Kemmerer Field Office

Seasonal Closures

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Kemmerer Field Office (KFO) is reminding the public that BLM-administered public lands in the Slate Creek, Rock Creek, and Bridger Creek Big Game Winter Ranges are closed to all motorized vehicle travel (e.g., snowmobiles, all-terrain vehicles, pickups, and sport utility vehicles) from Jan. 1 through Apr. 30.

Use of these areas by non-motorized means (i.e., walking, horseback, cross-country skiing, mountain biking) is still allowed. Highways and county roads are not affected. 

This annual closure has been in effect since 2002 and is necessary to protect elk, moose, pronghorn, and mule deer from disruptive human activities which, during the difficult winter months, can increase the mortality rate for these animals.

The following BLM-administered lands are included in this seasonal closure: 

  • The Slate Creek area south of Fontenelle Creek, west and north of Highway 189, and east of the crest of Slate Creek Ridge;
  • The Rock Creek area south of County Road 204 (Pine Creek Road), west of the crest of Dempsey Ridge, west of Fossil Butte National Monument, north and east of Highway 30; and
  • The Bridger Creek area south of Highway 30, west of Fossil Ridge, west of the Bear River Divide, north of the Uinta-Lincoln County line, and east of the Utah-Wyoming border and southeast of Highway 89.

Exceptions to this closure include: 

  • Wyoming Game & Fish Department (WGFD), the Department of Agriculture Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), the Lincoln and Uinta County Sheriff’s Offices, and the BLM when performing official duties;
  • Operators of existing oil and gas facilities performing maintenance and pumping, as approved in their permits;
  • Livestock operators conducting permitted activities;
  • Utility companies conducting emergency maintenance after notifying the KFO; and
  • Other users who have been granted an exception by submitting a written application to the KFO for review and approval. 

For more information, contact Wally Mierzejewski, outdoor recreation planner, at 307-828-4508.

Map of the Closed Areas