McCullough Peaks Wild Horse Herd Management Area ~ Wyoming

Flickr album link: McCullough Peaks Wild Horse Herd Management Area

There are a few places out west where wild horses are practically guaranteed to be spotted. The Four Corners region and the central Great Basin Desert are two of the best wild horse viewing areas, especially during the foaling season. There are also several official BLM wild horse management areas to be found to be found in the grassy high plains of western Colorado and Wyoming. McCullough Peaks is by far one of the most popular wild horse viewing areas and this vast grassland wilderness and it is located east of Cody, which is the gateway to Yellowstone National Park.

The McCullough Peaks Wild Horse Herd Management Area covers a vast amount of land and the access points are not easy to find on a map. A large ATV staging area is located on Highway 14 east of Cody and the McCullough Peaks Wild Horse welcome center is located practically across the street on the north side of the road. This is all along Highway 14 and this travel route should not be confused with Highway 14A, which runs east through agricultural areas further north. If all you see is a vast expanse of grassy high desert rolling hills, then you know you are in the right place for spotting wild horses!

The welcome center at McCullough Peaks is a simple drive through parking facility that has several information placards pertaining to the geology, natural resources and wildlife in this unique region. The signage also shows maps of the foot trails that go to the best viewing spots, so there will be some hiking involved. Alternatively, there is a lengthy 4x4 trail system beginning at the neighboring staging area that goes to the namesake mountain peaks, which also offers good opportunities to see wild horses. Either way, all it takes is keeping the eyes peeled, but these wild animals are not always to be found. During periods of severe drought, the wild horses tend to congregate closer to water resources and when newborn foals are in tow, they may not come out of hiding at all. Even so, the McCullough Peaks Wild Horse Herd Management Area is a magnificent high desert wilderness to explore and seeing wild horses in action definitely is an added bonus!
​