Wyoming · Trail 651

North Fork Owl Creek Trail

North Fork Owl Creek Trail is a 5.4-mile trail in Shoshone National Forest, Wyoming. The Forest Service rates it trail class 1, minimally developed. It is open to hiking, horse and pack stock and mountain biking. It enters Washakie Wilderness.

Trail conditions, closures and hazards are not tracked here. The Shoshone National Forest official page carries current alerts and closure orders.

Map

One end Other endLine simplified to about 100 metres. Basemap from the USGS National Map.

One end43.7726° N, 109.0360° W · Directions ↗
Other end43.8029° N, 109.1137° W · Directions ↗

The ends are the two ends of the longest connected chain of segments. The record does not say which is the usual start.

The trail

Length5.4 miles, all of it evaluated accessible
Trail class1, minimally developed
Typeland trail
Surfacenative material
Typical grade12-20 percent
Typical tread width18-24 inches
Motor vehiclesClosed to all motorized use year-round
AccessibilityAt least one segment meets Forest Service accessibility guidelines
Trail numbers651
ForestShoshone National Forest (unit 0214)
StatesWyoming
Detail publishedmanagement level, with uses

Values are the set across all segments. Class 1 is minimally developed and class 5 is fully developed. Grade and width are the forest's typical values, not measured extremes.

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near North Fork Owl Creek Trail20°30°40°50°60°70°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 24.7°F averageFebruary: 26.3°F averageMarch: 35.1°F averageApril: 42.2°F averageMay: 51.4°F averageJune: 60.9°F averageJuly: 68.3°F averageAugust: 67.2°F averageSeptember: 58.0°F averageOctober: 44.6°F averageNovember: 32.4°F averageDecember: 24.1°F averageTemp °F
The line is the average temperature at Thermopolis 21Wnw, 19 miles from the trail midpoint at 5,510 feet, station USC00488888 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. The station sits about 3,500 feet lower than the trail midpoint, so temperatures on the ground run cooler.

Allowed uses

HikingAllowed year-round
Horse and pack stockAllowed year-round
Mountain bikingAllowed year-round

A use is listed when the Forest Service records it as managed, accepted or discouraged on any segment. Discouraged still means legal. Uses marked restricted are left out. Where the forest publishes a Motor Vehicle Use Map, that map governs motorized use.

Wilderness

Inside a designated wilderness, bicycles and motor vehicles are prohibited by law regardless of the trail record, and permits or group limits may apply.

Trailheads

The Forest Service recreation layer records no trailhead within a third of a mile of this trail's line. Many trails start from a road pullout or another trail with no trailhead record. The forest's recreation pages list the trailheads it does publish.

Trails nearby

Camping nearby

No federal campground is recorded within five miles of the trail. Dispersed camping is allowed on most National Forest land outside posted closures. The forest office has the current rules.

Explore

Guidebooks for Wyoming

We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.

  • Hiking Wyoming's Wind River Range
    Ben Adkison, 2023
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Hiking Wyoming's Bighorn Mountains
    Ken (Naturalist) Keffer, 2017
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Hiking Grand Teton National Park
    Bill Schneider, 2018
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Top Trails: Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks
    Andrew Dean Nystrom, 2017
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Best Easy Day Hikes Jackson Hole
    Dina Mishev, 2017
    Find at Bookshop.org

Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.

Reference

Questions people ask

How long is the North Fork Owl Creek Trail?

The Forest Service records 5.4 miles under this name in Shoshone National Forest, the sum of 1 segment. All of it is evaluated as accessible.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

What is allowed on the North Fork Owl Creek Trail?

Hiking, horse and pack stock and mountain biking are allowed. The trail is closed to motor vehicles year-round.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Where does the North Fork Owl Creek Trail start?

The line begins at 43.7726° N, 109.0360° W and ends at 43.8029° N, 109.1137° W. No Forest Service trailhead is recorded within a third of a mile of it. The record does not say which end is the usual start.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Is the North Fork Owl Creek Trail in a wilderness area?

Yes. It enters Washakie Wilderness. Wilderness rules ban bicycles and motor vehicles and often limit group size.

Source: Washakie Wilderness

Where can I camp near the North Fork Owl Creek Trail?

No federal campground is recorded within five miles of the trail. The camping section covers dispersed camping, which most National Forest land allows.

Source: Shoshone National Forest official page

How developed is the North Fork Owl Creek Trail?

Trail class 1, which the Forest Service describes as minimally developed. Class 1 is a minimal, unimproved route and class 5 is fully developed, often paved.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

How steep and how wide is the North Fork Owl Creek Trail?

The typical grade is 12-20 percent. The typical tread is 18-24 inches wide.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Is the North Fork Owl Creek Trail accessible?

The Forest Service has evaluated 5.4 miles of this trail as meeting its accessibility guidelines. The surface is native material.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Who manages the North Fork Owl Creek Trail?

Shoshone National Forest, Forest Service unit 0214. The trail is in Wyoming.

Source: Shoshone National Forest official page

Source

This page is built from 1 segment named North Fork Owl Creek Trail in the Forest Service TrailNFS_Publish layer, administrative unit 0214. Wilderness overlap is tested against the National Wilderness Preservation System layer from Wilderness Connect. Trailheads and Forest Service campgrounds come from the Forest Service Recreation Opportunities layer. Data refreshed November 1, 2026. The methodology page explains how segments become trails.