Cody
Cody is an old Western town with a lot of history.
The town named after William F. “Buffalo Bill” Cody is only 84 kilometers from the eastern entrance to Yellowstone National Park. It is at the base of the Absaroka Mountains. In the 1870s, the brave Western showman passed through this area. He loved it so much that he came back 20 years later to build a town in the rough Rocky Mountains, which you can now explore. Other popular Western U.S. spots, like Mount Rushmore National Memorial in South Dakota and Salt Lake City, Utah, are only an hour’s drive from Cody.
Going to Cody’s Historic Sites
Today, the town that calls itself the “Rodeo Capital of the World” is a reminder of everything pioneer. It is a proud community that honors its past and loves being a gateway to Yellowstone. Head to the Irma Hotel downtown, which Buffalo Bill himself built. Watch The Wild Bunch act out a shootout in front of the hotel in the summer, which is Cody’s favorite time of year. You can see the Buffalo Bill Reservoir, pioneer homes, and the historic area on a Cody Trolley Tour. Just off the Yellowstone Highway, you can take a walk through Old Trail Town, which has 25 restored historic houses. The buildings, furniture, and objects you see are real. Heart Mountain Interpretive Center is a place where Japanese Americans were held during World War II. It tells you about a different part of local history.
Everything about the Wild West
Five museums tell the story of the Wild West at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West. These are the Draper Natural History Museum, the Cody Firearms Museum, the Whitney Western Art Museum, the Buffalo Bill Museum, and the Plains Indian Museum, which holds a traditional powwow every June. Visit shops like Simpson Gallagher Gallery and Big Horn shops to see art by both local and well-known Western artists. After a meal in town, go to Dan Miller’s Cowboy Music Revue for some laughs. The Empty Saddles Band plays bluegrass, comedy, and cowboy poems. There is a classic Western show put on by the Cody Cattle Company that ends with a chuckwagon dinner. People who go can then go to the nightly rodeo. There is no better rodeo scene in Cody than at the Cody Stampede Rodeo, which has been going on since 1919 and is one of the biggest professional rodeos in the United States. The Cody Nite Rodeo is an amateur series that runs all summer.
Lots of outdoor activities
If you want a rougher trip, you can stay in a cabin on one of the 13 guest dude ranches close by and hike in Shoshone National Forest. Rent a rod and reel and throw a line for trout. There are over 2,400 kilometers of streams full of them. Hire a guide to take you on a horseback trail ride or a river float trip through beautiful areas. Want a big thrill? The Sleeping Giant Zip Line lets you fly through the trees. On the Kirwin Ghost Town Tour, you can see an old mountain mine town that was abandoned in the 1880s and destroyed by a snowstorm in 1907. You can see more of the scenery around Cody by taking one of five scenic byway loops. You can choose between South Fork, East Yellowstone, Bighorn Mountain, Bighorn Basin, and Bighorn.