2017-11-10 03:24:50
Begin your adventure long before Yellowstone National Park with detours through Wyoming’s Black Hills National Forest, Devils Tower National Monument and Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area. SUNDANCE TO GILLETTE Crossing over the state line from South Dakota on I-90, your first Wyoming stop is Vore Buffalo Jump, one of the most important archaeological sites of the late-prehistoric Plains Indians. Then, take Old U.S. Highway 14 west to the Welcome Center in Beulah for travel resources and trip ideas from the knowledgeable staff. Travel from there to Devils Tower National Monument, America’s first national monument. Learn more about the tower on p. 71. GILLETTE TO BUFFALO After Devils Tower, head to the Campbell County Rockpile Museum in Gillette. Then visit the Frontier Auto Museum near downtown Gillette’s historic Main Street. Tour Eagle Butte Coal Mine or the Durham Bison Ranch. Or see what’s happening at the CAM-PLEX Multi-Event Facilities, which hosts theater, rodeos and more. BUFFALO TO SHERIDAN OR WORLAND Tucked between the plains of the Old West and the peaks of the Bighorn Mountains, Buffalo is a perfect spot to explore wide-open spaces with a bike, boat or your two feet and will serve as your fork in the road to decide between Sheridan and Worland. Sheridan is the “King of Cowboy Towns.” With more than 70 buildings in its National Historic District, Sheridan’s Main Street is where frontier charm meets a vibrant modern community. Stop at King’s Saddlery, where the King family has supplied locals with saddles, ropes and other western supplies since 1946. Get off I-90 on Highway 14, then jump on Highway 14 Alt (not recommended for RVs or vehicles that are towing) toward Lovell to see Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area’s 1,000-foot cliffs. Learn more about the area on p. 71. Worland is home to the Washakie Museum and Cultural Center, where you can learn about the Bighorn Basin’s first inhabitants. From Worland, head 40 minutes north to Greybull, located at the confluence of the Bighorn and Greybull rivers. Greybull’s proximity to the Bighorn Mountains makes it an accessible base camp for excursions like fishing, horseback riding and camping. Or, take a small detour on the Red Gulch/ Alkali Scenic Backway, a 34-mile-long mostly unpaved route that will take you along the red sandstone Chugwater Formation. The rugged canyons, caves and steep walls were eroded by water and carved by the wind. LOVELL TO CODY Whichever route you choose, continue on to Lovell, where rose gardens abound and there’s easy access to the Bighorn Mountain National Forest and Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Range. Wild mustangs that descended from the horses of 16th-century Spanish conquistadors make up the wild herds that roam the canyons and ridges of the range. In the heart of the Bighorn Basin, the Bighorn, Pryor and Absaroka mountain ranges surround Powell — the next stop on your journey. Visit the Heart Mountain Interpretive Center, the site of a WWII-era Japanese American relocation camp. CODY TO YELLOWSTONE Continue west to Cody, where adventure options range from rock climbing to fly-fishing and horseback riding. Three scenic byways (go to p. 64A for more information) in the area offer opportunities to view wildlife and the landscapes that make this part of Wyoming so special. The Buffalo Bill Center of the West, which celebrates the spirit of the American West, is also a must-stop in Cody. You’ll pass the Buffalo Bill Reservoir Visitor Center & Dam on Highway 14 on your way to the east entrance of Yellowstone National Park. Learn more about the national parks on p. 59.
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