Kurt & Virginia's Travels: Sheridan, WY, and The Bighorns

Traveling only 70 miles south of The Little Big Horn we stopped in Sheridan, Wyoming for six nights over the Labor Day weekend. Peter and Barbara, the owners of Peter D's RV Park, were excellent hosts. They have a large garden filled with tomatoes and squash. Every morning she picks fresh produce and shares it with their guests.

There is much to do in this area. We spent two complete days exploring the Bighorn Mountains. The Bighorn Mountains is a beautiful area which seems to be much overlooked by travelers who are hurrying along I-90. Sheridan is a great home base to tour this area.

Bighorn Scenic Byway

Day 1 in the Bighorns

Starting West on Bighorn Scenic Byway
US 14 to US 14A

Steamboat Point resembles the bow of a steamboat.

Medicine Wheel National Historic Landmark/Medicine Mountain

Constructed about 700 years ago, the Bighorn Medicine Wheel is believed to be built by a member of the Crow Tribe. The landmark is made of rocks gathered in the area and arranged into a "Wheel" with 28 spokes about 8 feet long that radiate from a center pile of stones. We took the three mile, round trip, hike to the "Wheel" at nearly 10,000 feet elevation.

The views along this high ridge trail were outstanding.

The Wheel is a sacred place for many
Native Americans today.

Several Marmots were sunning along the trail.

Box Canyon on West Side of Mountains

Mason-Lovell Ranch

On our way to the Bighorn Canyon NRA Visitor Center we stopped at one of four historic cattle ranches located within the recreation area. This ranch was in operation from 1883 to 1902. In its day, it was the largest operating ranch in Wyoming with a cattle herd of over 25,000.

Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area

Yellowtail Dam holds back the waters of the Bighorn Lake which makes up the Bighorn Canyon NRA. This 71 mile long lake straddles the states of both Wyoming and Montana. The northern 2/3 of the lake is on the Crow Indian Reservation. The Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Range, with a herd of about 120 mustangs, is within the Recreation Area. We did see five of these wild mustangs on our drive.

There was a very modern visitor center in
the town of Lovell, WY.

Bighorn Canyon from the Devil Canyon Overlook

The lake sits over 1,000 feet below the canyon rim.

From the top it appears as a large crack in the earth.

Barry's Landing is the end of the road.
To access north of this point requires a boat.

Cloud Peak Skyway Scenic Byway

Day 2 in the Bighorns along US 16

Sheep Mountain Fire Lookout

Perched atop a forested mountain, the historic Sheep Mountain Fire Lookout was constructed in 1950 by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) at an elevation of 9,600 feet. The lookout was historically occupied as a fire lookout until the early 1970s. It is now available for overnight rental during the summer.

Ten Sleep Canyon

Ten Sleep Canyon looking West

Ten Sleep Canyon Looking East

Kurt remembered this campsite from his childhood.
We had a picnic lunch here, alongside Ten Sleep Creek.

Red Gulch/Alkali Scenic Back Country Byway

32 mile Gravel Backway

The Alkali Road, completed in 1897, served as a mail route over the Bighorn Mountains. The trip took several long days. Today it is a scenic gravel road providing access to some beautiful scenery and interesting sites.

Medicine Lodge State Archaeological Site

Medicine Lodge is home to a large sandstone cliff that displays hundreds of Native American petroglyphs (etchings) and pictographs (paintings). This rock art is directly associated with the human habitation of this site dating back more than 10,000 years.

Archaeological Dig Site and
Petroglyph Site

We thought this one looks like a rabbit.

Looks like some kids playing with a large turtle?

Red Gulch Dinosaur Tracksite Paleontology Area

Hundreds of tracks were discovered in 1997
and are visible at BLM's Red Gulch Dinosaur Tracksite.

This three toed beast appeared to have
stomped through the middle.

Hoodoos, strange, artistic rock formations.

Shell Canyon

Heading back east to Sheridan, we followed US 14 to see the southern portion of the Bighorn Scenic Byway. This took us into the mountains through Shell Canyon, a deep narrow canyon.

Pyramid Mountain atop Shell Canyon

Shell Falls

Beautiful 120 foot tall Shell Falls

Out and Around Sheridan

Fort Phil Kearny State Historic Site

The Sheridan Area is rich in Indian war history. Many forts were built in order to protect the miners, settlers and travelers along the Bozeman Trail. Fort Phil Kearny, 1866-1868, is one such site.

Massacre Hill Monument
Captain William Fetterman and 80 of his men were killed by over 1,000 Sioux, Cheyenne and Arapho warriors in December of 1866. This was considered the worst defeat by the Army until Custer's Little Big Horn ten years later.