Wyoming Adventure Guide - UK English 2017
Black To Yellow
2017-01-07 01:46:10
With vast public lands, sagebrush plains and wide-open skies, the Black to Yellow region will redefine your concept of fresh air. Dotting the spectacular landscape, you’ll find charming towns where 19th-century hotels, shops and restaurants still welcome travellers and outdoor fun abounds.
HIGHLIGHTS
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BUFFALO BILL CENTER OF THE WEST
Drink in the history, art and natural science of the region at this impressive five-star museum complex in Cody, which includes the Plains Indian, Draper Natural History and Cody Firearms museums. Then take a trolley tour of Cody — “Buffalo Bill’s Town.”
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WASHAKIE MUSEUM AND CULTURAL CENTER
Learn the unique geology, archaeology, palaeontology and local history surrounding the Bighorn Basin. Highlights include replicas of dinosaur fossils and exhibits detailing the harsh conditions early pioneers endured travelling across country.
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THE OCCIDENTAL HOTEL & SALOON
The town of Buffalo was a popular stomping ground for the Wild West’s most famous characters, and their spirits live on in the lovingly restored establishment, which combines authenticity with modern comforts. Past guests include Teddy Roosevelt, frontierswoman Calamity Jane and Ernest Hemingway.
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BIGHORN MOUNTAINS
Located near the town of Sheridan, the Bighorn Mountains are an expansive outdoor playground for backpacking, hiking, climbing, fishing and camping. Rest your head at the Historic Sheridan Inn or grab a drink at famed cowboy hangout The Mint Bar.
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HEART MOUNTAIN INTERPRETIVE CENTER
A preserved relocation camp near Cody and Powell, this centre is a reminder of a dark era in U.S. history, when thousands of Japanese Americans were unjustly imprisoned because of their ancestry during World War II. Exhibits and artefacts allow visitors to experience life at Heart Mountain through the eyes of some of its 14,000 former residents.
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DEVILS TOWER NATIONAL MONUMENT
Spend at least a full day exploring this ethereal rock structure near Pine Haven and Sundance towering more than 350 metres over the surrounding area. Hike 13 kilometres of nature trails, take a rangerled tour or climb the igneous rock walls. Learn more about Devils Tower on p. 3.
BLACK TO YELLOW ROAD TRIP
From the Black Hills to Yellowstone, this route takes you from iconic Devils Tower west towards the national park and offers many chances to get up close to some of Wyoming’s most distinctive geological features.
SUNDANCE TO GILLETTE
Your first stop is Vore Buffalo Jump, a natural sinkhole that was used as a bison trap from about 1500 to 1800 and is one of the most important archaeological sites of the late-prehistoric Plains Indians.
Travel to the Welcome Center in Beulah (exit 199) for trip ideas, then head towards Devils Tower National Monument to take advantage of the scenic hiking trails and photo opportunities.
GILLETTE TO BUFFALO
After Devils Tower, drive to the Campbell County Rockpile Museum in Gillette to learn about the area’s bounty of natural resources. Take a coal-mine tour; or visit Durham Ranch, one of the world’s largest and oldest working buffalo ranches.
BUFFALO TO SHERIDAN
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 via bike, boat or foot. Once you’ve taken in the breathtaking landscape, hop on Interstate 90 towards Sheridan.
With more than 70 buildings in its National Historic District, Sheridan’s Main Street is where the charm of the Old West mingles with a vibrant modern community. Stop into King’s Saddlery, where the King family has supplied locals with saddles, ropes, reins and other farm and ranch supplies since 1946.
Get off the interstate on Hwy 14 towards Lovell to see Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area’s 300-metre cliffs.
LOVELL TO CODY
Lovell offers easy access to the Bighorn Mountain National Forest and the Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Range, where wild mustangs still roam the vicinity’s canyons and ridges.
Stop in Powell, surrounded by the Bighorn, Pryor and Absaroka mountain ranges, on your path towards Yellowstone. Visit the Heart Mountain Interpretive Center, the site of a WWII-era Japanese American relocation camp.
CODY TO YELLOWSTONE
Continue west to the town of Cody, where must-see Buffalo Bill Center of the West celebrates the spirit of the American West with five different museums. Hop on Hwy 14 and pass Buffalo Bill Reservoir on your way to the East Entrance of Yellowstone National Park.
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