To explore Conant Creek is to begin the adventure into the complex of HMAs known as the North Lander Complex in central Wyoming, a land that I have been traversing since 2011, although in the beginning I did not fully grasp that it was wild horse territory as I did not have good HMA maps then, and many of these horses are quite shy and very good at avoiding the company of humans!

Because each HMA is unique and amazing in its own way I am writing a blog for each individual HMA, it would be too over-whelming to try and do one blog for the entire complex, it will take me a bit to get them all together and published, and probably snow will make travel risky soon, but the adventure will be waiting for you next year!

Conant Creek is likely the most easily explored HMA in this complex, bordered on the north by an old highway that is used mostly by energy field workers and ranchers, there is a nicely maintained dirt road that can be taken into the HMA from this highway, and a few decent 2-tracks that will take you across the HMA and to water-holes.

I have played here just enough to get into trouble (lost), not as much as I have in other parts of the complex, but enough to share some ideas of how to explore and hopefully find the wild horses that wander about here.... so lets go explore Conant Creek!

The BLM, in all its wisdom, has removed individual HMA information pages for this complex, making it difficult for someone to learn about the individual characteristics of each area and the horses that range those areas.

Why?

One could possibly maybe argue it is okay to group information under one complex page, however, this ridiculously short description leaves a lot out and is not accurate as they have attempted to compact the information of four individual HMAs into one limited page.

It does not clarify the AML for each individual HMA, it does not discuss that there is a portion of one HMA that is separated and isolated with zero ability to interact with the herds across the complex, and at least six months of the year gates are closed due to grazing allotments - limiting the time of horses mixing and mingling between herds.

Across the complex there are many unique pintos, along with some greys, a few grullas, some pretty roans, along with sorrels, bays, and black mustangs - there even has been an appaloosa seen on a rare occasion.

I was able to grab the above information table for Conant Creek from the BLM map database, showing the field office is Lander, total acreage is 57,702, that the low AML is 60 wild horses and high AML is 100 wild horses.

Conant Creek had several grey horses, really truly stunningly beautiful grey horses, along with a few pintos, many bay and sorrel horses, with a few roans scattered here and there - but that was before the July 2024 BLM roundup and removal.

There were a few grey mustangs released back to freedom after the removal, so you may still find them, just not as many as there were before.... you will also possibly find an incredibly stunning and unique pinto that was from another part of the complex pre-removal, the Wild Horse Specialist mixed the horses from different HMAs in the release back to freedom for the sake of genetic viability, due to there being so few horses remaining in the complex following the roundup and removal in 2024.

The above maps are the North Lander Complex all together, four HMAs with horses that have distinct looks and personalities unique to each HMA, even though many of them are able to mix and mingle in the winter months, they seem to keep their unique traits strong in their respective HMAs.

As you can also see from this map, there is a significant amount of private land within the complex, making it tricky accessing some parts, with access already a bit of a challenge in this terrain at times, there are parts of this complex I have never crossed because of the terrain and the extra adventurous 2-track trails.

Today is all about Conant Creek though so lets get started.... the easiest and quickest way to get into Conant Creek is from the town of Riverton, after you have topped off your gas tank and grabbed extra snacks and water, start driving east on Gas Hills Rd / Hwy 136 and enjoy the quiet pace of an off the beaten path highway for a few miles.

This highway passes through the Wind River Reservation for a few miles after leaving town, there are a few ranches scattered out along it, and eventually it will lead to old uranium mines that are currently in reclamation process, as well as old inactive and currently active oil and gas wells.

Conant Creek HMA is on the south side of the highway and begins once you have reached the eastern edge of the reservation land, you reach the border about 10-12 miles after you leave Riverton, you will see a small sign where the reservation ends, and at that little spot there is a 2-track you can take into the HMA if you want - make sure to close the gate if you do go in there though!

You may see horses along the way on reservation lands, DO NOT TRESSPASS onto reservation lands!!! Those are reservation ponies and not BLM mustangs and trespassing onto reservation land is really something to avoid!!!

You may also see horses on the north side of the highway.... they are not wild horses!! There is a ranch with mustangs that are the ranches mustangs and they have not been wild in a very long time, and they are wandering about on private ranch land.

The above map shows in lighter blue the HMA of Conant Creek, and the wonderfully odd shape of it, as you will see in this blog much of the HMA is not immediately accessed from the highway, that is just our starting point as it is the easiest way in to begin our adventure here, and even though the HMA stretches far south of the highway, most of the HMA can be explored starting from Gas Hills Rd.

