Traveling from Yellowstone to the Black Hills?
Take the Scenic Route!
The Gems In Between
When building itineraries for our trips, I have a few rules:
- Limit driving to around 4-5 hours a day. Yes. We could drive long distances in a day to get to the next National Park or major location. But then the focus is on “getting there”. The thrill of exploring the areas that we travel through is highest when we have the time to look around.
- Find the hidden gems. You know that Yellowstone will be spectacular and that Mt. Rushmore is worth a stop. The stuff in between may be just as magical, but it takes a lot of planning and research to find them.
- Take the scenic route. It will add time to your journey. The windy mountain roads will slow you down. It will also enhance your trip and sometimes give you the highlight because they you have found something unexpected.
Our Plan
Building our itinerary for Montana, Wyoming, and South Dakota, we were traveling from Cody, Wyoming to the Black Hills. We could get from Cody to Devil’s Tower in a little over 5 hours. Very doable and still give you time for sightseeing that day. I started blowing the map up to see what we might be missing. I saw Bighorn National Forest and when I blew it up a little bigger I saw Bighorn Canyon. After my research, I decided it was time to take the road less travelled.
Bighorn Canyon:
We left Cody with Lovell, Wyoming as our first destination. We had no idea what to expect, but who cares. Our first stop was Horseshoe Bend Marina. With a name like Horseshoe Bend, we thought it would be a great overlook. It really wasn’t. Just a marina. We continued up to the Devil’s Canyon Overlook. It was certainly worth a side trip. Not as spectacular as Horseshoe Bend in Page, Arizona, but it was a great view all the same.
Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Range:
This was a surprise. Never heard of this, but drove right to it on the way to Devil’s Canyon Overlook. The area was the nation’s first public wild horse range managed by the Bureau of Land Management. There are currently between 90 to 120 mustangs that roam freely. You had to hike up some of the rocks and trails to see them, but what a great surprise
Bighorn National Forest:
Now we set our GPS to go straight through Bighorn National Forest. After a few days spent in 90 degree temperatures we found ourselves with snow drifts beside the road. The drive was spectacular. We stopped at a few viewpoints and got out to take a picture in the snow. My husband couldn’t resist throwing a snowball at me in June.
Medicine Wheel:
A noteworthy stop through Bighorn National Forest is the Medicine Wheel Historic Landmark. The site contains a mysterious gathering of stones that are only visible in the summer months. The stones are arranged in a wheel shape that is 80 feet across with spokes. Learning about the spiritual and historical significance of the site to the Native American people was a highlight. You do have to hike to the site, but an easy 1.5 mile trek on an easy path.
Porcupine Falls:
I read about this on a website and just thought it would be another great hike to see a beautiful waterfall. I marked the hike in my AllTrails app and off we went. We turned off the road and took our rental car down a very long dirt road with icy patches. The roads were so rugged and filled with snow that we decided to turn around. A quick stop at a cute little lodge out in the middle of nowhere gave us the courage to try again. The owner told us about the road conditions and even gave us a map on a shortcut for leaving.
When we made it to the trail head, we found a few other hikers who told us the trip back up was challenging but it was worth the trip. It is only 0.8 mile out and back trip with an elevation gain of 360 ft. We rounded a corner and saw a nice waterfall. Little did I know that the waterfall was a few more steps ahead. It was incredible. While we were there, there was another waterfall coming through the rock because of the amount of water from snow melt. If you walk all the way to the bottom you can splash in the water. In early June we decided it was a bit too cold for a swim.
Sheridan
Next stop would be to spend the night in Sheridan. It seemed like a small Wyoming town that would be fun to explore. The historic downtown area is a great place to spend a few hours walking around and grabbing a bite to eat. We stayed at the Hampton Inn, but next time we pass through would love to spend time at the Historic Sheridan Inn.
The next morning we set our sites for the Black Hills with Devil’s Tower as a first stop. Spending time in Wyoming’s high country was a day well spent.
