The Backroads of Wyoming: The Wild & Wonderful West

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Wherever your travels take you during your visit, you have a real western adventure in store! The Wyoming state insignia, a cowboy waving his Stetson Hat while riding on the back of a bucking horse, says it all. This is classic cowboy country, a land of wide open grasslands stretching for miles in every direction. There are fewer than a half million people that inhabit an area nearly 100,000 sq. miles. For visitors the main attractions of Wyoming are in the northwestern corner where the twin spectacles of Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks attract some three million visitors annually. 

We know what’s in store as you travel the state: great places, people and memories. Wyoming is home to some of the best national parks and monuments. Wyoming is home to the world’s first National Park, Yellowstone; the first National Monument, Devils Tower; the first National Forest, Shoshone; the picturesque Teton Mountain Range; and deeply rooted Western Culture and spirit. 

Wyoming is a place where you can roam free and experience what it’s like to be somewhere truly forever West. This spirit not only lives on in the wide open spaces and views, but also in Wyoming citizens. Wyoming is truly what America once was. It is said to be the wild, wooly west at its best! It has the largest intact ecosystem in the lower 48 states meaning that all of the species that have roamed this sweeping mountain plateau are still in residence. Yellowstone was signed into being by President Ulysses Grant in 1872, and covers 2.2 million acres. Lamar Valley is known as the “Little Serengeti” of North America, it’s magnificent in its wildness and uniquely American. 

Day 1 – Home to Lincoln, NE 

“Go West” they told us, so that’s exactly what we’ll spend our day doing. Make special note of the changing landscape out the motorcoach windows as we travel through the forested rolling hillsides, into rich, open farmland of southern Minnesota and Iowa before we cross over to the flat prairie of Nebraska. We’ll travel westward to Lincoln, NE, our resting place for the night. 

Hotel: Country Inn & Suites 

Day 2 – Lincoln to Cheyenne, WY 

Continuing our travels west today we travel along I-80 which follows the paths that early pioneers followed. We’ll make a stop in the town of Ogallala for lunch right on Main Street where back in the days cattle drives traveled! This afternoon we cross into Wyoming and make our first stop at Cheyenne for the night 

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch 

Hotel: Holiday Inn 

Day 3 – Cheyenne to Laramie, WY 

After a hot breakfast at our hotel, a local step-on guide will give us a tour that includes a drive by of the State Capitol Building, Governor’s Mansion, and Historic Union Pacific Train Depot. No trip to Cheyenne would be complete without visiting the Cheyenne Frontier Days and Old West Museum. After an included lunch stop, we continue our journey. What awaits us in Laramie is fascinating. The Wyoming Territorial Prison Historic Site. This 1872 prison is rich with tales of its “violent & desperate outlaws,” the most famous of which was Butch Cassidy. We will tour the prison and then enjoy dinner here, complete with great musical entertainment. 

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner 

Hotel: Hampton Inn 

Day 4 – Laramie to Lander, WY 

After a restful night and a hot breakfast at our hotel we begin our scenic drive up over the mountains. We leave the interstate and take the backroads across the Medicine Bow Mountains and over Snowy Range Pass, an elevation of 10,847 ft. The vistas from the top are unbelievable! We’ll take plenty of time for stops and pictures and breathing in that fresh mountain air! As we come down off of the mountain pass we have a wonderful lunch awaiting us at the Silver Saddle Restaurant in the Saratoga Hot Springs Resort. We continue on towards Lander and visit Sinks Canyon of the Wind River Range. The canyon is named for a unique geologic formation, The Sinks, where the river vanishes underground only to resurface a quarter mile downstream in a dark blue trout filled deep pool. We can clearly observe this phenomenon. A pizza party at the hotel allows us to share the highlights of the day with each other. 

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner 

Hotel: Holiday Inn Express 

Day 5 – Lander to Jackson Hole, WY 

Following another hot breakfast, we say goodbye to Lander and continue west, making our way towards the majestic Grand Teton National Park. Get your cameras ready! First we travel up over Togwotee Pass and cross the Continental Divide. Ahead of us the Grand Teton Mountain range awaits and our first stop is at Jackson Lake Lodge for lunch at the historic Mural Dining Room. Here you will enjoy a stunning view of the majestic Tetons beyond. This afternoon we continue our viewing of the Tetons as we travel through the National Park with stops at Jenny Lake and many photo opportunities along the way. We’ll end our day in the town of Jackson where we check into our hotel. This evening you will be able to enjoy some time in the downtown area for a meal and some shopping. 

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch 

Hotel: Hampton Inn 

Day 6 – Jackson Hole to West Yellowstone, MT 

Another great day is ahead of us, so after breakfast we board the motorcoach for a drive along the foot of the Tetons and into Yellowstone National Park. Making numerous stops you’ll have ample opportunity to soak in the magic of this special place. Sightings of elk, moose and bison are very possible in the morning mist. We’ll enter through the South entrance of Yellowstone National Park and cross the continental divide 3 times as we make our way along the beautiful park roads to Old Faithful Geyser basin. Here we’ll wait for this iconic geyser to spew forth its beauty as it’s been doing for hundreds of years. We’ll enjoy lunch here and then continue our scenic drive through the geyser basin area of the park and past the Firehole River as we travel towards West Yellowstone for the night. 

