Elk Mountain Summit Drive: Wyoming's Road Adventure in Carbon County

Elk Mountain is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 3.405m (11,171ft) above the sea level, located in the eastern-central part of Carbon County, in the U.S. state of Wyoming. It’s one of the highest roads of Wyoming.

Elk Mountain

Is the road to Elk Mountain in Carbon County unpaved?

Set high in the northernmost part of the Medicine Bow Mountains, 7 miles (11 km) southwest of the town of Elk Mountain, the road to the summit is totally unpaved. A 4x4 vehicle is required. The summit hosts a Radio station KBDY broadcaster. It’s named after the Sioux Chief Standing Elk.

How long is the road to Elk Mountain in Carbon County?

Starting at Rattlesnake Pass, the road to the summit, originally called Medicine Butte, is 13.0 km (8.07 miles) long. It’s very steep, hitting a 15% of maximum gradient through some of the ramps. Over this distance the elevation gain is 1094 meters. The average gradient is 8.41%. This road is usually impassable from late October through late June or early July (depending on snow).