12 Sep
Short drive today so we delayed our departure at Riverton WY until 1100 hrs. We passed the town of Shoshone and headed east on US 20/26 towards Casper WY. We planned a couple stops along the way but they were within eight miles of each other! There are no towns to speak of between Shoshone and Casper. There might have been one fuel stop but we could not tell if it was even open or not. Some of the scenery was really nice!
The overall drive was projected at about 125 miles so we did not need fuel anyway. It's just mostly rock and sagebrush along the way!
It is interesting, though, that sagebrush-grassland provides cover for over two-thirds of the world's population of pronghorn antelope and sage grouse. The antelope and grouse require these extensive, uninterrupted native habitats to roam freely between summer and winter. I did not know that the sagebrush provides the major food source for these species. There are over 50 other species that rely on the sagebrush habitat too. So even though it looks like a vast wasteland, it is actually teeming with life.
Our first stop was a rest area about half way through the trip, called Waltman Rest Area. The present-day highway crosses what remains of the Bridger Road - Waltman Crossing. The road led to the remote goldfields of western Montana booming since 1862. Jim Bridger, an explorer and fur trader and the namesake for the road, was the guide who assisted the government representative who laid out routes to the mineralization. The route determined by them reduced the danger from Indian attacks and cut ten days from the journey. We have heard there are many examples of wagon train ruts in the ground that are still visible near Casper and we hope to see some of them while there.
Our next stop was just eight miles beyond, called Hell's Half Acre. We were not sure what to expect here, but the name sounded interesting so we added the waypoint. There was a nice turnoff and plenty of room for the RV there in the dirt/gravel parking area. We walked up to the chain-link fence and the geological formation were incredible! It is described as an "erosional gorge".
This badland is so eerie that it was used for the 1997 movie "Starship Troopers"! The area actually occupies 320 acres along the western toe of the Casper Arch. The land was donated by the Federal Government to Natrona County back on 1924. This area took on it's features around 55 million years ago during the Laramide Orogeny. The name "Hells Half Acre came from an advertising campaign to attempt to draw tourists. There were thousands of postcards ordered with the name "Devil's Kitchen", but apparently some how the name was changed and the post cards said "Hells Half Acre".
As we walked around the parking lot it was evident there used to be buildings here - sizable buildings. Concrete footing and sidewalks were evident. Later we found out they actually built a motel and restaurant here along with a souvenir shop and they were torn down in 2005. There was also a post office here from May 1940 until 1971.
There is a 180 foot fall from the rim to the bottom, and Native Americans used this as a point to herd bison over the edge and harvest the meat and pelts. There was an archeological investigation done in 2006 where bison bones and spear tips were found that dated back somewhere between 3000 to 1200 years old! How awesome! It is definitely worth the stop if you find yourself west of Casper WY on Hwy 20/26.
We loaded back up and within about 45 minutes we were pulling into the Casper KOA, which is actually located in the town of Bar Nunn WY! So check out this Google Maps aerial view of Bar Nunn. What do you see?
We arrived at the Casper KOA at 1349 hrs after driving just 124 miles. This will be our resting spot for the next four nights. It is nothing special - gravel from end to end and minimal shade! The staff was very pleasant.
Trip Stats:
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