Unit 19

Cathedral Cliffs and Meeteetse Rim provide major terrain references on the western drainages. The Chinese Wall ridge system offers navigation corridors through complex terrain. Beartooth Plateau and Thorofare Plateau serve as high-country waypoints; numerous basins (Hughes, Hidden, Silvertip, Pat O'Hara) provide geographic anchors for routing.

Bridger Lake, Guitar Lake, and Granite Lake mark water sources in the high country. Named gaps and passes (Beartooth, Dead Indian, Two Ocean) serve as traditional crossing points. Fishhawk Glacier and multiple cirque lakes indicate where ice carves the highest basins.

Terrain spans from 4,000-foot valley floors to over 13,000-foot peaks, with the majority of huntable country in the 8,000-10,000-foot band. Lower valleys support mixed forest and open meadows; mid-elevations transition to dense timber on north slopes and scattered timber on south-facing ridges. Upper elevations break into alpine tundra, talus fields, and glacier-carved basins with stunted vegetation and minimal cover.

The Beartooth and Thorofare plateaus provide high alpine plateaus; the Absaroka peaks create dramatic relief. Habitat transitions are sharp—move up 1,000 vertical feet and you shift from forest to open basin in minutes.

The 2,200 miles of road provide surprising connectivity across a vast unit, but road density varies dramatically. Lower valleys and drainages near Cody (Wapiti area) see heavier pressure; the remote high basins receive minimal traffic. Most access bunches near populated areas—Pahaska Tepee, Clark, Cody—leaving hundreds of square miles of backcountry accessible only by foot or horse.

The extreme terrain complexity (9.2/10) means many acres remain difficult to reach despite road miles. Hunters willing to push into high basins or remote drainages find solitude; those staying near roads encounter more competition.

Unit 19 defines five interconnected drainages: Clark's Fork, Soda Butte, Shoshone, Greybull, and Yellowstone rivers, all flowing from the Absaroka Range east of Cody. The unit excludes Yellowstone National Park to the west and everything east of Highway 120. The Clark's Fork Canyon and Absaroka Range form the unit's core, with the terrain rolling from mid-elevation valleys up to glacier-carved high country. Access points cluster around Cody and Wapiti; the unit's vast size and mountain core create significant distance between entry points.

This is drainage-based country where water corridors dictate travel patterns.

Five major river systems provide the drainage structure—Clark's Fork, Soda Butte, Shoshone, Greybull, and Yellowstone—each with reliable flow through lower and mid elevations. Numerous named creeks (Silvertip, Mormon, Neva, Jones) follow predictable patterns into main stems. High-elevation water is sparse but present at named lakes and cirque basins; several springs (Badger, Shoshone Hot Springs, De Maris) offer reliable sources.

Water availability decreases above 10,000 feet—high basins require planning and may be dry mid-season. Lower drainages support year-round flow, but access to river corridors varies by terrain steepness.

Unit 19 supports mountain lions in the Absaroka drainages, with cats utilizing the full elevation gradient from valley timber to high alpine basins. Lower drainages and north-slope forests provide dense cover; mid-elevation parks and benches offer transition habitat where lions hunt. High basins and cirque country support bighorn sheep and elk, attracting lions to upper elevations seasonally.

The drainage structure funnels prey movement; major creeks and river corridors concentrate hunting opportunities. Terrain is steep and navigation-intensive—successful hunts require excellent topo reading, willingness to cover vertical distance, and ability to glass from high vantage points. Early season (September-October) offers access to high country; later season pushes lions to lower, forested drainages as snow increases.