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Bed & Breakfast Inns and Ranches of Wyoming |
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Red, White, and Blue |
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Circle most of Wyoming as
you explore the cultural clash between the Native Americans, white settlers,
and the US Army during the westward expansion of the mid-1800's.
Highlights include the Plains Indian Museum at the world-class Buffalo Bill
Historic Center, the National Historic Trails Interpretive Center, and two
major Army forts. The suggested itinerary has you on the road no more than four hours each day, leaving you time to explore each of the sites. |
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Day 1: Fort Bridger to Pinedale Fort Bridger, now a major historic site and museum, was built by Jim Bridger as a supply point for passing emigrants. The fort was captured/purchased by the Mormons in 1853, burned by them in 1857, and rebuilt by the Army in 1858. Pinedale’s Museum of the Mountain Man features exhibits on the fur trade, western exploration, Plains Indians, and the early settlement history of western Wyoming. |
Fort
Bridger State Historic Site 307.732.3842
Museum of
the Mountain Man |
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Day 2: Pinedale to Thermopolis As you swing down around the southern edge of the majestic Wind River Range, you might want to stop at historic South Pass - gateway to the West for the Oregon, Mormon, and California Trails. Stop at Fort Washakie on the Wind River Indian Reservation, and if time permits, stay for a pow-wow before continuing on to Thermopolis. When famous Shoshone Chief Washakie sold the Big Springs of Thermopolis to the government in 1896, he stipulated that some part of the springs' water must always remain free for the use of all people. His canny demands resulted in the establishment of Wyoming's first state park. |
Fort Washakie
Wind River Heritage Center
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Day 3: Thermopolis to Cody Cody is home to the world-class Buffalo Bill Historic Center. It takes at least two days to fully explore the Center’s five museums, but you can tour the Plains Indian Museum in an afternoon. Be sure to visit the wonderful Seasons of Life Gallery. |
Buffalo Bill Historic Center 307.587.4771 |
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Day 4: Cody to Sheridan The highlight of today’s drive across the Big Horn Basin and the Big Horn Mountains is a stop at the ancient Medicine Wheel 27 miles east of Lovell off US Hwy 14A. Revered by the Native Americans as a spirit place, this pre-historic site was old when the Shoshone came to the area in the early 1500's. |
Medicine Wheel Passage | ||
Day 5: Little Bighorn day trip Your day trip from Sheridan to the Battle of Little Bighorn site and museum will bring to life the tragedy and triumphs of this watershed event of American history. |
Battle of Little Bighorn
Custer Battlefield Museum |
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Day 6: Sheridan to Buffalo Explore sites and events that preceded the Battle of Little Bighorn: Fort Phil Kearny, Wagon Box Fight, and the Fetterman Massacre. End the day at the Jim Gatchell Museum of the West which features dioramas and detailed explanations of the sites you’ve seen. |
Fort Phil
Kearny & related sites 307.684.7629
Jim Gatchell Museum |
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Day 7: Buffalo to Casper In Casper, explore the stories of the white expansion at the National Historic Trails Interpretive Center and at Fort Caspar’s reconstructed buildings and museum. An authentic Conestoga wagon ride can be arranged through Historic Trails West 307.266.4868. |
National Historic
Trails Interpretive Center
Fort Caspar |
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Day 8: Casper to Douglas Fort Fetterman, northwest of Douglas, served as the last U.S. bastion facing Lakota country after the Bozeman Trail forts were abandoned in 1868. The Wyoming Pioneer Museum in Douglas will help you understand the lives and experiences of Native Americans, soldiers, and settlers. |
Fort
Fetterman 307.358.2864 Wyoming
Pioneer Museum |
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Day 9: Douglas to Fort Laramie Wyoming's earliest settlement, Fort Laramie was built in 1834. It became an important Indian trading center and played a key role in the transporting of furs to the east and people to the west. During the California gold rush, more than 50,000 westbound emigrants passed by each summer, triggering conflict with Wyoming's native peoples. The Army purchased the fort in 1849, expanded it dramatically, and garrisoned it with soldiers. For the next 40 years it was at the heart of the Army's efforts to control the Indians. Today, Fort Laramie is a must see, especially in the summer when a living history program brings it back to life. If time permits, you might also want to visit the many Oregon Trail sites near Guernsey. |
Fort Laramie 307.837.2221 |
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