adobe town if you go

IF YOU GO...

GETTING THERE: Plan a daylong sidetrip to Adobe Town from Yellowstone or Grand Teton national parks, by way of Jackson or Pinedale. Stop in at the local U.S. Bureau of Land Management Office, along U.S. 191 just north of Rock Springs, to chat with the staff and pick up maps. Don't bother looking on conventional road maps for Adobe Town; it probably won't be on it. And follow these directions carefully because there are no signs.

Take Interstate 80 and gas up your reliable vehicle in either Rock Springs or Table Rock. The turnoff for the road to Adobe Town is 37 miles east of Rock Springs and 69 miles west of Rawlins. Plan on another 2 1/2 hours on good gravel roads and another half hour on roads that are rough here and there.

From I-80, take Bitter Creek Road south about 27 miles to the headquarters of the Eversole Ranch. Keep going south on BLM Road 4412 and, after another four miles or so, turn left on an unmarked road that is also BLM Road 4412. When you begin seeing unusual rock formations, you have reached Adobe Town.

GETTING AROUND: It would be hard to overstate the necessary precautions. A four-wheel-drive, high-clearance vehicle is essential. Well inside Adobe Town, there are two difficult crossings of Sand Creek. Plan to hike to fully appreciate Adobe Town without getting bogged down. And then do everything you can to avoid getting lost, especially by having maps and knowing how to use a GPS receiver and/or compass. A couple 1:24,000-scale BLM maps are good (contact the Cheyenne BLM at (307) 775-6256); a cluster of 1:100,000-scale U.S. Geological Survey maps is better, available from the Geological Survey office in Denver, (888) 275-8747. Bring at least a gallon of water per person, per day, and shield yourself from the sun. Watch out for rattlesnakes.

As with any backcountry adventure, tell someone ahead of time of your plans.

WHEN TO GO: Early fall is pleasant, through mid-September. Unlike other deserts, summer is survivable, with average daily highs for August only in the low 80s, dropping to the 40s at night. Late fall, winter and early spring can be cold and snowy.

LODGING: Camp where you like. Hotels and motels can be found in Rock Springs, Green River, or Rawlins.