Wyoming Road Trip 2024: Cody

No Wyoming road trip would be complete without a visit to Cody. For history, beauty, culture, and outdoor adventure, Cody truly has something for everyone.

A Bit of History

As you might imagine, the town of Cody, Wyoming revels in the lingering celebrity of its founding father, Col. William F. “Buffalo Bill” Cody. I’m not a big fan of the man, but I don’t hold that against the town. Cody is a true gem of the West.

As a showman, you really have to give props to Buffalo Bill Cody. The mythology of the American West that he exported to Europe with his Wild West shows endures to this day. Not even his rival showman, P.T. Barnum, could compete with his marketing genius.

Without question, Buffalo Bill leveraged his celebrity clout in the founding of his namesake town. He played a critical role in the development of the irrigation system that transformed the Big Horn Basin from desert to fertile land. He also co-founded Cody’s first newspaper, the Cody Enterprise, and built a grand hotel, the Irma, named after his daughter. In 1895, he bought the TE Ranch where he hosted many hunting parties and visiting dignitaries.

Buffalo Bill employed my great grandfather, Wesley Bloom, as the scout for some of his hunting parties. According to our family’s oral history, my great grandmother couldn’t stand Bill Cody. Probably for good reason. I mentioned this family history tidbit when I was chatting with one of the museum staff members, and she laughingly responded, “Yeah, his wife couldn’t stand him either!” So we’ll give the man his place in history, but it doesn’t mean we confer sainthood on him!

Buffalo Bill Center of the West

Speaking of the museum, this is a “must see” for any trip to Cody. Now called the Buffalo Bill Center of the West, the complex has expanded over the years to include these five separate museums:

• Buffalo Bill Museum. This museum houses the personal memorabilia of Bill Cody and many of the legends who performed in his Wild West Shows, including Chief Sitting Bull and Annie Oakley.
• Plains Indian Museum. With one of the largest collections of Native American artifacts and art, this museum immerses guests in the rich culture and history of the indigenous tribes of the Great Plains.
• Cody Firearms Museum. Considered one of the best gun collections in the United States, this museum contains more than 4,000 firearms and 10,000 artifacts. If guns are your thing, you won’t want to miss it.
• Draper Natural History Museum. This kid-friendly museum highlights the wildlife and geographic wonders of the Yellowstone area. It includes a live raptor program that gives guests a close encounter with these magnificent birds.
• Whitney Western Art Museum. This one is my favorite. Take your time wandering through this gallery of amazing western art by Charles Russell, Frederic Remington, Thomas Moran, Albert Bierstadt, and many more. My only complaint is that I wanted more.

The Irma

Sheridan Avenue is Cody’s Main Street, and you will definitely want to spend a leisurely afternoon browsing the quaint shops. But before you do, step into the Irma Hotel and step back in time. Built in 1902, Buffalo Bill named this grand hotel after his daughter. The hotel has been restored to its original splendor, and features a massive cherry wood bar that was a gift to Cody from Queen Victoria. If you’ve read my prior posts and think that sounds familiar, good catch! The queen gifted a similar bar to Buffalo Bill for the Sheridan Inn in Sheridan! Apparently she had a thing for cherry wood bars? Who knew.

Here’s a pro-tip you won’t find on Trip Advisor. The Irma puts on an old west gunfight skit every evening, and it is pure agony for anyone over the age of five! Sooo cheesy. Put the time to better use.

Wayne’s Boot Shop

While you’re exploring Sheridan Avenue, make sure to step into Wayne’s Boot Shop. Wayne Lundvall opened the store in 1959, and his family continues to operate it today. Whether you’re a genuine cowboy or a wannabe, they have a quality boot sure to make you walk a little taller.

Wayne and his wife Barbie were two of my mom’s dearest friends. She and Barbie were “besties” since second grade, and they caught up on 70 years of friendship when we visited Cody in 2018. Wayne was an avid outdoorsman and an outfitter who knew and loved every inch of Cody country. His family continues that warm, hospitable tradition. Stop in and meet them, and tell them I sent you.

Heart Mountain Interpretive Center

Most people are surprised to learn that remote little Cody, Wyoming was the site of one of the concentration camps established in World War II to retain Japanese American citizens after the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941. Eventually 120,000 Japanese Americans and people of Japanese ancestry would be removed from their homes and forced to live in these “relocation centers” until their release in 1946. Most lost nearly everything they owned.

Of the ten relocation sites, Heart Mountain was the fourth largest at 46,000 acres, most of which was used for farming. It housed about 11,000 Japanese in barracks, making it the third largest city in Wyoming at the time. And it operated much like a normal city, except that nine guard towers provided surveillance around a barbed wire perimeter. Some of the original buildings, including one of the guard towers, are still standing, and the Heart Mountain Interpretive Center tells the story in captivating visual displays.

My mother was a young child living in Cody at that time. Her dad worked for the telephone company, and he would take her with him whenever he had work to do on the compound. Mom made friends with the Japanese girls and looked forward to playing with them.

Another friendship formed between two boy scouts when the Heart Mountain scout troop held a jamboree and invited the Cody troop. Twelve-year-old Alan Simpson and Norman Mineta quickly became friends, united by their love of a good prank as much as their scouting oath. Some 35 years later, the two resumed their friendship in Washington, where Alan served three terms in the Senate and Norman held cabinet positions under two administrations. They share the story of their remarkable friendship in this CBS interview.

The internment of Japanese citizens during World War II is a shameful chapter in our history. In 1988, President Ronald Reagan issued a formal apology, and the United States government would eventually pay out $1.6 billion in reparations to those who had been incarcerated.

The Heart Mountain Relocation Center is a “must see” stop on your Cody itinerary. You’ll come away saying “never again.”

