Enjoy the Access!
Wyoming’s outdoors is perhaps its greatest asset; in many instances, the opportunity to find solitude is just a few miles from one’s home, and the Wyoming Game and Fish Department does its part to supplement that opportunity by providing public access areas, or PAA’s. Wyoming Game and Fish Public Access Areas in the state date back to 1958; typically, these are permanent or long-term easements negotiated with landowners, and purchased by the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission to provide access to private lands. These easements remain with the land throughout time as parcels are bought, sold or sub-divided.
The department encourages the public to enjoy these areas. Most PAAs allow access for fishing, and some PAAs allow access for hunting. Some are great to break out the kayak. PAAs will have signs with maps identifying the rules and regulations for each specific PAA in the parking areas. These lands should not be confused with public lands such as U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, or state lands that provide more forms of recreation. Uses of Game and Fish Commission-owned Public Access Areas are typically for defined uses, and are not, and should not be considered, public lands, or accessible for uses outside of the legal purpose they were acquired.
A good resource is the department’s website, where you can find the various access options the department offers, a listing of all public access areas in Wyoming, and an online tool that can answer many of your questions. Throughout the state, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department is following local fire restrictions banning open fires, so check the department’s website for fire bans on Commission-owned lands prior to visiting. Bans are currently in place throughout Wyoming. It is important to check ahead to understand what restrictions or limitations may be in place in camping and recreational areas. Summer will be over soon enough, and now is a good time to enjoy Wyoming’s outdoors. Take a browse on the department’s webpage, and click on the public access tab at the top of the page. There’s lots to explore!