Trail Overview

This trail begins at the end of the Cundick Ridge Road on the boundary of Fossil Butte National Monument. This trail is located on BLM land and outside the Monument property. You will take the right fork at the end of the Cundick Ridge Road trail, heading east, to begin the trail. The trail is primarily dirt and gravel, with some areas overgrown with grass during the summer. Some sections are rutted up to 18 inches deep and some washouts require high clearance and 4WD to easily navigate. Wetter conditions can up the difficulty level of this trail when present. You will encounter a barbwire gate that must be opened and closed when passing through. This gate can be tricky to close and requires decent strength to do so. Along the trail, you will see beautiful views of rolling hills and buttes with wildflowers in the summer.

Photos of Fossil Butte BLM Trail

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Difficulty

The trail includes rutted sections and washes up to 18 inches. During the wet season, mud can encountered in several sections.

Technical Rating

Sarah Tunget

May 23, 2026

Open

We completed Fossil Butte BLM Trail in a stock 2025 Subaru Outback Premium and a stock 2017 Jeep Renegade Trailhawk. The trail starts with beautiful views of Fossil Butte National Monument, rolling hills, and wildflowers. The first half is mostly dirt and gravel with few obstacles and was easy for both vehicles. The second half becomes much more challenging. The trail narrows significantly, and both vehicles picked up plenty of Wyoming pinstripes from brush along the route. Deep ruts become common, and the Subaru scraped its underbody in several spots due to the high center section of the trail. One dip required careful line selection and nearly all of the Subaru's approach angle. Near the eastern end, the road was heavily washed out. We chose an alternate exit about a mile farther south rather than attempt the damaged section. I would not recommend this trail for low-clearance vehicles. Ground clearance and approach angle are a must.