Unit 98

Key peaks include Fremont Butte, Mount Geikie, and Dragon Head Peak—visible from distance and valuable for orientation. The Continental Divide itself is the primary navigation backbone. Major drainages like Fourmile Gulch, Lombard Canyon, and North Piney Creek serve as travel corridors and water sources.

Soda Lake and Toboggan Lake provide reference points in the basinlands. Photo Pass and Blue Rim offer glassing vantage points. The numerous parks—Elk Meadow, Moonshine Park, Sublettes Flat—mark elk bedding and feeding areas worth understanding on your map before hunting.

Terrain rises from medium-elevation basins to high-country ridges, with the Continental Divide forming the eastern spine. Sparse timber dominates—scattered conifers across open parks and meadows rather than dense forest. Lower elevations feature sagebrush parks and willowed drainages; higher ground transitions to alpine tundra and exposed ridge systems.

This elevation profile creates distinct habitat zones: bull elk utilize basin meadows in summer, ridge systems in fall, and lower drainages during severe weather. The open character means weather exposure; storms arrive fast and visibility can shift dramatically.

Nearly 530 miles of road exist, but across vast terrain this creates surprisingly low actual density—most hunters concentrate near main access points. U.S. Highway 28 and Highway 191 are primary entry corridors; Big Sandy Reservoir Road and Boulder Creek trails access interior basins. The limited road network and 9.6 complexity score mean backcountry hunters discover solitude, but access challenges cut both ways: getting in requires planning, getting out requires energy.

Early season sees moderate pressure near roads; remote basins remain quiet throughout if you're willing to walk away from vehicle access.

Unit 98 encompasses the mountainous country between U.S. Highway 28 and the Continental Divide, bounded by the Green River to the west and the New Fork River system to the east. Boulder Creek and the Big Sandy River define key drainage corridors within the unit. The landscape straddles Wyoming's high-elevation transition zone—above the lower sagebrush valleys but below true alpine peaks.

Populated places like Boulder and New Fork sit at unit edges, providing staging points. The unit's sheer size and terrain complexity make navigation and planning essential before entry.

Water is limited and requires locating springs rather than relying on flowing streams. Key springs include Chalk Butte Spring, Antelope Spring, and Steele Hot Springs—mark these before season. Permanent drainages like the Green River, New Fork River, and Big Sandy River flow through unit edges but interior basins depend on snowmelt creeks and isolated springs.

Summer means higher water availability; fall hunting may require knowing which springs hold through drought. Understanding seasonal water patterns separates successful hunts from failed trips in this arid high country.

Unit 98 is elk country—the only species listed—with habitat spanning summer alpine meadows to fall rut basins to winter low-ground drainages. Early season favors the high parks and ridges where bulls gather; Elk Meadow Pit, Hall Basin, and Willow Basin hold summer concentrations. Mid-season rut hunting focuses on drainage systems where bulls bugle between basins.

Late season pushes animals to lower elevations and protected drainages if weather turns severe. Glassing from ridges like Yellow Point Ridge or Ross Ridge works year-round. Success depends on water knowledge, understanding elk movement between basins, and physical fitness for sustained high-elevation travel.