Wyoming Bike Tour (Epic)
LEVEL
Advanced
The tour was truly epic. The scenery and experience was awesome. I would recommend this tour to anyone who wants a true Western experience.
This was my first ever commercial bicycle tour and it exceeded all my expectations! It was worth every cent! Can't wait to sign up and start dreaming about the next one!
Buckle your toe clips, cowboys and cowgirls. Here comes the Wild, Wild West! Ride through lands where coal mines, gold rushes and gun battles defined the landscape and legendary turf wars were won and lost. From Cody, Wyoming, bicycle east into Bighorn National Forest, then north and west through Shoshone and Custer National Forests before returning back to Cody. Bike the first protected national forest in the United States. Keep your eyes peeled for the country’s largest population of bighorn sheep. Explore the lands of the Shoshone, the Arapaho, the Sioux, Chief Joseph’s Nez Perce – and the early settlers pushing west.
If you have time to extend your stay in Cody, we highly recommend a visit to the Buffalo Bill Historical Center: The highly acclaimed “Smithsonian of the West” offers learning opportunities about Buffalo Bill, the Plains Indians and Yellowstone – an unparalleled collection of Western Art and one of the largest collections of firearms in the world. And “to boot”, you can go to a rodeo in Cody every night from June 1-Aug 31!
This tour is operated under a special use permit with Shoshone National Forest. Bicycle Adventures is an equal opportunity provider.
Itinerary
Day 01
Meet in Cody, Wyoming. Take a warm-up ride from Burlington to Ten Sleep.
Meals
– Lunch
– Dinner
Lodging
Carter Inn
Ability Level
Advanced
Distance
69 miles
Elevation
+2,332 ft / -2,341 ft
Meet in Cody, Wyoming, named for “Buffalo Bill” William Frederick Cody. We begin with a shuttle (~45min) to the tiny town of Burlington, Wyoming where we saddle up and follow the winding Bighorn and Nowood Rivers east toward Ten Sleep in the western foothills of the Bighorn Mountains. Historically, Ten Sleep was an important camp. It was the midway point between Sioux camps on the Platte River to the south and the northern camps near Bridger, Montana. The journey was “ten sleeps” (nights) from either. There is a small Pioneer Museum for those who want learn more about the history of the town and area. Stay at the Carter Inn.
Day 02
Ride the Cloud Peak Scenic Byway from Ten Sleep to Buffalo through the southern portion of the Bighorn Mountains.
Meals
– Breakfast
– Lunch
– Dinner
Lodging
Hampton Inn, Buffalo
Ability Level
Advanced
Distance
65 miles
Elevation
+6861 ft / -6724 ft
Ride across the southern portion of the Bighorn Mountains today on the Cloud Peak Scenic Byway. It is the only road from which you can view 13,167 ft Cloud Peak – the highest peak in the Bighorns. Watch for rock climbers clinging to the walls in Ten Sleep Canyon as you head out of town this morning on your way to the 9,666-foot summit of Powder River Pass. Lush grasslands, river canyons, alpine meadows, crystal-clear lakes, glacier-hewn valleys, rolling hills and sheer mountain walls make for spectacular riding. Buffalo, Wyoming – our destination today – is tucked into the Bighorn’s eastern foothills. The town’s main street has more than a dozen historic buildings, including the Occidental Hotel where Owen Wister’s Virginian finally “got his man”. If history is your thing, try not to miss the impressive Jim Gatchell Museum, with over 15,000 artifacts from the American Old West. Stay at the Hampton Inn.
Day 03
Follow blue highways from Buffalo to Ranchester beneath big skies.
Meals
– Breakfast
– Lunch
– Dinner
Lodging
Ranchester Western Motel
Ability Level
Intermediate
Distance
63 miles
Elevation
+1,778 ft / -2,581 ft
Bicycle north today on lightly traveled blue highways with the Bighorns on your left and big skies above. Ride past Lake de Smet – which the Sioux believed to have magical healing powers – and through Sheridan to finish in tiny Ranchester (pop. 1064), site of a battle between the Powder River Expedition and Chief Black Bear’s Arapaho camp. Stay at the Ranchester Western Motel.
