Prior Flat Campground

About

Prior Flat Campground is a free primitive campground managed by the BLM Rawlins Field Office, situated at the foot of the Shirley Mountains in a large basin between the Medicine Bow and Ferris Mountains. The 9-acre campground contains 15 designated sites with parking spurs, picnic tables, and fire rings. One pull-through site is available. A vault toilet is provided, but there is no potable water, so visitors must bring their own supply. The surrounding landscape features aspen, limber pine, lodgepole pine, and big sagebrush. Wildlife viewing opportunities abound, with pronghorn, mule deer, elk, coyotes, sage grouse, and golden eagles commonly spotted. The Shirley Mountains offer excellent hunting opportunities, and fishing is available in nearby Sage Creek. The campground also serves as a base for a 31-mile loop ride through the Shirley Mountains. Access is via County Road 102 and BLM Road 3115. Roads can become impassable after heavy rain or during spring snowmelt, limiting practical access to the June through November timeframe. No horses are permitted in the campground.

Directions

From Medicine Bow, take WY-487 north approximately 21 miles, turn left onto WY-77 and continue about 9 miles. Take County Road 102 west for 9 miles to the Shirley Mountain Loop Road (BLM Road 3115). The campground is about 1/4 mile up the hill. Alternatively, from Leo (north of Kortes Dam), go south 1 mile on BLM Road 3112 then east 13.5 miles on the Leo-Shirley Basin Road (County Road 102).