Aspen Mountain

Aspen mountain was attractive to prehistoric hunter-gatherers due to the lithic landscape present across the area. A lithic landscape is a large area where good quality stones are present on the surface that could potentially be made into tools (i.e. projectile points/arrow heads, knives, scrapers, and drills). The prehistoric people would collect these stones as they passed through the area and test them by breaking pieces off. The best quality stones would be taken with them or further broken down in order to make their transportation easier. Very few prehistoric camp sites have been discovered on Aspen Mountain, to date. However, historic to modern sheepherders have left behind the evidence of several camp sites in the form of refuse scatters with cans, bottles, and bailing wire.

White Mountain

This mountain is known for the white sandstone cliffs along its base. Prehistoric hunter-gatherers were drawn here to camp and hunt in the basin, as well as to leave behind hundreds of carved figures, known as petroglyphs in these sandstone cliffs. The White Mountain Petroglyphs have been dated between 200 and 1000 years before present. Several prehistoric camp sites have also been discovered along the top of the mountain, which is no great surprise given the great vistas of the basin in which the city of Rock Springs and its surrounding communities are situated. It does not take a very great stretch of the imagination to envision herds of pronghorn, mule deer, and elk grazing through the valley during any given season.

Wilkins Peak

No archaeological sites have been recorded on the slopes of Wilkins Peak. It is, however, a source for a type of tool stone named after the mountain itself, Wilkins Peak Chert. This chert was collected as people passed through the area and was used to make a variety of tools for hunting small and large game, as well as processing these animals.

The sagebrush steppe community that flourish on these mountains may look monotonous or barren from the road, but they are actually comprised of an extremely diverse mixture of shrubs, grasses, and herbaceous flowering plants, each highly adapted to the harsh, dry climates where they grow. The most common shrub in these ecosystems is of course sagebrush, which is known for its aromatic, slivery-green leaves. There are over 20 species of sagebrush shrubs and herbs that grow in Wyoming.

Stunning wildflowers are on display in sagebrush communities from late spring and through mid-summer. Badlands mules-ears bring bright vibrant yellows while the Indian paintbrush displays a glowing orangish red. Bitterroot, a botanical gem of sagebrush plant communities has small and delicate white or pink flowers. The root is edible if cooked and although it is bitter like its name states, it can cure toothaches and a sore throat.