In any other state, Adobe Town in Wyoming's Red Desert - with its wonderfully eroded sandstone pillars and cliffs - would already be a national park.

"Certainly Adobe Town is one of the most spectacular landscapes not only in Wyoming, but in the West," said Eric Molvar, a wildlife biologist for Biodiversity Conservation Alliance.

He's travelled all over the West writing guide books for national parks. He's explored all of Wyoming's wilderness and wilderness-study areas. And he's crawled all over the Red Desert.

"It brought home the uniqueness and beauty of the Red Desert and its unappreciated role as one of the best places in the West where you can experience a wild desert in a relatively healthy ecosystem," he said.

He wants other people to see the Red Desert as he does. He is one of five leaders of seven summer tours into the Red Desert. The trips, sponsored by the Biodiversity Conservation Alliance, will take participants through the Red Desert gems - Adobe Town, the Killpecker dunes, Boar's Tusks and others. People can choose from a wildlife safari, a hike to the White Mountain Petroglyphs or an over-night backpacking trip through the Atlantic Rim.

The Red Desert is one of the great biological arcs for sagebrush-dependent wildlife supporting sage grouse, golden hawks and somewhere around 50,000 pronghorn. There are ferruginous hawks, the largest hawk species in North America, and burrowing owls, which are dependent on prairie dogs. The Red Desert is the only place Molvar has seen a burrowing owl.

"It's not just the spectacular wilderness areas. Everywhere you look, there is beauty to be found."

Here's a look at the seven planned trips. But choose quickly. Space is limited.

May 19: Boar�s Tusk and Dunes

Visit the White Mountain Petroglyphs, Boar�s Tusk and Killpecker Sand Dunes on this day trip to lands within the proposed Northern Red Desert National Conservation Area.

Some 50 million years ago, the Red Desert was at the bottom of a great lake that covered much of the southern part of the state. The lake's sands now make up the Killpecker dunes, the largest "living" dune system in the country. They literally move across the landscape with the wind.

This is a car tour with light day hiking.�

Trip leader: Maggie Schafer.

May 26�28: Southern Red Desert Caravan

A three-day affair with lots of wildlife and wild horses, this auto safari will visit southern Red Desert highlights like the Atlantic Rim, Adobe Town and Powder Rim. Lucky viewers may spot the Ferruginous Hawk, the largest hawk species of North America. The open-desert hawk nests in the open ground and along desert rims. It is commonly seen in the Red Desert, though it is disappearing in other parts of the country.

Also look for sage grouse, golden hawks, burrowing owls, desert elk and specimens of the largest migrating herd in the lower 48 states - the 40,000-member pronghorn herd which lives within the desert's borders.

A car tour with car camping and light to moderate day hikes.�

Trip leader: Erik Molvar.

June 2�3: Tour of the Jack Morrow Hills

A two-day car tour of the proposed Northern Red Desert National Conservation Area. Visit prominent landmarks like the Boar�s Tusk and Dunes, the Pinnacles and Honeycomb Buttes.

This trip features great opportunities to spot wild horses and desert elk.�

A car tour with car camping and light- to moderate-day hikes.�

Trip leader: Erik Molvar.

June 9-10: Wild Cow Creek Backpacking Trip

A moderately strenuous overnighter through rugged country representing the best wilderness lands along the Atlantic Rim.�

This is a hidden gem of the Red Desert, but is threatened by a large coalbed methane project, Molvar said.

Trip leader: Erik Molvar.

June 16-17: Powder Rim Backpacking Trip

A moderately strenuous overnight jaunt along the historic Cherokee Trail, through juniper woodlands harboring some of� the most diverse and sensitive wildlife in the Red Desert.�

Trip leader: Duane Short.

June 16-17: Red Desert Bird Watching Tour

Join birding enthusiast Tim Banks for two days of identifying and learning about the bird life of the Atlantic Rim, Flattop Mountain and Powder Rim.�

Car tour with light day hikes.�

Trip leader: Suzanne Lewis.

June 23-24: Adobe Town

A two-day tour of Adobe Town, the crown jewel of Wyoming�s desert wilderness.�

Car camping and light- to moderate-day hikes along the spectacular rims and through the forests of eroded pinnacles.�

Trip leaders: Suzanne Lewis and Sarah Egolf.

Use the following checklist to pack the right stuff:

* All trips

- Camera. You will see some of the West's most spectacular landscapes and wildlife.

- Sun protection. This includes hats, sunglasses, sunscreen and appropriate clothing.

- Water. Erik Molvar, a wildlife biologist and trip leader, recommends two to three gallons per person, per day.

* Overnight trips

- Camping gear. Tent, sleeping bag and cooking gear.

- Food. Bring your own. Cook your own.

- Clothing. This time of year, temperatures typically range from the 40s in the mornings to the 80s in the day. Dress in layers.

- Good hiking boots.

- Backpacks. For the longer backpacking trips, you will need to carry all of your equipment. For day hikes, a good daypack is recommended.

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RSVP to Maggie Schafer at (307)742-7978 or maggie@voiceforthewild.org. Or contact her for carpool, rendezvous and camping information. ]]>