Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Range: An RV Traveler's Guide
America's first designated wild-horse range, Montana & Wyoming
PickRV Editorial
The small team behind PickRV
The Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Range is one of only a handful of designated wild-horse ranges in the country, spanning more than 38,000 acres across Carbon County, Montana, and Big Horn County, Wyoming. Created in 1968 by order of the Secretary of the Interior, it sits roughly 50 miles south of Billings, Montana, and about 10 miles north of Lovell, Wyoming, where each year visitors come to observe its well-known wild horses from a safe distance.
What is the Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Range and where is it?
It is a federal range managed by the BLM (with the U.S. Forest Service) principally for wild horses, spanning more than 38,000 acres on the Montana–Wyoming line about 50 miles south of Billings and 10 miles north of Lovell. The BLM notes that many visitors come each year to observe the horses from a safe distance — they are wild animals and should be viewed without approaching or feeding.
- ·Created in 1968 — one of the country's designated wild-horse ranges
- ·Spans 38,000+ acres across Montana and Wyoming
- ·Observe the horses from a safe distance; never feed or approach
States
Montana & Wyoming
Managed by
BLM — Billings Field Office (with the U.S. Forest Service)
Established
September 9, 1968 (Secretary of the Interior Stewart L. Udall)
Size
More than 38,000 acres
Location
~50 miles south of Billings, MT; ~10 miles north of Lovell, WY
The Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Range carries real historical weight: it was created by order of Secretary of the Interior Stewart L. Udall on September 9, 1968, and is described by the BLM as one of only a handful of designated wild-horse and burro ranges in the country — meaning the land is managed principally, though not exclusively, for its free-roaming horses. Today the range comprises more than 38,000 acres of BLM and partner-managed land along the Montana–Wyoming border.
The BLM's Billings Field Office manages the range in partnership with the U.S. Forest Service. As the agency notes, every year many visitors come to these public lands to enjoy observing the well-known wild horses from a safe distance. These are wild animals protected under the 1971 Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act, so the right approach is to keep your distance, never feed or attempt to approach a horse, and let the herd behave naturally.
Set roughly 50 miles south of Billings and 10 miles north of Lovell, the range pairs well with a self-contained RV trip that can also reach nearby Bighorn Canyon country. Roads into the high range can be rough and seasonal, so confirm access and conditions on the official BLM source before planning your route.
Official sources
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