Green River Drift
A 58-mile long cattle trail
that has been continuously
used since the 1890s by the
Upper Green River Cattle
Association ranchers to get
cattle from spring pasture on
the desert to summer pasture
in the forest.
Upper Green River Valley, Wyoming
Predating most federal land management agencies,
the Green River Drift cattle trail has been
continuously used since the 1890s by the Upper
Green River Cattle Association ranchers to get
cattle from spring pasture on the desert to summer
pasture in the forest. Chilly fall weather causes the
cattle to “drift” back out of the forest to return to their
home ranches. The trail, 58 miles long with 41 miles
of spurs, crosses BLM, State of Wyoming, National
Forest, and private properties. It has played a
pivotal role in the development of ranching in the
area as well as in the development of relationships
between Federal agencies that manage grazing
allotments and private property owners. The Drift
was listed on the National Register in November,
2013. Because it is still being used much as it has
for more than 100 years, the Drift was listed as a
Traditional Cultural Property (TCP), the first
ranching related TCP in the nation.
Listed on the
National
Register of
Historic
Places in 2014
The Drift is the first
ranching related
Traditional Cultural
Property listed on the
National Register of
Historic Places in the
nation. A dedication
ceremony in honor of the
2014 listing of the Green
River Drift on the
National Register of
Historic Places was held
in June 2014.
The Green River
Drift is the oldest
continually used
stock drive in
Wyoming.
Green River Drift
Photos courtesy Upper Green River
Cattle Association