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Follow the path of those who came before us on your way to Yellowstone National Park. Stretch your legs on the historic trails winding through the heart of Wyoming and learn about the dinosaurs that trekked the Bighorn Basin more than 100 million years ago. PINE BLUFFS TO WHEATLAND Start at the southern state line on I-80 at the Pine Bluffs Information Center on your way to Cheyenne, Wyoming’s state capital. Established along the tracks of the Union Pacific Railroad in the mid-1800s, Cheyenne possesses numerous museums and the world’s largest outdoor rodeo, Cheyenne Frontier Days (July 20–29, 2018). Afterwards, when passing through nearby Chugwater, quench your thirst at the Chugwater Soda Fountain — the oldest in Wyoming. WHEATLAND TO GLENDO STATE PARK Continue north on I-25 through Wheatland, where recreation abounds, including golfing, fishing and boating. Stop by the Oregon Trail Ruts National Landmark on your way to Fort Laramie National Historic Site, an important resting point in Wyoming for west-bound settlers that also witnessed Native American resistance. Also nearby, see where emigrants carved their names and the dates of their travels into a rock bluff at Register Cliff south of Guernsey. GLENDO STATE PARK TO CASPER Get wet and wild on Glendo State Park’s clear waters and continue on to Douglas, home to the mythical jackalope and several places to dig into Wyoming history. View exhibits on the area’s Native American, military and civilian history at Fort Fetterman, a preserved military post active from 1867 to the late 1880s. Or see souvenirs from 100 years of Wyoming State Fairs and other fascinating artifacts at Wyoming Pioneer Memorial Museum. Make your way to Glenrock’s Paleon Museum, which houses several dinosaur skeletons discovered in the area and a fascinating fossil prep lab visitors can peek into. As you leave Glenrock, stop by the Ayres Natural Bridge, the remarkable natural rock bridge just five miles off I-25. CASPER TO THERMOPOLIS Casper, Wyoming’s adventure capital and second largest city, has world-class fly-fishing on the North Platte River and the National Historic Trails Interpretive Center, which commemorates pioneers who traveled through Wyoming in the state’s early days. Other noteworthy attractions include Fort Caspar Museum, Tate Geological Museum and Nicolaysen Art Museum. From Casper, deviate from I-25 and go northwest on Highway 20. The Wind River Indian Reservation flanks one of Wyoming’s best walleye and trout fisheries: Boysen State Park, which also offers excellent camping and eye-catching geological formations. Beginning in the town of Shoshoni, the Wind River Canyon Scenic Byway puts you face-to-face with the windswept West. THERMOPOLIS TO CODY Find a diverse menu of things in Thermopolis, from golfing and whitewater rafting to the Wyoming Dinosaur Center. At the edge of town is Hot Springs State Park, built around the world’s largest single-mineral hot springs. Nearby Legend Rock State Petroglyph Site invites visitors to view more than 300 petroglyphs spanning thousands of years. On your way to Cody, stop in Meeteetse, a town established in the 1890s that still maintains its western charm with preserved wooden boardwalks and turn-of-the-century buildings. Spend a few hours at one of the community’s three intimate museums: the First National Bank Museum, Meeteetse Museum and Charles Belden Western Photography Museum. CODY TO YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK Northwest of Thermopolis is the town of Cody, named after the famous William F. “Buffalo Bill” Cody. Experience nightly summer rodeos, gunfight reenactments and frontier history at Buffalo Bill Center of the West and the Old Trail Town and Museum of the Old West. Veer onto the Buffalo Bill Cody Scenic Byway, about 25 miles west of Cody, to follow the north fork of the Shoshone River through the scenic Wapiti Valley to Yellowstone’s east entrance. Learn more about the national parks on p. 59.
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