Converse County Park -- Box Elder Cyn Climbing

MAKE NO MISTAKE -- THIS ZONE IS PART OF THE LARAMIE RANGE and its proximity to the Laramie Range far exceeds its proximity to the arbitrary bounding of the Casper Region.  Do not blame me, blame our editors for where it is posted.  Perhaps as having status of State Park it could have a stand along post?
 
GEOLOGY

Converse County Park is the very rugged canyon region of land surrounding Box Elder creek where it cuts through the first rise of the west flank of the Laramie Range uplift just south of Glenrock, WY. About half way down the canyon potion that is within Converse County Park the granite rock plunges and is visible no more, but the canyon's bottom surface below here is strewn with limestone boulders/sediments that afford many deep pools along the stream. But there are no more narrows having wall to wall water. About 2 miles downstream from the last granite outcrop the uplifted sedimentary terrain dives and here the creek water is captured for immediate irrigation use in the adjacent North Platte River alluvial beds--private land.

This bulletin has more on the Precambrian geology here:

Precambrian geochronology and geology of the Boxelder Canyon area, northern Laramie Range, Wyoming
Geological Society of America Bulletin, May, 1976, v. 87, no. 5, p. 809-817,

and this bulletin is available $25 on line reading or free reading from UW geology library. The same author Ronald C. Johnson has an 82page book of the same title as the bulletin.

Here is another take on the landform origins:

http://geomorphologyresearch.com/2012/11/06/box-elder-creek-la-prele-creek-drainage-divide-area-landform-origins-in-the-laramie-mountains-usa/

There has been some talk & planning in the air to get this county park into the State Park Group but I see it has not happened as of late. If it would the ATV use would not be permitted and there would be a few formal structure added while some trails would be closed. And maybe no camping permitted. Presently you can camp anywhere and you will notice many ad hoc camping sites' fireplace rocks. For more see:

CLIMBING

Steve Betchel told me Pat Parmentor(now RIP) some time ago explored this rugged canyon and may have done some unreported climbs.  I have explored some of this canyon and found no obvious trace of past climbs.  There are routes of mine down low which I am getting around to reporting.

 But consider the following:

There are 3 obvious zones for potential rock climbs in the park.  

1) The buff colored limestone that rims the top side walls of the canyon.

2) The canyon bottom granite walls.

3).  The meta sediment quartzite layer that sits atop the granite.

Climbing on the east side of the creek involves crossing the creek at the canyon bottom.  There are private roads on the east side that go through the Viceroy Ranch which may permit access  for $$ as a trespassing fee?  Getting to the limestone base involves hiking along horizontally on steep side hills with sometimes vanishing trail shelfs and the old ATV routes to the cliff summits are now closed to motorized travel.  

 As for climbing the granite there are many ad hoc unreported ways to the Canyon bottom but walking in the canyon bottom is not possible for long distances because of wall to wall water pools.  For starters one can find a well traveled unmaintained trail to the bottom from the parking lot heading east and rightward to a side canyon.  There are some 2-track tails off the top (south on the road) going eastward that will get you to shelfs which may have as fishing trails to some zones in the bottom.

The quartzite layer offers the easiest access for climbs of about 40+ ft of both sport and trad.

Canyoneering. After July 15 water may be down enought.

Kayaking.  Honest class 5  when passable .  Maybe 700 cfs flow?

Hiking.  There are no developed trails in Convese County Park.  However the state owned Duncan Ranch land is just accross the the road from this parking lot. About 2 blocks south of here and on the west side of the pavement is the Duncan Ranch Trailhead Parking Lot.  There are several developed hiking trails that are loops to the west of here.