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Green River Drift The Green River Drift cattle trail has been continuously used since the 1890s to get cattle from spring pasture on the desert to summer pasture in the forest. Photo courtesy Upper Green River Cattle Association.

The Green River Drift cattle trail has been continuously used since the 1890s 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 of Historic Places 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.

A dedication of the National Register listing will be held Friday, June 20. A driving tour of the northern portion of the Drift will start at 9am at Trapper’s Point overlooking the cattle sorting grounds and will follow the Drift to the forest boundary and return to Trappers Point before noon. A free chuckwagon lunch will begin at noon at Sommers Homestead Living History Museum (7.3 miles south on East Green River Road). The dedication ceremony will start at the Homestead at 1pm with presentations on the history of the Drift and the significance of the National Register listing. After the ceremony, visitors are welcome to tour the Homestead site (www.SommersHomestead.org). A second driving tour of the mesa section of the Drift will start at the Homestead on Saturday, June 21at 9am. The tour will end at the cattle bridge on the New Fork River. Participants are welcome to attend the nearby New Fork Park grand opening at noon following the Drift tour.

More information, directions and updates can be found at www.GreenRiverDrift.org.