already reduces the summer glacial runoff that supplies water to streams and lakes and provides a cold-water source vital to certain fish and plant species. This, in turn, may have a significant impact on the forest ecosystem over time.
Climate
With an average of less than 10 inches (25.4 cm) of precipitation annually, Wyoming is generally considered an aridArid
A region is said to be arid when it is characterized by a severe lack of available water, to the extent of hindering or even preventing the growth and development of plant and animal life...
state. However, Shoshone National Forest is located in some of the largest mountain ranges in the state, which ensure that glaciers and snowmelt provide water for streams through the dry summer months. The average temperature at the lower elevations is 72 °F (22.2 °C) during the summer and 20 °F (-6.7 °C) during the winter, and the higher peaks average 20 °F (-6.7 °C) less than those figures. Most of the precipitation falls in the winter and early spring, while summer is punctuated with widely scattered afternoon and evening thunderstorms. The fall
Autumn
Autumn is one of the four temperate seasons. Autumn marks the transition from summer into winter usually in September or March when the arrival of night becomes noticeably earlier....
is usually cool and dry. Due to the altitude and dryness of the atmosphere, vigorous radiative cooling occurs throughout the year, and temperature variances of 50°F/28°C daily are not uncommon. Consequently, the nights range from very cool in the summer to extremely cold
Polar climate
Regions with a polar climate are characterized by a lack of warm summers . Regions with polar climate cover over 20% of the Earth. The sun shines 24 hours in the summer, and barely ever shines at all in the winter...
in the winter; therefore, visitors should always remember to bring along at least a jacket, even during the summer.
Recreation
Shoshone National Forest receives an average of over half a million visitors a year. Two visitor centers provide orientation, books, maps, and interpretive displays and are staffed by either forest service interpreters or volunteers. The Wapiti Wayside is on the Buffalo Bill Cody Scenic BywayBuffalo Bill Cody Scenic Byway
Buffalo Bill Cody Scenic Byway is in the U.S. state of Wyoming and spans most of the distance from Cody, Wyoming to Yellowstone National Park. The scenic highway follows the north fork of the Shoshone River through the Wapiti Valley to Sylvan Pass and the eastern entrance to Yellowstone...
, west of Cody, Wyoming
Cody, Wyoming
Cody is a city in Park County, Wyoming, United States. It is named after William Frederick Cody, primarily known as Buffalo Bill, from William Cody's part in the creation of the original town. The population was 9,520 at the 2010 census...
adjacent to the historic Wapiti Ranger Station; another visitor center is to the south in Lander, Wyoming
Lander, Wyoming
Lander is a city in, and the county seat of, Fremont County, Wyoming, United States. Named for transcontinental explorer Frederick W. Lander, Lander is located in central Wyoming, along the Middle Fork of the Popo Agie River. A tourism center with several dude ranches nearby, Lander is located just...
. There are 30 vehicle access campgrounds in the forest, with up to 27 individual sites each. Approximately half of these campgrounds provide running water and restroom facilities and also provide for handicapped accessibility. Referred to as "front country" campgrounds, they also permit recreational vehicle
Recreational vehicle
Recreational vehicle or RV is, in North America, the usual term for a Motor vehicle or trailer equipped with living space and amenities found in a home.-Features:...
access in most cases. All of the campgrounds are on a first come, first served basis except for the Rex Hale campground, which is on the National Recreation Reservation Service; a phone and web-based system that permits campsite reservation months ahead of time. Due to the presence of grizzly bears, some of the campgrounds require what is referred to as "hard-sided" camping only, and tent camping is not permitted.
Hiking
Hiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often in mountainous or other scenic terrain. People often hike on hiking trails. It is such a popular activity that there are numerous hiking organizations worldwide. The health benefits of different types of hiking...
and then backpacking
Backpacking (wilderness)
Backpacking combines the activities of hiking and camping for an overnight stay in backcountry wilderness...
or horseback riding
Equestrianism
Equestrianism more often known as riding, horseback riding or horse riding refers to the skill of riding, driving, or vaulting with horses...
into more remote destinations. There are dozens of trails which total over 1500 miles (2,414 km) spread throughout the forest. The Continental Divide Trail
Continental Divide Trail
The Continental Divide National Scenic Trail is a United States National Scenic Trail running 3,100 miles between Mexico and Canada. It follows the Continental Divide along the Rocky Mountains and traverses five U.S. states — Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado, and New Mexico...
weaves its way through the forest, though it follows alternatively named trails for some of the distance. There is also the Nez Perce National Historic Trail
Nez Perce National Historic Trail
The Nez Perce National Historical Trail follows the same journey undertaken by a band of the Nez Perce Indian tribe in 1877 during their attempt to flee the U.S. Cavalry. The 1,170 mile trail was created in 1986 as part of the National Trails System Act and is managed by the U.S. Forest Service....
and the Beartooth Loop National Recreation Trail, both of which are in the northern regions of the forest. Some remote areas can be accessed by horseback. Trailheads usually provide enough room for horse and pack animal trailers plus personal vehicles. Along forest access roads, all-terrain vehicle
All-terrain vehicle
An all-terrain vehicle , also known as a quad, quad bike, three wheeler, or four wheeler, is defined by the American National Standards Institute as a vehicle that travels on low pressure tires, with a seat that is straddled by the operator, along with handlebars for steering control...
s are allowed, however there are plans to limit their use in most of the forest.
