The Long Way
Hot Springs County
A paved road curves toward a tunnel carved through rocky cliffs.
Plate I. Highway tunnel along Wind River Canyon Scenic Byway. Photograph by Acroterion, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
A person fly fishing in a river.
Plate II. Fly fishing, Wind River Canyon Scenic Byway. From visitthermopolis.com
An aerial view of several small cabins situated along a river near mountains.
Plate III. Campground along Wind River Canyon Scenic Byway. From windriver.org
Two people stand in a shallow river with mountains and forests in the background.
Plate IV. Anglers wading along Wind River Canyon Scenic Byway. From windriver.org
A river flows past large rocks beneath green hills and mountains.
Plate V. River view along Wind River Canyon Scenic Byway. From visitthermopolis.com
A river flows through a deep canyon with rocky cliffs and tunnels.
Plate VI. Tunnels along the Wind River Canyon Scenic Byway. From windriver.org
A wet highway winding through a mountainous landscape.
Plate VII. Wind River Canyon Scenic Byway. From visitthermopolis.com
A river flows through a dry valley beneath steep mountains.
Plate VIII. Wind River Canyon Scenic Byway. From visitthermopolis.com
An aerial landscape shows a winding river, railroad tracks, and arid mountains under a blue sky.
Plate IX. Looking down the canyon towards Boysen Reservoir. Photo: Wind River Country. From windriver.org

Wind River Canyon Scenic Byway

Thermopolis, Hot Springs County, Wyoming. Wyoming State Scenic Byway.

Details

Map. Thermopolis, Hot Springs County, Wyoming. Larger map
Where
Highway US-20, South of, Thermopolis, WY. Directions
Season
Driveable year-round; canyon road is open.
Getting there
Begins in the town of Shoshoni and follows U.S. 20 north through Wind River Canyon and the Wind River Indian Reservation, ending just south of Thermopolis.
Fees
Free to drive.
Access
The river in the canyon is on the Wind River Indian Reservation; additional licenses are needed to fish. Guided fishing, float and white water trips from area outfitters.

A Geologic Masterpiece. The Wind River Canyon Scenic Byway begins in the town of Shoshoni and follows U.S. 20 north through Wind River Canyon and the Wind River Indian Reservation ending just south of Thermopolis.

Notable Events

  1. 1825William Ashley, "general" of the fur trade, floated a valuable cargo of pelts through the Canyon in 1825 on his way back to St. Louis. hmdb.org
  2. 1924Building the Yellowstone Highway through Wind River Canyon in 1924 cost $1 million, the most expensive American road project ever. cowboystatedaily.com
  3. 1925In 1925, the railroad built a platform at the Dornick train station for its passengers, which looked onto Chimney Rock. cowboystatedaily.com
  4. 1926Queen Marie's stopover at the Dornick platform made her the first European royal to ever set foot in the canyon. cowboystatedaily.com
  5. 1947At the time the bar was built in 1947, gambling was not legal in Wyoming. cowboystatedaily.com
  6. 2007Designated a Wyoming State Scenic Byway. web.archive.org

People

  • Queen Marie of Romania, First European royal to set foot in the canyon, at the Dornick platform (1926).
  • William Ashley, "General" of the fur trade who floated a cargo of pelts through the canyon (1825).

Sources

  1. travelwyoming.com/places-to-go/destinations/scenic-byways
  2. windriver.org/experience/driving-tours/wind-river-canyon
  3. scenicbyways.info/byway/2340.html
  4. visitthermopolis.com/things-to-do/landmark/wind-river-canyon
  5. commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Wind_River_Canyon_tunnel_WY1.jpg
  6. hmdb.org/m.asp?m=70611
  7. hmdb.org/m.asp?m=88141
  8. cowboystatedaily.com/2024/05/26/100-years-of-yellowstone-highway-through-breathtaking-wind-river-canyon
  9. web.archive.org/web/20111230070420/http://byways.org/explore/byways/2340/designation.html