Included Meals: Breakfast 

Hotel: Grey Wolf Inn and Suites 

Day 7 – West Yellowstone to Cody, WY 

Across the park from west to east we travel this morning as we make our way to the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone and the picturesque Lower Falls viewing area at Artist Point. The 300 ft Lower Falls from Artist Point is one of the most recognizable pictures in all of Yellowstone. We’ll stop in Canyon Village where you will have an opportunity to enjoy lunch and pick up a park souvenir or two. Then it’s up over Dunraven Pass at a height of over 8850 ft for more spectacular views. We descend towards Tower Falls and then we drive across the Lamar Valley where we will watch for buffalo, elk and maybe a pack of wolves. Up we go towards the North East Exit of the park as we travel the picturesque Chief Joseph highway. We’ll be traveling down through the beautiful Absaroka Wilderness as we look for elk, antelope, and maybe a bear on our way into Cody. Tonight we’ll dine together at the historic Irma Hotel before we enjoy some real western entertainment. 

Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner 

Hotel: Comfort Inn (2 Nights) 

Day 8 – Cody, WY 

Today we’ll spend our entire day in and around Cody. Cody is a true western paradise. After a full breakfast at our hotel, we’ll head to the Buffalo Bill Center of the West. This is a world renowned Smithsonian destination for millions! There is no other place like this in the world. The Center itself is comprised of five incredible museums: Buffalo Bill Museum, Cody Firearms Museum, Draper Natural History Museum, Plains Indians Museum, and the Whitney Western Art Museum. The museums are self-guided so you can explore one or all at your own pace. Following lunch on your own in Cody, we head just outside of town to Heart Mountain, a National Historic Landmark where more than 14,000 Japanese Americans were confined during World War II; a fascinating part of our history that most know little about. 

Included Meals: Breakfast 

Day 9 – Cody to Sheridan, WY 

This morning following breakfast in the old Saloon we travel to “Old Trail Town.” Here we experience a collection of 26 authentic buildings from the mid to late 1800’s that have been relocated to the original town site of Cody. You’ll discover original cabins of well-known mountain men and outlaws such as Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid; a rare “window” into life in the Old West. We depart Cody mid- morning and begin our travels towards the Bighorn Mountain range. We’ll travel a beautiful mountain road with many magnificent vistas along the way. Later among the pine trees at the top in a classic mountain setting, we find lunch at Bear Lodge. Our destination this afternoon is Sheridan, a gem of a city nestled in the foothills of the Bighorn Mountains. Sheridan’s main street is one of the most vibrant we’ve seen and authentically western. Here we find King’s Saddlery, a genuine western store for the American cowboy and rancher. This is where the legendary King Ropes (cowboy lariats) are made. These aren’t toys or a hobby, these are the real thing! Don King’s Western Museum is where you can touch, smell, feel and learn about the western lifestyle. 

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch 

Hotel: Holiday Inn 

Day 10 – Sheridan to Ucross, WY 

This morning following breakfast at our hotel, we are invited to the Brinton Museum on the historic Quarter Circle A Ranch at the foot of the Bighorn Mountains. We tour the Ranch House & Gardens and view some of the finest American Indian and Western Art in the country. Enjoy lunch right at the Museum’s Brinton Bristo before departing to visit “Trail End,” the historic mansion of the John B. Kendrick family, which will provide us with an elegantly different aspect of Sheridan’s rich and colorful history. As we journey on to our truly authentic experience for the evening, note the “big sky” and awesome wide open landscape – you may see more antelope than trees! The Ranch at Ucross, one of America’s most unique and superb “dude ranches,” is western hospitality at its very best! Just relax and enjoy the setting, the ranch meals, the cowboy singer and the comfortable accommodations. 

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner 

Hotel: Ucross Ranch 

Day 11 – Ucross to Rapid City, SD 

Enjoy a hearty ranch breakfast before we depart. Our destination today is Rapid City; however, we’ll make several stops along the way. First to Gillette, one of those free spirited western boom towns. To give us a little clearer understanding of the area, we’ll visit the Rock Pile Museum. Next, we travel through the unknown, forgotten but scenic Bear Lodge Mountains to imposing Devils Tower. Rising 865 feet above the surrounding prairie, it can be seen up to 50 miles away on a clear day. Recognized as one of America’s most identifiable natural landmarks, the Tower was designated as the country’s first National Monument by President Teddy Roosevelt in 1906. Our “backroads” experience continues with a stop at the historic Aladdin General Store for some treasures. Built in 1896, it’s still operating and not much has changed since then. We’ll continue our journey and when we see the dark silhouette of the Black Hills we know we are close to our resting place for the evening, Rapid City. Tonight we’ll enjoy a farewell dinner at a local steakhouse. 

Included Meals: Breakfast, Farewell Dinner 

Hotel: Comfort Inn & Suites 

Day 12 – Rapid City to Home 

We rise early this morning and travel east into the rising sun as we journey home today. We travel across South Dakota and into Minnesota enjoying the company of our traveling companions and sharing the stories of a great Backroads adventure to Wyoming. 

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch