Thunder Basin National Grassland

Thunder Basin protects a large expanse of northern mixed and short-grass prairie, the kind of grassland that once stretched unbroken across the heart of the continent. Here it rolls in long swells of grass and sagebrush, broken by low buttes, dry washes, and scattered badlands.

The grassland is not a single solid block but a scattered, checkerboard mix of public land with private and other holdings, so visitors need to know where access is allowed. Within it, though, lie huge stretches of open country that give a genuine sense of the old plains.

The grassland is rich in classic plains wildlife. Pronghorn, the fastest land animals in North America, drift across the horizon in herds, and prairie dog colonies dot the flats, their towns supporting hawks, eagles, badgers, and burrowing owls. It is also important habitat for grassland birds and other species that depend on open prairie.

This is one of the best places in Wyoming to see the ecology of the plains at work, where predators and prey, grazers and grasses, are woven together across the wide land. Dawn and dusk are the best times to watch the country come alive with movement.

Thunder Basin earns its name from the weather. On summer afternoons the heat and moisture build into towering thunderheads that march across the basin trailing curtains of rain and lightning, a spectacle to watch from a safe distance across the open country.

The same openness brings extraordinary skies at all times, from sunrises that flood the grass with gold to some of the darkest night skies in the state, thick with stars. For travelers seeking solitude and space, the basin offers a stillness and scale hard to find elsewhere.

This country was long the domain of Plains tribes, including the Lakota and Cheyenne, who followed the great bison herds across it, and later it became ranching and, in modern times, energy country, with coal and other resources drawn from the Powder River Basin. Those layers coexist across the grassland today.

Gillette is the main gateway, and from there gravel and dirt roads lead out into the basin, though services are few and distances long. Come prepared and mind the weather and access rules, and Thunder Basin rewards you with one of the last great expanses of open prairie in the West.

The closest Boutel™ stays, so you can turn this stop into an overnight. Each is a place we chose through independent editorial review, never a paid placement.

Thunder Basin National Grassland, in northeastern Wyoming, is a vast expanse of rolling prairie, sagebrush plains, buttes, and badlands stretching across the high plains between the Bighorn Mountains and the Black Hills. This wide-open landscape is home to abundant wildlife, including pronghorn, deer, prairie dogs, raptors, and grassland birds, and offers a sense of the endless, uncrowded prairie that once covered much of the West. Visitors come for wildlife viewing, hunting, and the solitude of the open grassland under big skies. With its sweeping prairie, wildlife, and wide horizons, Thunder Basin National Grassland offers a quietly striking destination in northeastern Wyoming.

You can watch for abundant wildlife including pronghorn, deer, prairie dogs, and grassland birds and raptors, take scenic drives across the open prairie and badlands, hunt in season, photograph the sweeping landscapes and big skies, and enjoy the solitude of one of the largest expanses of open grassland in the region. The wildlife and the sense of vast, uncrowded space are the highlights. Facilities are limited, so it is a place for self-reliant exploration. With its wildlife viewing, scenic drives, and open-prairie solitude, Thunder Basin National Grassland offers a rewarding experience for those who love wide-open country in northeastern Wyoming.

This is a vast, remote area with few services, much of it reached by unpaved roads that can be rough or impassable when wet, and it is checkerboarded with private land amid the public grassland, so a suitable vehicle, a map, a full tank of gas, water, and supplies are important, and respecting private property and any access rules is essential. Cell service is unreliable, and the weather can bring heat, sudden storms, and strong sun. Coming prepared and self-sufficient, and respecting land boundaries, ensures a safe visit to Thunder Basin National Grassland in northeastern Wyoming.

Late spring through fall offers the most comfortable conditions for wildlife viewing, scenic drives, and exploring, with spring bringing green prairie and active wildlife, summer offering long days though it can be hot and stormy, and fall bringing pleasant temperatures and hunting seasons. Avoid the unpaved roads when wet, as they can turn to impassable mud. Early morning and evening are best for wildlife. For the best combination of comfortable weather, active wildlife, and passable roads, aim for late spring through fall, always checking conditions, at Thunder Basin National Grassland in northeastern Wyoming.

Thunder Basin National Grassland spreads across northeastern Wyoming near the towns of Douglas, Gillette, and Newcastle, within reach of Devils Tower National Monument, the Black Hills country, and the route toward Casper and the Bighorn Mountains. That makes Thunder Basin National Grassland a striking open-country stop to combine with Douglas, Devils Tower, and the other attractions of northeastern Wyoming on a visit to the state.