You can also see where the HMA of Rock Creek Mountain borders along Conant Creek - that adventure will be for another day.

At the very southern edge of Conant Creek is part of the Dishpan Butte HMA, and there is a 2-track trail that runs along that border of the two HMAs, this area is more difficult terrain as it borders along Cedar Rim.

If you decided not to try out the 2-track at the reservation border that's cool.... there are more roads ahead that will take you into the HMA!

As you are driving along keep an eye on those hills to your south.... wild horses move around randomly, and I have seen them a few times along this stretch.

After a few miles you will notice a fairly well used dirt road, it has a beat up sign telling you it is the Poston Ranch Rd - you are going to turn onto that road!

Just as soon as you cross the cattle guard from the highway onto Poston Ranch Rd you are in the wild horse territory of Conant Creek.... many of those familiar with this HMA prefer this entrance, and really it is the easiest way to enter the HMA and start exploring!

Sometimes, depending on the time of year and available water resources, you may encounter wild horses as soon as you cross the cattle guard, it is never a guarantee so don't lay any bets on it, but you never know.

Okay - so you are now on the dirt road and it is time to find your adventure.... a few things to remember as we travel along in this land - there is private property! It is ranch land and the ranchers do actually live out here.... the Poston Ranch Rd actually goes to the Poston Ranch, you will know you have reached the ranch as there is a cattle guard, fence, and driveway entrance telling you so.

This area of private property sits in the middle of wild horse lands, just along part of the eastern border of Conant Creek HMA, a small part of the western border of Muskrat Basin HMA, as well as a small portion of the Rock Creek HMA.

As you drive into the HMA on Poston Ranch Rd you will see a few two tracks that meander out into the hills, some of them are fairly decent to drive - not in a regular passenger car! But in a regular pickup you can get around pretty easily.... I personally like the 2-tracks that take me up onto ridges so that I can get a good view around me and possibly spy a few horses in the hills.

After a few miles you will find where Poston Ranch meets up with Oil Springs Rd - you can go down either road here.... if you continue down Poston Ranch you will find more 2-tracks to explore and eventually the ranch itself.

You also can see one of the watering holes near here, I am not really sure it is a favored water hole, but I have seen horses there a couple of times in summer, and it is convenient as you can see from the main road if the horses are around or not.

The hill above the ranch is a great spot to pull out and look for horses around the area, there are a number of 2-tracks that will find you some adventures, there is a way around the ranch and across to Muskrat Basin HMA, I managed it once a few years ago, but for the life of me could not tell you how or which 2-tracks I travelled that day! It is kind of a trial and error thing, and you want to make sure you have time and patience as sometimes those 2-tracks get a little extra country....

At least one decent 2-track off of Poston Ranch will take you fairly far south into Conant Creek HMA, the day I went down it I had to turn around as there were threatening thunder storms, but it was very pretty country. Be aware though that as you get closer to the rim the terrain gets just the tiniest bit more challenging.

A little side note here.... before we take off down the other dirt road and deeper into the southern parts of Conant Creek.

If you go back to Gas Hills Rd (Hwy 136) and continue to travel eastward, you will still be traveling next to wild horse lands as the south side of the highway is HMA - this goes for a few miles before it turns into Muskrat Basin HMA - the border is known most easily by a creek crossing under the highway, but when looking at the BLM maps the actual border between the HMAs is just to the west of the creek, and I believe there is a fence there marking it.

The horses of course don't really care about man-made boundaries, but from what I have observed these horses tend to keep to their respective HMAs quite a bit more here than in other complexes I spend time in, I have travelled this area enough to know that there is some mixing of Conant Creek and Muskrat Basin horses, but I am not sure of exactly how much crossing back and forth really happens.

I prefer to avoid busy highways when ever possible - especially in the busy WY tourist season - so I often travel this route along the HMA border in summer and fall months, following the Gas Hills Rd out to the dirt road that runs south through Muskrat Basin HMA and on down into the desert.

Travelling that route over the years has allowed me some observation of these mustangs, not as well as I know the desert horses, but enough to make some fairly decent guesses at their habits.

And it is a route for you to consider when planning your next adventure in wild horse territory - there are so many ways to criss-cross their lands and visit with them!

Okay - back to Poston Ranch Rd intersection.... turning onto Oil Springs Rd you will drive along right into the heart of the HMA, and then as it takes you further south you will meet another intersection, if you hang a right (west) and keep traveling a few miles through the hills you eventually find your way to Hwy 135, which can take you back to Riverton, or in whichever direction your next adventure is calling you.

As usual there are 2-tracks along the way that you can play on and explore.... and yes, there are horses! Not many but they are there and they are gorgeous!

Of course, to be fair, I think all wild horses are gorgeous!

And, if you are into rocks, there are some really amazing ones out this way!

So - if you have the time to park your rig, fix a snack, and take a walk.... enjoy the vistas and the peace of a wild land!

Things to know along this road.... Conant Creek HMA does not go all the way to the highway on Oil Springs, but it is also not that far, I am sharing a couple of map screen shots to help you know the border when you are out here on your own adventure.

And yes, you may well find a wild horse or two just outside the border.

Now at this point you have explored much of the Conant Creek HMA.... especially if you are like me and took just as many 2-tracks as your rig and sense of adventure could handle, the best adventures mean we got a little bit lost and then unlost, and hopefully you were able to meet a few of the wild horses that call this land their home.

The very southern border of this HMA is kinda tricky to get to, and actually I have not been able to explore properly, remember when I said that the closer to the rim the more challenging the terrain?

The very southern edge of Conant Creek is just on the top of Cedar Rim.

Accessing from under the rim may be possible? The only time I tried there were threatening thunderstorms, and as I did not want to get trapped by a gully washer I quit that day, and did not make it back, I was also still a long way away from the rim and that 2-track was getting a bit extra country, if ya know what I mean!

So my personal preference would be, without having explored it myself yet, to come in from the top of Cedar Rim through Dishpan Butte HMA.

I did try to get there last fall but the most well-used 2-track I could find headed that way had a major washout that was completely inaccessible to a regular rig.

So as of writing this blog I cannot really give tried and true directions about visiting this remote edge of Conant Creek HMA.

Are there horses here? Maybe... there always seems to be a few horses that like those truly isolated places!

**To get to Dishpan Butte HMA you take Hwy 135 from Riverton or the Sweetwater Rest Area, about half-way across Dishpan Butte turn onto Cedar Rim Rd, then use your best map and 4x4 skills to get to the southern edge of Conant Creek HMA.

And that is really the best of the directions I can think to give you for your adventure with the wild horses of Conant Creek... time and patience are your friend here, it is not the biggest HMA of the complex, but I would say that is deceptive as you could spend endless days exploring this land and visiting its horses.

A few notes.... remember to have a map and if possible a GPS that will help you know what is public and what is private land, and to find your way back to the main roads when you inevitably get turned around in the hills!

If it is raining or dark thundery clouds are settling in, practice caution, especially if you are out on the 2-tracks as those can wash out pretty quickly in a gully washer kind of storm! I have not been here when it is muddy so I don't know what the mud is like, but as there are quite a few badland formations out here chances are the mud is not easy to get out of and way too easy to get stuck in.

And if there is snow I would be real cautious on any 2-tracks.... I have been out here in winter, and this a wonderful place to be in winter as it is often quiet and peaceful - but - there only needs to be a little snow drifted just right in a washed out 2-track and you will find yourself stuck in that spot, so be cautious!

Many of my memories of Conant Creek horses are from the side of the Gas Hills Rd/Hwy 136 - often while driving this highway I have found wild horses grazing near the road, or on a ridge with their silhouette in the skyline.

But... often when I slow down to park they lift their heads in a glance at me and quickly gallop over the ridge and into the hills- making it very clear I was an unwelcome intrusion into their day!

And sometimes they glance up at me, and if I simply stay at the side of my rig they will allow me to video or photograph them, moving away only if I dare to walk to the fence that separates them from the highway.

At least one favored water hole is seen easily from the highway, if you spy any horses hanging out there you will want to grab a 2-track to get a little closer to them, please do not drive directly into the water hole when the horses are hanging out there - I have watched a couple of people do this and it really is unfair to the horses.

I have visited this HMA a few times in the last year, following the roundup and removal in July 2024, and met a couple of small bands of wild horses along the main roads, but with so few allowed to return here it may be a bit challenging to find them... but when you do find them it will be worth it!

So, my advice is to be patient and know that mustangs wander this land with you.... and if you listen to the wind it will draw you to the place where you may meet those wild horses of Conant Creek!

May your adventure be wildly amazing!