Bridger-Teton National Forest

Kemmerer Ranger District

Kemmerer Office

308 Hwy 189
Kemmerer, WY 83101
307-877-4415
Fax: 307-828-5135

Camping

Campground/Picnic Areas: There are three developed fee campgrounds ($5.00 per night) on the district. All have vault toilets, water and garbage pickup during the summer season. All have excellent hiking and fishing opportunities nearby. CAUTION: All campsites are located in bear country. Visitors are strongly encouraged to practice clean camping techniques and to store attractants in a manner that makes them unavailable to bears.

• Allred Flat: located 20 miles south of Afton on US Highway 89 in the Salt Creek drainage. Contains 32 campsites (2 handicapped accessible), RV dump station.
• Hobble Creek: the district's most secluded campground located 34 miles northeast of Cokeville. Contains 14 campsites and horse corrals. Scenic Lake Alice is only a 1.5 mile hike from the campground.
• Hams Fork: located 38 miles north of Kemmerer on the Hams Fork Road. The campground includes 13 campsites, with horse holding facilities nearby at trailhead.
• Lake Alice: There are 3 small non-fee, limited-service campgrounds and 1 picnic area at Lake Alice. There is no garbage service (pack in/pack out) or potable water. They do have rustic picnic tables, fire rings and vault toilets. Lake Alice was created when a massive landslide peeled from the 9,325 foot Lake Mountain and dammed Poker Creek with a mile long pile of debris. The resulting lake is three miles long and over 200 feet deep. Because the lake's outlet flows below the surface through the natural dam, the fish population has been isolated. Bonneville Cutthroat Trout are the only fish species in the lake. No other species have been introduced.

Picnic Areas: There are 5 picnic areas on the District: Allred Flat, Hobble Creek, Big Springs, Crystal Lake and Lake Alice. The level of development varies, but all include picnic tables and fire rings. No overnight camping is permitted.

Dispersed Camping: Dispersed campsites have a wide variety of settings, from heavily used sites right next to high traffic roads to very isolated spots that are tucked away where there is little chance of meeting anyone outside of their party. Camping is free in these more remote areas of the forest as long as you select a site outside of developed campgrounds. The camping limit in one spot is 16 days, after which you must move 1 mile for 7 days before returning. This special order applies to all areas of the district including developed sites.

Cabins: There are four government owned cabins on the District. The Elk Creek Cabin is maintained for its historic value and is used as a temporary shelter. The other three cabins: Kelley, Scaler and LaBarge are used administratively and are also rented out year round to the public on a daily basis. The cabins sleep between 4-6 people and are equipped with a propane range, refrigerator, lights and a woodstove. The cabins have indoor plumbing with running water, hot water heater, and bathrooms (shower, sink, toilet) during the summer months only. For reservations, call toll free to 1-877-444-6777. Permits for the rental cabins are available on a "first-come, first-served" basis to anyone 18 years of age or older. There is a maintenance fee of $30.00 per night, with all revenues used to finance maintenance and improvements to the cabins.

Biking

Fishing

Hiking:

Wildlife Viewing

Horseback Riding

Snowmobiling

Hunting

Cross Country Skiing

Kemmerer District Ranger:

Tracy Hollingshead. In addition, 9 permanent staff members in Kemmerer share responsibilities in recreation, trails, special uses, timber, range, fire and wildlife. The number of temporary employees average 3-5 per year performing field projects in recreation, trails and range. The district traditionally hosts 4-6 volunteers during the summer season, performing campground host duties, backcountry ranger or facilities maintenance.

Affiliations:

The Kemmerer Ranger District is one of six districts located on the Bridger-Teton National Forest. As the name Bridger-Teton suggests, two national forests were administratively combined forming one forest in 1973. The Bridger-Teton is one of 13 National Forests which form the Intermountain Region. The Forest has a cooperative agreement with the Grand Teton Natural History Association which provides books, maps and other interpretive materials. The Kemmerer Ranger District maintains agreements with other government agencies including the State of Wyoming and Lincoln County.

DISTRICT HISTORY AND FEATURES

The Kemmerer Ranger District encompasses approximately 280,500 acres. It is made up of four watersheds: LaBarge, Fontenelle, Hams Fork, and Smiths Fork. The mountains and streams of the Kemmerer Ranger District were the site of much fur trapping activity. Famous trappers such as Jim Bridger, Lucien Fontenelle, Joseph LaBarge and Zacharias Hams worked these streams and rivers. Throughout the 1840's, the swelling tide of emigration to the west resulted in a number of wagon trails and cut-offs across the Green River basin and the southern end of the Wyoming Range. In 1857, Frederick Lander constructed the first federally funded road west of the Mississippi, which became known as the Lander Cut-off of the Oregon Trail. This cut-off crosses the northern portion of the district, entering at Thompson Pass and essentially following the present day LaBarge and Smith Fork Roads. Although the trail provided a short cut for those heading west, it was a dangerous and difficult trail through the mountainous country. Many emigrants lost their lives during their travels west. Some of these graves, along with names carved into trees along the trail, can still be seen today.

The federal lands that encompass the Bridger-Teton National Forest, Kemmerer Ranger District were set-aside in 1904 with the creation of the Yellowstone Forest Reserve which later became the Wyoming National Forest in 1908. In 1923, the Wyoming and Bridger National Forests consolidated and the supervisor's office was located in Kemmerer.

Vegetation: The forest area on the Kemmerer District is a diverse mix of species and age classes in a mosaic across a complex landscape. Forest types present are: Lodgepole pine, Douglas-fir, Limber/Whitebark pine, Engleman spruce, Subalpine fir and Aspen. The forests have been changing throughout their existence because of successional growth patterns, forest fire suppression, insect and disease outbreaks and human activity. In the last 100 years there have been changes brought on by settlers looking for house logs, firewood, railroad ties, lumber and mine props.

Wildlife: The Bridger-Teton National Forest supports 74 mammal species and 355 bird species and most of these species are present within the Kemmerer District. Big game and trophy wildlife including black bear, elk, moose, mountain lion and mule deer are found in all watersheds.

Personal Use Forest Products: The Bridger-Teton National Forest offers several personal use products that may be purchased under permit by the public. Products offered included firewood, post and poles, transplants and Christmas tree permits.

Off-Highway Vehicle Use: OHV popularity and use by the public has dramatically increased within the past five years. There are no trails open to OHV's on the Kemmerer District, and their use is restricted to Forest Development Roads. There are 287 miles of road that are open to motorized travel. Many of these roads have been enrolled in the Wyoming State ORV trail program. Some seasonal restrictions and closures may be in effect in order to prevent road damage during wet periods or for wildlife concerns. Travel plan maps are available at all Bridger-Teton National Forest District offices and are posted on kiosks located on the main roads entering the Kemmerer District.

Trails: There are approximately 260 miles of trail on the district, all of which are closed to motorized use. These areas are open to non-motorized travel including travel by foot, horseback and bicycle. Most of the trails with the exception of Lake Alice receive low to moderate amounts of use and offer plenty of opportunities for solitude.

Winter Use: There are a total of 94 miles of snowmobile trails on the district that are designated, marked and groomed on a regular schedule. Approximately six miles of cross-country skiing trails are marked and maintained by the Forest Service in the Salt Pass area.

USDA Forest Service - Bridger-Teton National Forest
Last Modified: Wednesday, 21 May 2008 at 18:37:43 EDT