Little Sheep Mountain Spring
Little Sheep Mountain Spring flows at 68 degrees Fahrenheit at 3,712 feet elevation on Bureau of Land Management land, emerging 540 meters from the nearest access route. The moderate temperature runs just 20 degrees above the 48.3-degree ambient in Wyoming's driest thermal spring environment.
The spring sits in high desert sagebrush terrain receiving only 11 inches of annual precipitation and 24 inches of snow. The feature occupies the rain shadow east of the Absaroka Range near the Bighorn Basin floor, surrounded by exposed rock formations and sparse vegetation adapted to arid conditions.
The name references Little Sheep Mountain, a nearby prominence in this ranching and resource-extraction landscape. Historical documentation remains limited, with the area seeing scattered homesteader and livestock use rather than concentrated thermal development under BLM's multiple-use management framework.
April through October provides the most favorable access window. The half-mile walk crosses uneven terrain without established trail. Cottonwood Creek Campground, 16.2 kilometers distant, offers basic facilities including horse corrals. Carry water, as the surrounding desert environment provides limited resources.
Is Little Sheep Mountain Spring worth visiting?
Best for
- Overnight camping trips
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The Cottonwood Creek Trailhead/Campground features an interpretive kiosk, five campsites with fire rings, picnic tables toilet facility, four horse corrals, a horse watering trough and food storage boxes.