God’s Country: Wyoming
Head to the rugged Bighorn Mountains for idyllic adventures.
It’s hard to imagine an ENTIRE MOUNTAIN RANGE CAN BE UNDERAPPRECIATED, but that’s the case for the BIGHORNS.
Impossible to miss on a trip from the Black Hills to Yellowstone, the 100-mile-long and 60-mile-wide range is a prominent feature in north central Wyoming. Countless travelers think of the Bighorns as an obstacle, not a destination. Yet from the basins to the peaks, the range provides a cross section of natural history and outdoor recreation. Situated at the eastern base of the Bighorn Mountains, the town of Buffalo has been base camp for many of my adventures. As a native, I’ll always claim the town as my home. I go back to Wyoming every year to see my family—and my mountains. With exceptions during Longmire Days and fair week, the Johnson County seat is a quiet home for 5,000 people. I always expect to run into someone I know at the Dash Inn, the locally owned fast(ish) food place. Across the road from the eatery is the eastern terminus of Clear Creek Trail. Heading upstream along the cottonwood-lined banks of its namesake body of water, this paved path offers up mountain views the entire way. From town, many trailheads provide easy access to the entire path. The section near the Veterans’ Home of Wyoming is especially scenic. And you can see history along the trail, including a steel pony truss railroad bridge from the 1880s and an abandoned hydroelectric power plant from 1914. Though the latter site is covered in graffiti, the castlelike architecture style is impressive. Crazy Woman Square, in the heart of downtown Buffalo, is
situated right along the Clear Creek Trail. This small park was formerly home to a Ben Franklin store, lost to arson years ago. Between the square and the courthouse, the historic Occidental Hotel remains an area icon. Built in the 1880s, the hotel and saloon has seen visitors from Teddy Roosevelt to Calamity Jane. If you find yourself in Buffalo on a Thursday night, take in the jam session in the hotel lobby. Local musicians carry the night, but it’s always fun to have visitors sitting in on some tunes. Next door to the courthouse is the Jim Gatchell Memorial Museum, which houses artifacts of frontier life including firearms, clothing, photographs and wagons. Childhood visits filled my head with visions of life on the edge of civilization. Glowing under a black light, the display of gemstones, rocks, and, if memory serves me, a horse tooth, has stuck with me over the decades.
The idea that early settlers made a living off the land, surviving by hunting and fishing, awed me. I was one of many Keffer family grandchildren who learned fly-fishing on stunted brook trout in cold Bighorn Mountain streams. Our favorite fishing holes included North Clear Creek near Hunter Ranger Station and the beaver ponds along Sourdough Creek. According to Grandpa, fishing was slow on days we weren’t “holding our mouths right.” But one memorable Fourth of July picnic at Meadowlark Lake, the fishing was hot, even though the temperatures weren’t. My cousin and I were paddling an inflatable raft when the biggest, fluffiest, wettest snowflakes started falling from the sky. Our relatives retreated to the vehicles; however, since the fish were biting, we hearty anglers continued thrashing the waters. Grandpa was proud of our dedication, but Grandma thought we were knuckleheads for toughing out the cold. The July snow didn’t stick, but if you’re there when it does, head right across the highway to Willow Park. Groomed trails are ideal for
cross-country skiing throughout the winter. Snowshoeing is also an option all over the Bighorns. Not far from Meadowlark Lake is West Tensleep Lake, with many daytrip options, including to Tensleep Falls or along Tensleep Trail, one of the newest paths in the Bighorn National Forest. You can access the Cloud Peak Wilderness area from the popular West Tensleep Trailhead. The scenic Cloud Peak Skyway traverses the Bighorn Mountains, linking Buffalo to the town of Ten Sleep. The storied byway is named for the highest peak in the range, which touches the sky at 13,166 feet. The swath of highway travels along stands of lodgepole pine forest dotted with mountain meadows. Look for moose, elk and mule deer grazing these fields. The landscape takes on a much drier feel as U.S. Highway 16 winds through Tensleep Canyon, where rock climbers are drawn to the rugged canyon walls. As you continue west down the mountain toward Ten Sleep, give your vehicle’s brakes a rest and take in the stunning views from roadside pullouts. Soon you’ll leave the mountains behind and enter the arid Bighorn Basin. The Bighorn Mountains are more than just the most scenic obstacle on the way to Yellowstone. While my kinfolk want to keep this area a secret, once you get there, they will welcome you with a nod of the hat, a friendly smile and plenty of advice on places to explore.