THE GREAT NORTHERN ROAD TRIP<\/h2>\n

It feels great to be on the road again.<\/p>\n

It doesn\u2019t matter how many times I take this trip \u2013 a route we\u2019ve unofficially dubbed the\u00a0Northern Bighorn Loop \u00ad<\/em>\u2013 each expedition brings something fresh and new to bear. There are the icons I\u2019ll never tire of: Steamboat Point, rising from the rock like a great ship run aground; Porcupine Falls, with its thundering falls and epic splash pool, a favored mountain escape for generations; and the highway itself, where the Bighorn Scenic Byway becomes the Medicine Wheel Scenic Passage, offering up stunning panoramas of the mountains, opportunities to spot the biggest game in the Bighorns, and countless dirt tracks that splinter off toward some new, unknown adventure. And then there are the lesser-known destinations, the hidden gems and that which is mostly undiscovered. There is the rugged splendor of Bucking Mule Falls; the mystic iconography of the ancient Medicine Wheel; and the remnants of the old gold-fever town, Bald Mountain City. This is to say nothing of the pastoral charm of the foothills, the small towns that lay nestled in the crooks of the mountain, like Dayton, Ranchester, Shell and Dayton, and the wild playgrounds that are closer than most of us think, like the Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area, and the Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Range.<\/p>\n

There is so much to take in an any road trip up and over the Bighorns. You could spend a single day at any of these destinations and feel like you still have not seen all there is to see. You could chase the history of the tie hackers down a dozen different rivers or engage legendary outlaws at half a dozen half forgotten outposts. For our part, we are all about covering miles on this trip \u2013 we want to watch as the ponderosa pine and alpine meadows of Sheridan County transform to the rocky, iron-striped desert mesas of Big Horn County. We do what little planning we think is necessary at Bison Union, which is always a good excuse to grab some coffee thick enough to prop up a pocket knife, then head out to saddled up our mechanical bull with all the necessary provisions. It\u2019s time to hit the road.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a misty, low hanging cloud kind of day, and we\u2019re worried for a moment that we won\u2019t get to see many of the big landscapes that we plan to see. By the time we crest Cutler Hill and pass Sibley Lake, the clouds have broken, and it is a blue bird day. There is a saying out here that if you don\u2019t like the weather, just wait a minute, and if you\u2019ve ever spent a day in the Bighorns, you know this to be true. We left behind sweltering foothills heat for perfect 70-degree temps, and I\u2019m struck by that invigorating feeling I get every time I come up onto the mountains. Gone are the worries of the day; the hustle and bustle of daily life seems trivial when set against such natural wonder. It\u2019s a feeling I hope everyone is able to experience when they visit Wyoming.<\/p>\n

We experience some of that famous weather early on. It\u2019s June, which means it\u2019s still wintry in some parts of the high country. We\u2019re stopped in our tracks about 5 miles from Porcupine Creek, which doesn\u2019t do anything to dampen our mood \u2013 we simply retool and prepare to spend more time discovering destinations we\u2019ve yet to explore. We share much of that in this week\u2019s episode, where you see us try and fail to make it to the waterfall; try and fail to find wild horses at Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area; and try and fail to find the keys to a WWII aircraft at the Museum of Flight and Aerial Firefighting (admittedly, that last one was a longshot). But it does not really matter that we don\u2019t \u201caccomplish\u201d what we set out to do \u2013 the goal from the beginning is to enjoy the journey.<\/p>\n

And we do just that. We enjoy the great outdoors and the historic attractions that this trip offers up, but we also enjoy chatting with locals in our own town, as well as those around the mountain \u2013 business owners appreciate the patronization, and they see good things on the horizon for the travel industry. Wyoming\u2019s travel and tourism economy shut down swiftly when the pandemic swept through in March, and because of the sacrifices people have made here, we\u2019ve been fortunate to open up sooner than most states, and also keep our case numbers down. We hear time and again that we\u2019re headed in the right direction, or\u00a0back to normal \u2013\u00a0<\/em>whatever that means in 2020. What is certain is the sense of optimism present in nearly all the folks we meet along the way.<\/p>\n

