| HISTORIC & SCENIC TOURS IN THE BIG HORNS
The Big
Horn Mountains and Bighorn National Forest offer many
opportunities for sightseeing. There are 3 major highways traversing the Big Horns in an
east-west direction. Each offers its own distinct and memorable scenery with relatively
equal travel distances and comparable surfaces. So the choice is up to you and your travel
objectives:
CLOUD PEAK SKYWAY (US Hwy
16) traverses the southern Big Horn Mountains and offers breathtaking vistas of distant
snowcapped peaks along its 45 mile length. This route connects the towns of Buffalo and
Tensleep, Wyoming. Highlights include Hospital Hill, Powder Pass, Meadow Lark Lake and
Tensleep Canyon. Open year around.
BIG HORN SCENIC BYWAY (US Hwy 14)
connects Sheridan and surrounding communities with Greybull, Wyoming and includes 45 miles
of scenic mountain driving. Look out over spectacular valley views from one of several
roadside turnouts -- on a clear day, you can see forever. Interesting stops include Shell
Falls, Burgess Junction Visitor Center and Sand Turn. Open year around.
The MEDICINE WHEEL PASSAGE (US 14A) rises
sharply from the Big Horn Basin near the city of Lovell and travels 25 miles through high
alpine meadows to Burgess Junction, where it intersects with the Big Horn Scenic Byway
Bud Love Winter Range (1-2
hours) On this tour, there is some of the most scenic mountain views imaginable of the Big
Horns. As it traverses a wildlife reserve, expect to see white tail deer, mule deer,
antelope, wild turkey and other game birds, as well as elk in the winter months.
Fort Phil Kearny (1/2 to a full day tour) Relive some of the
West’s legendary history on this tour of where some of the fiercest fighting between
Native Americans and the U.S. Calvary took place. The highlight of this tour is the Fort
Phil Kearny historic site, which has a visitor's center and museum with outstanding
displays of battle scenes and local history. Go further down Wyoming 193 to Story to visit
the site of the Wagon Box Fight. Retrace your steps and as you come to Highway 87, turn
left to the Fetterman Monument and historic walk where you can trace the movements of both
sides in this tragic battle.
Dry Creek Petrified Trees
(1 - 2 hours) A brief drive through Wyoming ranch country takes you
back 60 million years on this tour. What will you find? The petrified tree and
tree stumps for which the area is named, of course. And you will also find a
complete eight station ecological walking tour.
Crazy Woman Canyon
(half day, but NOT recommended for
trailers or large RVs) One of the favorite outings for locals looking for a beautiful
drive and nice, cool place to picnic in the middle of the summer, Crazy Woman Canyon
offers a close up view of beautiful rock formations as it hugs a roaring mountain stream
along its way. This tour follows a single dirt lane through high canyon walls and ends
with a great view of the surrounding Big Horn Mountains.
Pole Creek and Sheep Mountain
(one half to a full day, but high clearance vehicles are necessary for some sections
of this route) This tour provides breathtaking panoramic views of Hazelton and Cloud
Peaks, the Powder River Basin, as well as likely sightings of mule deer and other
wildlife.
Outlaw Cave
(one half to a full
day, but high clearance vehicles are necessary for some sections of this route) This
loop tour takes you deep into Wyoming's Legendary Outlaw Country - the hideout
area of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid! Johnson County locals and visitors enjoy the
wildlife found on this tour as much they do soaking up the history and tales about this
wild bunch of outlaws. Nearby Outlaw Cave is a prehistoric rock shelter and Indian
Pictographs are to be found a short distance further along the trail. The
Middle Fork of the Powder River is also viewed along this route as well as beautiful
panoramas of the red mountain walls, the canyon at the Middle Fork of the Powder River and
the Dull Knife Battlefield.
Lake DeSmet & Ucross
(half to a full day) Enjoy the
best of both worlds - Wyoming outdoors at its best and a great art gallery on the site of
an old stage coach stop. Lake DeSmet was named for the great missionary to the
Native Americans of this region. The lake that bears the name of Father DeSmet, whose
statue graces the western shoreline, is a wonderful place to fish, picnic, swim or just
cool off for a while. There are also great facilities for boating and picnicking.
Traveling on you will come to one of the best public art galleries in the region,
Big Red as it is known locally. This Big Red barn houses great art exhibits.
Pryor Mountain Wild Mustang
Center - Lovell, WY
Wild Mustangs still roam
freely in the Pryor Mountains outside Lovell, Wyoming. This herd of about 145 horses is
unique because of its Colonial Spanish-American heritage. This tough little horse has been
present in this rugged mountain area for nearly 200 years and cannot be genetically
reconstructed. It's biological viability, together with its history, must be preserved. It
is the purpose of the PRYOR MOUNTAIN WILD MUSTANG CENTER to do just that.
The Pryor Mountain Wild Mustang Center is a public, not-for-profit educational
institution, unique in purpose and location. The Center is working towards becoming the
number one wild horse educational institution in the country.
Local Tour
Guides
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