Shoshone National Forest

Established in 1891 as part of the Yellowstone Timberland Reserve, the Shoshone National Forest holds the distinction of being the nation's first federally protected forest reserve, making it the birthplace of the National Forest System. Encompassing 2.5 million acres along Yellowstone National Park's eastern boundary, the forest protects the Absaroka and Wind River mountain ranges. Over half its area is designated wilderness across four wilderness areas: the Washakie, Fitzpatrick, North Absaroka, and Popo Agie. Gannett Peak, at 13,804 feet the highest point in Wyoming, rises from the Continental Divide.\n\nThe forest is a cornerstone of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, supporting the largest concentration of grizzly bears in the lower 48 alongside wolves, bison, moose, and bighorn sheep. The Absaroka Range's volcanic peaks preserve 50-million-year-old Eocene fossils, while the Wind River Range's Precambrian granite exposes some of the oldest rock in North America. The Clarks Fork of the Yellowstone is Wyoming's only designated Wild and Scenic River.\n\nRecreation spans from the Beartooth Highway to world-class mountaineering on Gannett Peak and the Cirque of the Towers in the Wind Rivers. Blue-ribbon trout fishing on the North Fork Shoshone and Clarks Fork, and extensive horseback riding access into the backcountry round out the offerings. Administered from Cody -- the town founded by Buffalo Bill along the historic route to Yellowstone.