What is also clear is how luck we are to live in this wild, untamed place. Some of the most epic stops on our journey haven\u2019t seen more than a few souls all summer \u2013 instead of fighting off crowds at the overlook at Bighorn Canyon, we\u2019re set against the swirling wind of a sudden storm and the grand scope of the towering canyon walls. When we spy a coyote in the hills near Steamboat Point, then a cow and calf moose at Burgess Junction, we don\u2019t have to stop traffic to get a look at the local wildlife, because there is so little traffic in the first place. And rather than waiting in line at dawn for a campsite to open at a national park, we have the run of Devil\u2019s Kitchen to ourselves, just in time to cook up a spectacular sunset. We feel safe out here, as distant from the rest of the world as we want to be. There\u2019s little doubt that this is part of Wyoming\u2019s allure. While so much of the country is on lockdown, we\u2019re fortunate to be able to get outside and experience these wild places. But when we do see other folk on our journey, there\u2019s a sense that we\u2019re sharing in some great, grand secret, and I\u2019m happy that they\u2019re sharing this experience with us.<\/p>\n

THE DETAILS<\/strong><\/h2>\n

WHEN TO GO:<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Highway 14A is open seasonally, usually from June through October. It\u2019s possible to do much of this trip any time of the year, as Highway 14 remains open and is well-maintained. To visit destinations like Porcupine Falls, Bucking Mule Falls, or the Medicine Wheel, we recommend a late summer or fall trip.<\/p>\n

HOW TO GET THERE:<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Begin the loop from Sheridan, or any of the satellite communities, like Dayton, Ranchester, Clearmont, Big Horn, etc. We covered roughly 270 miles over nearly 6 hours of drive time on this road trip. Click the map below for a Google Maps version of our itinerary that you can copy to your own phone or navigation device.<\/p>\n

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FUEL UP:<\/strong><\/h3>\n

We began our trip at Bison Union<\/a> in the heart of downtown Sheridan. We recommend taking your lunch with you and picnicking at either Porcupine Falls or Bighorn Canyon. Remember to practice proper Leave No Trace Principals when you\u2019re exploring the forest.<\/p>\n

Top off your tank with gas in Sheridan County before you head on and up the mountain; between Dayton and Lovell there are no places to buy fuel on the mountain.<\/p>\n

RESOURCES:<\/strong><\/h3>\n

This trip covers a lot of distance, and there is a great deal of history associated with each destination. Stop in at the Sheridan County Travel & Tourism Information Center or the local Forest Service office for information or recommendations on reading material, guides, maps, and more.<\/p>\n

STAY INSPIRED:<\/strong><\/h3>\n

For our full album of photos from this road trip, visit our archive here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

For all of our short films, videos, and other film-related content, follow us on YouTube by clicking here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

WHERE TO STAY:<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Sheridan County has accommodations of every type to suit your Wyoming adventure dreams. Check out our accommodations directory for information on hotels, motels, guest ranches, camp sites, RV parks, and more.<\/p>\n

Consider staying at one of our mountain lodges on Highway 14\/14A, which include Arrowhead Lodge<\/a>, Bear Lodge<\/a>, and Elk View Inn<\/a>, if you’d like to stay close to the mountain action. Alternatively, we have RV Parks and campgrounds in Dayton (Foothills Motel and RV Park<\/a>) and Ranchester (Lazy R Campground and Cabins<\/a>).<\/p>\n

STAY SAFE AND HEALTHY:<\/strong><\/h3>\n

At this time, there are no health and safety restrictions related to COVID-19 along this route. But please note that some retailers in Sheridan have implemented mask requirements (those that do offer masks for guests at the entrance). Observe Forest Service regulations when exploring the Bighorn National Forest. Bars and restaurants currently have limited seating indoors. Click here<\/a> for up-to-date COVID-19 information and resources.<\/p>\n