Hunting
Hunting
Hunting is the practice of pursuing any living thing, usually wildlife, for food, recreation, or trade. In present-day use, the term refers to lawful hunting, as distinguished from poaching, which is the killing, trapping or capture of the hunted species contrary to applicable law...
and fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
are popular recreational activities permitted throughout the forest, provided that proper permits are obtained and the applicable rules and regulations are followed. Hunting regulations are altered each year to ensure certain species are protected from overhunting and to maximize personal safety. Many of the streams and rivers are considered to be "Blue Ribbon Trout Streams". 1700 miles (2,735.9 km) of streams and 500 lakes that can be legally fished from, provide plenty of elbow room during even the most crowded of fishing seasons. Hunting and fishing licenses are sponsored by the state of Wyoming and are available through the Wyoming Game and Fish Department.
The southern section of the forest in the Wind River Range is the primary destination for mountain climbers
Mountaineering
Mountaineering or mountain climbing is the sport, hobby or profession of hiking, skiing, and climbing mountains. While mountaineering began as attempts to reach the highest point of unclimbed mountains it has branched into specialisations that address different aspects of the mountain and consists...
. Twenty-nine of the highest 30 peaks in Wyoming are here, and the mountains are primarily of granitic rock with countless cliffs and sheer rock walls. The Cirque of the Towers is particularly popular as it has numerous peaks within a relatively short distance of each other.
Winter activities include cross-country skiing
Cross-country skiing
Cross-country skiing is a winter sport in which participants propel themselves across snow-covered terrain using skis and poles...
and snowmobiling. The Continental Divide Snowmobile Trail is a popular maintained snowmobile route that can be accessed from Togwotee Pass. With up to 40 feet (12.2 m) of snow annually in the higher elevations, the snowmobile season extends usually from the beginning of December to the middle of April. Lander
Lander, Wyoming
Lander is a city in, and the county seat of, Fremont County, Wyoming, United States. Named for transcontinental explorer Frederick W. Lander, Lander is located in central Wyoming, along the Middle Fork of the Popo Agie River. A tourism center with several dude ranches nearby, Lander is located just...
, Cody
Cody, Wyoming
Cody is a city in Park County, Wyoming, United States. It is named after William Frederick Cody, primarily known as Buffalo Bill, from William Cody's part in the creation of the original town. The population was 9,520 at the 2010 census...
and the area near Togwotee Pass are the hubs of snowmobile activity in the forest. Numerous outfitters rent snowmobiles on a daily basis and can provide guided trips for those less experienced, and a number of motels also remain open during the winter to provide food and lodging. Snowmobile activity has increased in the forest with increased restrictions on their use within Yellowstone National Park.
Scenic roads
Beartooth Highway
The Beartooth Highway is an All-American Road that has been called "the most beautiful drive in America," by late CBS correspondent Charles Kuralt...
(U.S. Highway 212), weaves through the forest and serves as the northeastern entranceway to Yellowstone National Park. Immediately south of the Beartooth Highway, the Chief Joseph Scenic Byway
Chief Joseph Scenic Byway
Wyoming Highway 296 also known as the Chief Joseph Scenic Highway is in the U.S. state of Wyoming and follows the route taken by Chief Joseph as he led the Nez Perce Indians out of Yellowstone National Park and into Montana in 1877 during their attempt to flee the U.S...
(Wyoming Highway 296) follows the old trail in which Chief Joseph
Chief Joseph
Hin-mah-too-yah-lat-kekt, popularly known as Chief Joseph, or Young Joseph was the leader of the Wal-lam-wat-kain band of Nez Perce during General Oliver O. Howard's attempt to forcibly remove his band and the other "non-treaty" Nez Perce to a reservation in Idaho...
and the Nez Perce tribe attempted to flee the U.S. Cavalry
United States Cavalry
The United States Cavalry, or U.S. Cavalry, is the designation of the mounted force of the United States Army. The role of the U.S. Cavalry is reconnaissance, security and mounted assault. Cavalry has served as a part of the Army forces in every war in which the United States has participated...
in 1877. South of there, Buffalo Bill Cody Scenic Byway
Buffalo Bill Cody Scenic Byway
Buffalo Bill Cody Scenic Byway is in the U.S. state of Wyoming and spans most of the distance from Cody, Wyoming to Yellowstone National Park. The scenic highway follows the north fork of the Shoshone River through the Wapiti Valley to Sylvan Pass and the eastern entrance to Yellowstone...
(US 14/16/20) heads west from Cody, Wyoming and crosses Sylvan Pass
Sylvan Pass
Sylvan Pass is a mountain pass located in the Absaroka Range in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. The pass provides access to the park from the east entrance....
as it enters Yellowstone. Lastly, the Wyoming Centennial Scenic Byway
Wyoming Centennial Scenic Byway
Wyoming Centennial Scenic Byway is in the U.S. state of Wyoming and extends from Dubois, Wyoming for to Pinedale, Wyoming. The scenic byway passes through both Shoshone and Bridger-Teton National Forests as well as Grand Teton National Park. Jackson, Wyoming is the largest town on the route which...
(US 26/287) heads west from Dubois, Wyoming
Dubois, Wyoming
Dubois is a town in Fremont County, Wyoming. The population was 962 at the 2000 census, although it nearly doubles in the summer with many part-time residents.-Geography:...
, over Togwotee Pass and enters Jackson Hole and Grand Teton National Park. The Chief Joseph, Buffalo Bill Cody and Wyoming Centennial byways have all been designated as
Wyoming State Scenic Byways.