Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Wapiti Valley
Deemed the 'most scenic 52 miles in the United States' by Teddy Roosevelt,
Buffalo Bill
Scenic Byway
(US 14/16/20) traces Wapiti Valley and the North Fork of the Shoshone
River from Cody to the East Entrance of Yellowstone National Park. You will find your-
self twisting to gape at the volcanic Absaroka Range, a rugged canyon of eroded badlands
that gradually gives way to alpine splendor.
The name Wapiti Valley translates as 'pale white rump' from Algonquin Indian. Rather
than being a jab at homesteaders' wives, the term distinguishes the lighter-colored elk, or
wapiti, from darker-colored moose. The North Absaroka Wilderness Area sits to the north
and the Washakie Wilderness Area (named after a revered Shoshone warrior and peace-
maker) to the south. This vast wilderness is home to grizzlies, black bears, deer, elk,
moose, bighorn sheep and a few bison. The extensive network of trails, easy access to
Yellowstone National Park's lake region and a selection of the region's best dude ranches
make the valley an excellent wild route into or out of the park.
Six miles west of Cody, US 14/16/20 emerges from the dramatic
Shoshone Canyon
and tunnel to views of the
Buffalo Bill Reservoir
. Past the settlement of Wapiti, Wyom-
ing's high-desert landscape and open ranchland closes in as the road enters Shoshone Na-
tional Forest and becomes Buffalo Bill Cody Scenic Hwy. The information station at the
Wapiti Ranger Station
( 307-587-3925)
has a 3D map of the region, as well as in-
formation on grizzly sightings. The national forest here was the USA's first and the nearby
1903 ranger station is its oldest.
From here on, the Wapiti Valley is lined with eerie buttes and hoodoos with over-
imaginative names, such as the Four Bobsledders and Holy City. National Forest camp-
grounds, trailheads and guest ranches crop up every few miles as the scenery becomes in-
creasingly rugged.
Two miles before the east entrance to Yellowstone is the gas station, store, restaurant
and corrals of
Pahaska Tepee
resort, a good place to refuel. Staff lead free tours of the
original lodge, built by Buffalo Bill in 1904 as a hunting lodge, and there are local trail
rides (two hours, $50). Pahaska was Bill's Indian name and means 'Longhair' in the Sioux
language, a reference to Cody's long white hair and extravagant goatee.
