A two day road trip through Wyoming: Taking a dip in Thermopolis Hot Springs, Hiking around the Devil’s Tower and Buffalo Bill Cody!
We are on a 7,000 mile Great American Road trip. You can catch up on our last post: Yellowstone National Park – Skyscraper Geysers galore, Bison and Bear spotting, plus how to experience Yellowstone with small children! here.
In this post you will find the best stops for families with small kids on the trek from Yellowstone to Mount Rushmore.
-The Author
Two Day Wyoming Road Trip
The scenic drive from Yellowstone to the Mount Rushmore in the Black Hills stops at Buffalo Bill Dam, Thermopolis Hot Springs and Devils Tower National Monument.
Driving from Yellowstone National Park East Entrance we travel the better part of Wyoming. Overnighting at Ten Sleep Brewery, then hitting the road east towards the Black Hills home of Mount Rushmore.
Buffalo Bill Cody
Buffalo Bill Cody is a hero in the development of Wyoming. He famously had a traveling show that included Native Americans showcasing their traditions, sharpshooting women and other Wild West acts. Travelling to Europe to perform for Royal Audiences and the common folk alike.
Hundreds of people were under his employment including Native Americans. The Native American’s earned the same salary as the Cowboys featured in the show.
Buffalo Bill Dam in Cody Wyoming
During his life he acquired lots of land in Wyoming. He had a vision to create an irrigation system so vast it could support significant agriculture industry in the area. After trying to dam up a river himself, he quickly realized the problem too large to solve by his own resources. So he gifted a significant portion of his land to the state to finish the project. The result is a 325 ft structure holding back a massive reservoir of water for downstream crops.
Free to the public, you can take a stop in the Buffalo Bill Dam Dam and Visitor Center. Well worth the stop for lunch and a nap.
Thermopolis Hot Springs
Similar to the Hot Springs of Yellowstone, Thermopolis, Wyoming’s central attraction is the Hot Spring. Gifted to the State by Native American’s under the premise that they should “be available to all people”. Thermopolis kept this promise and you can take a dip in the Hot Spring for free.
After getting out everyone smelled just liked the Geysers at Yellowstone. Like Sulfur. The minerals are believed to cleanse the person.
You can hike up to the source of the hot springs a little further up the hill. You can walk right up to the well spring and dip your hand into the 140 degree (Fahrenheit) water. Of course, the water is cooled before it is safe to swim in.
Ten Sleep Brewery Camping
Found on Hipcamp.com for $18/night, Ten Sleep Brewery is an awesome place to crash overnight. In addition to the most delicious beer in the area, you can get some Indian Tacos from Linda’s food truck. And, since it is a Saturday night, we were treated to a free live show by Lacy Nelson.
Devils Tower National Monument
Devils Tower is a sacred place to the Native’s that once inhabited the land surrounding it. Rich with resources, the people living in the area thrived for centuries. Devil’s Tower rises up in the distance as a mysterious tower of rock.
Formed by magma deep inside the earth, then eroded away the surrounding rivers over millions of years, the structure rises up over 800 feet. The tower is a rock climbers paradise with bouldering at it’s base and a multitude of paths to climb to the top.
Known to the Native American’s as the “Bear’s Lodge”. The Tower has many stories surrounding it.
Prairie Dogs at the Monument
Our first encounter with Prairie Dogs is at Devil’s Tower. Cute little yelping dogs, form large burrows in a vast prairie as far as the eye can see. If this were a golf course, I’d say we had a significant rodent problem. Out here, this is wildlife in it’s natural habitat.
With a road trip from through the Wyoming complete, we enter South Dakota to explore the Black Hills. Stay tuned!