Day 04
Ride the Bighorn Scenic Byway to Lovell - Wyoming's Rose City.
Meals
– Breakfast
– Lunch
– Dinner
Lodging
Travelodge, Lovell
Ability Level
Advanced
Distance
84 miles
Elevation
+8526 ft / -8446 ft
Point your steeds back to the west today and gear up (down?) for some climbing – or maybe a van boost – as we head back across the northern portion of Bighorn Mountains. Ride the Bighorn Scenic Byway to the town of Lovell – ‘Wyoming’s Rose City’ on the northwestern flanks of the range. The route tops out at about 9,500 feet, so plan for a breather at Crystal Creek Rest Area. Stay at the Travelodge by Wyndham.
Day 05
Ride from Wyoming's Bighorns into Red Lodge, Montana - Gateway to Yellowstone.
Meals
– Breakfast
Lodging
Pollard Hotel, Red Lodge
Ability Level
Advanced
Distance
79 miles
Elevation
+3824 ft / -2106 ft
Bicycle generally northwest today. Follow the squiggly curves of Silver Tip Creek through Byron and north into Montana. Fields of corn, sugar beets and alfalfa are interspersed with tiny towns in this valley that lies between Yellowstone National Park and the Bighorn Range. Stay two nights at the Pollard Hotel in Red Lodge, Montana, a raucous 1890s coal town that is now a ‘Gateway to Yellowstone National Park.’
Day 06
Polish your spurs and rest up in Red Lodge for a big day in the mountains tomorrow!
Meals
– Breakfast
Lodging
Pollard Hotel, Red Lodge
Polish your spurs and rest up your mounts in Red Lodge before another big day in the mountains tomorrow. Visit the Yellowstone Wildlife Sanctuary for non-releasable wildlife (wildlife sightings guaranteed!), check out the depot and art galleries, hit up a local fly-fishing outfitter, or pick up a walking tour brochure at the Carbon County Museum and get the inside story on Red Lodge’s history. If you need to keep your legs moving, there are lonely highways to nowhere to explore, or you can sample a bit of tomorrow’s spectacular ride as an out and back from town. Lunch and dinner are on your own today.
Day 07
Get ready for alpine glory along the Beartooth Scenic Byway "...the most beautiful (ride) in America!"
Meals
– Breakfast
– Lunch
– Dinner
Lodging
Alpine Motel, Cooke City
Ability Level
Advanced
Distance
56 miles
Elevation
+6,070 ft / -5,083 ft
Ride west toward Yellowstone National Park today on the Beartooth Scenic Byway through Custer-Gallatin and Shoshone National Forests. American journalist Charles Kuralt called this “…the most beautiful drive in America,” and we are not going to argue. We consider this stage both the literal and figurative high-point of the tour, topping out at almost 11,000 feet! Shoshone National Forest has virtually all the original animal and plant species that were there when white explorers such as John Colter and Jim Bridger first visited the region. The forest is home to grizzly and black bear, cougar, moose, tens of thousands of elk as well as the largest herd of bighorn sheep in the U.S. The streams in the forest are considered to have some of the best game species fishing opportunities in the U.S. including Yellowstone cutthroat trout. Spend tonight at the Alpine Motel in Cooke City, Montana.
Day 08
Return to Cody on the magnificent Chief Joseph Scenic Byway.
Meals
– Breakfast
– Lunch
Ability Level
Advanced
Distance
61 miles
Elevation
+4,806 ft / -6,320 ft
After breakfast in Cooke City, we hop back on our bikes to ride the Chief Joseph Scenic Byway back to Cody, where our journey began. Following a climb to the overlook at Dead Indian Hill, it’s time to head down: 4,800 ft of climbing is followed by 6,300 ft of terrifically fun downhill. Finish off the week with a celebratory toast! If you’re staying on for an extra night, take time to check out the Buffalo Bill Historical Center and relive some of the highlights of your adventure.
*Bicycle Adventures operates under special use permits while on Federal Lands managed by the National Forest Service (USDA), National Parks and Bureau of Land Management. In accordance with Federal law and U.S. Department of Agriculture policy, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age or disability. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) To file a complaint of discrimination: write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten Building, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20250-9410 or call (202) 720-5964 (voice and TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
