EVENTS
Buffalo Jump Hike and Camp
JOIN JASON BALDES FOR A HIKE TO AN INDIGENOUS BUFFALO JUMP ON STEAMBOAT MOUNTAIN — WITH OPTIONAL CAMPOUT
Steamboat Mountain rises nearly 9,000’ in elevation in the Northern Red Desert. It’s the tallest feature in the area, and in present day provides important mule deer and elk habitat. But in the past, its vast elevated plateau supported herds of buffalo. Buffalo jumps were used to hunt buffalo – the foundation of life and culture for Plains Indigenous Peoples.
As our guest guide, Jason Baldes will lead a walk along Steamboat Mt’s Indigenous buffalo drive & jump, and talk about Indigenous hunting, the use of buffalo, its cultural importance, buffalo ecology, and why Steamboat Mt. was key a habitat.
Plan to meet at 1 pm on the backside of Steamboat Mt, by the aspen glade. Hike will be about ½ hour all uphill to the Jump site. Those with ATVs or side-by-sides can drive up.
We’ll have an optional shared campfire in the evening with stories by Jason and music by John Mionczynski.
This site is located in the remote core of the Northern Red Desert, only accessible over dirt roads. For directions and more information click on the button.
Questions? Contact INFO@FRIENDSOFTHEREDDESERT.ORG
Thursday, Aug. 20, 2026
1 pm at Steamboat Mountain with optional campout that night
Participants must provide own transportation to site.
Free to the public; requires signup; more info in the signup link below..
Steamboat Mountain
Jason at the base of Steamboat Mt. addressing Gov. Gordon and his staff.
NEWS
Riverton Ranger: May 3, 2025
Ode to the Red Desert: ‘Headwinds’ captivates
[Background: Wyoming PBS’ film “Headwinds” about a bike-packing trek though the beautiful Red Desert was premiered on the big screen in Lander on May 8th, and later in Rock Springs on May 14th.]
300-square-mile expanse stretching from the southern tip of the Wind River Range to the northern fringe of Colorado, the Red Desert of Wyoming is dry, desolate, and seldom traveled. Though most of the region is public land, a lack of paved roads and signage keep it out of the public eye. Online information is limited to obscure blog posts and trip reports, and accurate, widely available maps are few.
In May 2024, four mountain-loving cyclists from Lander took a chance on the unknown and ventured out to the Red Desert for a three-day, 100-mile bikepacking traverse. For all involved, the intimate human-powered adventure delivered the full spectrum of adversity and joy – a lasting first impression of the desert’s character. READ MORE..
Cowboy State Daily: July 10, 2025
Bill Sniffin: Wyoming's Red Desert Is A Vast Deep Sea – It Will Swallow You
Wyoming is so famous for its national parks, its towering mountain ranges, its spectacular canyons, and amazing river systems. Wow, what a place.
But to me, the place I might just love the most is our vast Red Desert.
I have always called this 5.5 million-acre place the loneliest place in the loneliest state. READ MORE…
