PROSPECT MOUNTAIN WILDERNESS STUDY AREA
Values
The Prospect Mountain WSA provides opportunities for experiencing naturalness, solitude, primitive and unconfined recreation, and wilderness. Prospect Mountain and Prospect Creek, coupled with dense forest cover and riparian areas, provide a high degree of solitude while creating numerous secluded places for recreational activities. With 70 percent of the area covered by trees, visitors are easily screened from one another. The Forest Service's Platte River Wilderness, which forms the eastern boundary of the WSA and contains 23,000 acres, enhances the opportunity for solitude in this WSA because of its undeveloped nature. The Prospect Mountain WSA is highly scenic. Color and texture of the WSA contrast sharply with the adjacent high desert environment. There are many shades of green and blue in the warmer months, which change to green, gold and brown in the fall.
Visitation Information
The Prospect Mountain area provides a variety of recreational activities, including fishing, hunting, sightseeing, hiking, camping, rock hounding and wildlife viewing. The North Platte River adjacent to the WSA offers high quality fishing and float-boating opportunities. Motorized travel is expressly prohibited. Additionally, the WSA is closed to mineral entry, including gold panning.
Visitor Advisory
Access to wild lands inherently requires good navigational skills and four-wheel drive or high-clearance vehicles. Visitors should be prepared for adverse weather and road conditions. The WSAs in the BLM Field Office are primarily accessed by unnamed or unsigned two-track roads that in many cases may be difficult to find without sufficient navigational skills and equipment.
Wilderness Study Areas
WSAs are undeveloped federal lands that retain their primeval character and influence, without permanent improvements or human habitation, and are managed so as not to impair their suitability for preservation as wilderness. Backcountry recreation is a common use along with Leave no Trace Outdoor ethics. Please be advised these areas are restricted and do not allow for the use of motorized and mechanized equipment.