Chief Joseph Highway

There are scads of entertainment options in Cody, and I’ll list a few of my favorites below, but my favorite Cody activity is a leisurely drive with my camera in hand. Jaw-dropping scenery awaits in every direction. Let me tell you about some of my favorite drives.

The first will take you out of town heading north on Highway 120. You’ll pass Heart Mountain, and then come to the junction of Highway 296, also known as Chief Joseph Scenic Byway. This 46-mile stretch follows the route that Chief Joseph led his Nez Perce tribe in 1877 as they fled the U.S. Cavalry, headed to Canada in a last-ditch escape to freedom. It winds through spectacular mountain vistas, across the Sunlight Creek Bridge (the highest bridge in Wyoming), and then crosses the Clark’s Fork of the Yellowstone River shortly before intersecting with Highway 212.

If you only have 2-3 hours, go as far as the bridge over Clark’s Fork, then turn around and see it all again on the return trip. The photo below was taken from the bridge, looking down at the Clark’s Fork of the Yellowstone. It would be easy to miss this view, driving right over the bridge without realizing the view you just passed. Watch for a parking lot and restrooms on the right, just before the bridge. Park there and walk out onto the bridge. Spectacular!

Beartooth Highway

If you have time for a longer outing, expand this drive by turning east at the Highway 212 junction, toward Red Lodge, Montana. Highway 212 is also known as the Beartooth Highway, and I lack sufficient superlatives to tell you just how stunning the scenery is on this stretch. Magnificent. Sublime. Awe-inspiring. You get the idea.

But I’m gonna be honest…the Beartooth Highway is a little bit scary. On the Chief Joseph Highway you’re mostly looking up at the mountains from a safe vantage point, but stretches of the Beartooth take you along the tops of those mountains, looking way, way down on either side. Just be prepared, that’s all I’m saying. It’s totally worth it when you get to the Beartooth Pass at nearly 11,000 feet and, bracing against the wind, pivot to see 360-degree alpine magnificence. Throw in a mountain goat or two, and you’ve got yourself quite a story to tell your jealous friends.

In addition to the mountain vistas, you won’t believe the profusion of wild flowers at the top of the pass. Soak it all in.

The Beartooth Highway ends in Red Lodge, Montana, and you’ll definitely want to take time to explore this quaint mountain town. From there, head east on Highway 308 to Belfry, then take Highway 72 South. Highway 72 becomes Highway 120 when you cross into Wyoming. Stay on Highway 120 all the way back to Cody. The trip from Red Lodge to Cody takes about an hour.

Total drive time for the Cody-to-Red Lodge loop via the Beartooth Highway is under 3 hours, barring construction delays. Allocate most of a day and you’ll have plenty of time to stop for photos, venture down some side roads, and explore the shops and restaurants in Red Lodge. Find more detail here.

South Fork

Another of my favorite drives is down the South Fork, on Highway 291. So here’s the thing you have to understand about Cody. The Shoshone River runs through it, and it branches. Pro tip: all geographical directions from the locals will be framed by reference to the North Fork or the South Fork. You will just be expected to understand this.

Highway 16, the road to the East entrance of Yellowstone National Park, follows the North Fork. It, too, is a scenic marvel, and you’ll see it because, of course, you’re going to Yellowstone. I highlight the South Fork simply because it would be easy to miss this, as it isn’t on the way to anything bigger. The drive alone is the destination.

Give yourself an hour and a half to drive to the end of the road and back. This allows plenty of time to stop for photos and wildlife viewing. Early morning or dusk are the best times to see wildlife.

If you ever get a hankering to host a family reunion or other gathering in Cody, I highly recommend the South Fork River Ranch, a gorgeous cabin managed by the Cody Lodging Company. This 5.600-square-foot lodge is located on 87 acres of wilderness, right on the Shoshone River. And it even has its own trout pond! It’s about a 35-minute drive into town, which is slightly inconvenient, but the drive is worth the peaceful surroundings. From my bedroom deck one morning, I watched two moose wander down the river.

The private trout pond provided hours of entertainment. We held a family fishing derby, and it was a little embarrassing how competitive the men got! There were no concessions made for the little ones; they had to compete like men! 🙂

Cody Fun

When you’re not fishing or taking a leisurely drive, here are my not-to-be-missed Cody Fun recommendations:

• Cody Stampede Rodeo and Parade. The 4th of July is a Big Deal in Cody, and you won’t want to miss the fun. Invite some of your favorite city folks, and introduce them to Western patriotism. There’s nothing quite like it.
• Cody Dug Up Museum. We loved this little museum just off the main drag in downtown Cody. It’s a remarkable collection of guns found in unlikely places. Some of the revolvers are still cocked and loaded, and it doesn’t take much imagination to picture the scene that unfolded right before the gun landed on the prairie, only to be found years later. Fascinating!
• Cody Cattle Company Dinner Show. Enjoy a chuckwagon dinner and live Western music show. Fun for the whole family.
• Silver Dollar Bar. Plan a leisurely dinner one night on the patio of the Silver Dollar Bar, while local musicians play all your favorite classic country tunes.
• Old Trail Town. This family-friendly outdoor museum lets you experience the Old West by exploring original structures from the late 1800s.
• Trail Rides. There are several dude ranches that offer trail rides. If you’re not a horseman, I recommend starting with a 1-2 hour ride. Trust me, you’ll be sore the next day!
• ATV Rentals. With thousands of acres of public land stretching in every direction, who can resist the urge to explore off-road? Some of our crew made an excursion to Kirwin, an old mining ghost town. A word to the wise: the road is rough! Your internal organs might get rearranged en route.

Cody truly has something for everyone, and I hope I’ve convinced you to add it to your Wyoming road trip itinerary. Please report back with photos of all your adventures!

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