Journey through Wyoming’s Bighorn Mountains for the most scenic road trip to Yellowstone National Park. Along the way, make plenty of pit stops for epic adventures and Indigenous experiences. Here are five things to do while road tripping through the Bighorn Mountains on your way to Yellowstone.
1. Bighorn National Forest
Located in north-central Wyoming, Bighorn National Forest is home to the Bighorn Mountain range, which boasts two peaks over 13,000 feet and dozens over 12,000 feet. There’s a rich dichotomy in the landscape. In the higher elevations, you’ll experience vast, unraveling views of the plains, foothills, and mountains below. Lower, you’ll find forests, creeks, and winding valley vistas. I’ve driven a lot of mountain passes, and I often feel carsick somewhere along the way. That didn’t happen with the Big Horn Range, because it isn’t viciously steep.
2. Cloud Peak Wilderness
As you descend the Bighorn Mountains along Highway 16, affectionately called Yellowstone’s “Sweet 16,” you’ll end up on the Cloud Peak Scenic Byway with beautiful vistas of the Cloud Peak Wilderness. As the name suggests, this is a high-altitude wilderness area full of beauty. No vehicles are allowed within, so you get to experience nature in its truest form. In addition, the Cloud Peak Wilderness Area has campsites along its trails. This coupled with its great fishing, hiking, and horseback riding, make it a fantastic place to spend a weekend on your way to Yellowstone.
3. Ten Sleep Canyon: Wyoming’s Best Secret Climbing Spot
Wyoming’s hidden gem climbing spot is tucked away in Ten Sleep Canyon. It’s seen a rapid popularity increase over the years, now hosting more than 800 bolted climbing routes, spanning a range of difficulties. It gets busy, but not so much that it’s impossible to maneuver around other climbers. You’ll meet a lot of great people, and you’ll be sharing the walls in a motivating, friendly environment.
4. Craft Beers
The Ten Sleep Brewing Company has earned a lot of respect, not least because it started in a family barn. Indeed, it may be the only brewery in Wyoming to have started in such a prophetic ‘meant-to-be’ sort of way. For that reason alone, you should visit. Plus, it’s en route to Yellowstone and it’s just plain cool. Think wilderness bar meets the modern world while keeping its wild Wyoming vibe. That’s the Ten Sleep Brewing Company. It’s worth combining your visit to Ten Sleep Brewing Company with the Ten Sleep Festival, in July. That time of year you’ll find a lot of climbing folk in the brewing company – the festival’s epicenter – making for great conversation and opportunity to mingle with a fun crowd.
5. Worland: Washakie Museum & Cultural Center
Leaving Ten Sleep, you’ll find your way to Worland. Head to the Washakie Museum and Cultural Center. At its doors stands a colossal bronze Mammoth, no doubt tribute to the history abundant in Washakie. TripAdvisor’s users rated the center 4.5 stars out of 5 – no surprise. I came away with a broadened anthropological view of the area, comprised of fascinating information on human inhabitants from thousands of years ago, early wildlife, and much more. The unique topography of Washakie County really lends itself to this world-class museum.
Bighorn Mountains: the Most Scenic Route to Yellowstone
The Big Horn Mountain Range is the perfect place for outdoor enthusiasts. You can camp, hike, fish, climb, off-road, and so much more. All this, dotted along one of the most beautiful scenic highways in the US: Yellowstone’s Sweet 16. True enough, a lifetime would barely scratch the surface of what the Bighorn Mountains have to offer en route to Yellowstone National Park.
This story has been created in partnership with Washakie County Tourism Council, Wyoming.
