Overview
Join us on an eco tour adventure through McCullough Peaks Wild Horse Management Area, located about 25 minutes east of Cody, WY. This landscape is a vast, high-desert environment marked on the edges by rocky badlands and views of the Bighorn and Absaroka Mountain Ranges in the distance. Our journey here will pass through expansive sage fields, wind along small springs and creeks, set up viewing stations at ancient watering holes, and traversing rolling grasslands where wildlife such as pronghorn, coyotes, hawks, eagles and songbirds are all present. Our main goal is to find and observe a unique wild mustang herd, with horses ranging in color, size and personality who form fascinating family units living off the land in their wild and untouched state.
Highlights
- Morning or Evening in the Wyoming Badlands
- Wild Horse Viewing Opportunities
- Immersive Prairie Ecosystem Tour
Your exact route and itinerary will be determined by your interests, current wildlife sightings, current weather and road conditions. Our guides are all highly experienced, with thousands of hours in the field, and will expertly tailor your safari to you and your group.
McCullough Peaks Wild Horse Management Area is overseen by the Bureau of Land Management and comprises over 100,000 acres of land where a herd of Wild Mustangs roam free and wild. Wild Mustangs are remnants from the time of Spanish re-introduction of horses back to the Americas in the 1500’s and 1600’s. Horses were native to North America prior to this, but had been killed out and overtaken by other megafauna and more successful grazers about 10-11,000 years ago. This habitat has always been theirs, and they thrive in what seems to be sparse and uninhabitable terrain. Their herds are comprised of feisty mares, dominant mustangs, and charming young foales who are raised within group dynamics of care, protection, and reciprocity.
This half-day tour begins in the town of Cody,WY in either the morning or evening, and heads east on Highway 14 toward McCullough Peaks. Along the way your guide will offer an orientation to the area, including describing the high desert ecosystem, the mountain ranges we can see to the east and west, and cadence of Wyoming culture and its management of wildlife. We have the chance to see public and private lands and we offer a look into the current events of the Rocky Mountain West, as well as share the story of how we got here, and where we are going.
Wildlife is abundant in the high desert, and with the use of our optics such as high-powered spotting scopes and binoculars, our guides will help point our guests to see everything from a tiny mountain bluebird, to a harrier flying low over yellow-tipped rabbitbrush, hunting, to pronghorn speeding through the sage. We will stop for every wildlife or bird encounter to showcase the diversity on the landscape, and draw your attention to the interplay between these unique animals, birds and plants.
McCullough Peaks is a limited maintenance area, so our tour involves some highway time, but also lots of time in the wilds of dirt roads, crouching in sage brush, and under the gaze of a huge sky. The beauty of Wyoming sunrises and sunsets will astound you and provide memories and photograph opportunities to last a lifetime.
What's Included
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Hotel pickup
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Professional naturalist guide
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Private safari
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Assorted snack basket
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Non-alcoholic beverages (hot and cold)
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Use of UHD binoculars and spotting scopes
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Guide gratuities
Private Safari
This is a private safari.
Pickup Information
For all private tours, all of our guests are picked up (and dropped off) at their lodging location. We pick up in Cody, WY. At the time of reservation, we’ll confirm your exact pickup time, based on the season, as well as your exact pickup location.
Please allow your guide an additional 5-10 minutes before and after the scheduled pickup time in case of weather delays or traffic conditions.
Approximate pickup times include:
- 6:00AM Cody
- 4:00PM Cody
Just finished a tour with Yellowstone Safari Company… it was an awesome tour… we spotted bighorn sheep, mountain goats, herds of bison, a grizzly, a black bear, wolves, coyotes, pronghorns, bald eagles and ospreys. Just amazing! Our guide was very knowledgeable, knew well where to go, and was most accommodating. The whole experience far exceeded my expectations. I’d choose Yellowstone Safari Co. again on my next visit and certainly recommend it to any visiting the area.
Safari Tour Gallery
All photography has been shot by our talented tour guides.
FAQs
Where is the McCullough Peaks Wild Horse Management Area?
The McCullough Peaks Wild Horse Management Area is located in Wyoming, USA. Specifically, it lies about 20 miles east of Cody, near the towns of Powell and Lovell. This area is known for its rugged terrain, which provides a natural habitat for a notable population of wild horses. Managed by the Bureau of Land Management, the McCullough Peaks area offers visitors a unique opportunity to observe these wild horses in their natural environment, roaming freely across the picturesque landscape.
What is unique about the wild mustangs found in Wyoming?
The McCullough Peaks Wild Horse Management Area, located near Cody, Wyoming, is a remarkable habitat for wild mustangs, offering a unique glimpse into the lives of these majestic animals. These mustangs are descendants of horses brought to North America by Spanish explorers and have lived in this region for centuries. The area itself, characterized by its rugged terrain, semi-arid climate, and sparse vegetation, provides a challenging yet suitable environment for these horses.
The wild mustangs in McCullough Peaks are known for their hardiness and ability to survive in the relatively harsh conditions of the Wyoming landscape. They are often spotted in bands, consisting of mares, foals, and a few stallions, roaming across the vast open spaces. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) oversees the area and implements programs to ensure the health and sustainability of the horse population, which includes measures like population control to prevent overgrazing and maintain a balance with the ecosystem.
The wild horses in this area exhibit a variety of coat colors, including bay, black, grey, and pinto, and are admired for their beauty and spirit. They have become a symbol of the American West’s wild and untamed nature. For visitors and wildlife enthusiasts, the McCullough Peaks Wild Horse Management Area offers a unique opportunity to observe these magnificent creatures in their natural setting, a truly unforgettable experience that highlights the importance of conservation and respect for wildlife.
Guides and Staff
Our Team
Local, experienced naturalist guides.
Further Reading
Conservation Preserves our Wild Places for the Future
Nov 09, 2021
One of the strongest cases that we can make for the sustainability of a protected area is when we can undeniably celebrate both the ecological and economic benefits involved. In 2018, the US National Park System helped generate over $40 billion dollars in related revenue, and supported almost 330,000 jobs, all the while protecting habitat for thousands of species of plants and animals, including more than 600 of which that are listed as “threatened” or “endangered”. While other conservation models are tested around the world, here in the United States, the preservation of our most precious landscapes has proven, so far, to be a reliable conservation model.
Restoring the Buffalo Herds to the Land and to the People
May 20, 2021
It is late morning, and the open prairie is awash with pastoral smells, pungent to our noses and stinging to our skin. The wind is blowing a fine dust across our eyes as we watch a herd of 35 buffalo begin to lope toward a huge bale of hay we have just laid down for them. Their hooves throw more grit and dung into the air until they are almost hidden by the haze. The sky above is vast and blue, with faint wisps of clouds as far away as they can be, just the ghost of water vapor. One can sense that the land awaits a good rain. The buffalo snort and huff and barely take notice of the five humans standing there in reverence, our giant smiles laced with dirt.
