Rock Creek could be the first Wilderness Area to be designated in Wyoming since the 1984 Wyoming Wilderness Act. Not one acre has been added to our Wyoming wilderness legacy but the time is NOW!

Rock Creek was almost added to the 1984 Wyoming Wilderness act, was the last area to be removed from congressional recommendation and was not added to the Cloud Peak Wilderness Area.  Instead, 40,000 acres were added as the northeast and northwest side additions to Cloud Peak to compensate.  The Wyoming Wilderness Act was passed and signed into law October 30, 1984.  An interesting side note, Dick Cheney said that passing Wyoming’s Wilderness Act in 1984 was the most meaningful act of his career.

"The Wyoming Wilderness Act was one of my proudest achievements

as a member of congress.”

(2000 WY Public Television Interview)

There were many local citizens who advocated strongly for its passage in history. The most prominent was Jack Horton of the HF Bar Ranch, then called Horton’s Ranch. Jack, who received a Princeton scholarship and attended Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar, gained his love of mountain adventure growing up at the HF Bar (photo below, from HF Bar looking to Rock Creek, Owner Margi Schroth in Red on the Congressional tour. WWA photo). In the 1960’s, he was recruited as the Executive Director of the Wyoming Republican Party and served as Assistant Secretary of the Interior under Presidents Nixon and Ford.

One reason given by Senator Wallop for keeping Rock Creek out of the Wilderness Act was that it was leased for oil and gas and the potential for water storage.

However, today there are no oil and gas leases held. In the 1990’s Rock Creek and the HF Bar were explored for any oil and gas potential, a hole was drilled and abandoned. The Cloud Peak and Willow Park reservoirs are fully developed and are outside the proposed boundary. There are no roads or motorized use and no trees have been logged commercially in Rock Creek.