Buffalo, WY – We stayed at the Buffalo, Wyoming KOA for exploring and hiking in the Bighorn Mountains. Buffalo is ideally located for the southern hikes, but Sheridan, WY would make more sense for northern hikes. We used the book, Hiking Wyoming’s Cloud Peak Wilderness by Erik Molvar for choosing hikes, and the maps Bighorn National Forest and Cloud Peak Wilderness National Geographic Trails Illustrated Map to find trailheads so we didn’t get lost. We also plan to add Ken Keffer’s “Hiking Wyoming’s Bighorn Mountains: A Guide to the Area’s Greatest Hiking Adventures (Regional Hiking Series)” book for our next trip. The Bighorn Mountains have ample recreational opportunities including hiking, backpacking, OHV trails, and dispersed RV camping. This was our first trip to this region and we are looking forward to returning.
Northern Bighorn Mountain Hikes
Burgess Junction Visitor Center
Karla and I love stopping at National Park and National Forest visitor centers and checking out the exhibits. Many centers also offer short interpretive walking trails with signs pointing out local flora. The Burgess Junction Visitor Center makes for a great introduction into the Bighorn Mountains area, with exhibits on the geology, anthropology and biology of the region. A short but scenic 0.4 mile interpretive trail affords stunning views of the surrounding Bighorn Mountains.
The Twin Buttes viewed from the Burgess Junction Visitor Center’s Interpretive Trail
Porcupine Falls Trail
Located off of Highway 14A on Forest Service Road 14, this moderately strenuous trail goes straight down a mountain for about 0.5 mile to a stunning view of a 200 foot waterfall. Of course what goes down must come up, in this case 500 feet of elevation gain in half a mile. In the mid-day sun this was a bit grueling, but patches of shade cast by towering lodgepole pine proved welcome. Highly recommended.
A view along Porcupine Falls Trail
Mike climbs one of the sections of wood steps
Porcupine Falls are worth the hike
Medicine Wheel
The Medicine Wheel is located off of Highway 14A on Forest Road 12. An easy 3 mile round trip hike leads to a prehistoric site known as a medicine wheel. This formation was built by Native Americans between 300 and 700 years ago, and it’s original purpose is not entirely clear. The best theory is that a ceremonial dance called a Sun Dance was held here, undertaken by young braves to honor the sun and fulfill vows made in battle. The site is considered sacred by many Plains tribes, and ceremonies are still held here. To that end, please be respectful and follow the rules listed: lower your voice, leave nothing and take nothing, do not leave the trail, and walk in a clockwise manner around the wheel. On the day we visited, I observed a man violate two of the rules by leaving the trail to get a better view of a distant mountain and then walking counter clockwise around the wheel. Really? The rules are not hard to follow.
The trail to the Medicine Wheel is an unpaved road
View of the surrounding region from Medicine Wheel Trail
The Medicine Wheel
Another view of the Medicine Wheel
Southern Bighorn Hikes
Tensleep Falls
Located off of Highway 16 at the end of Forest Road 27. An easy 2 mile round trip hike to the base of a small waterfall. The draw here is not the waterfall, but rather the emerald green pool the waterfall empties into. Stunning. Be prepared to share this sight with many of your fellow hikers as this is a busy stop.
The trail parallels the creek
Upper Tensleep Falls
Lower Tensleep Falls
A view along Tensleep Falls Trail
The Sherd Lake Loop
Located off of Highway 16 at the end of Forest Road 20. A strenuous 9.4 mile loop with significant elevation gain that visits 7 high elevation lakes, with striking views of granite peaks in all directions, most of which were still covered by snow in early August. This hike was harder (at least for us) than the stats appear: 9.4 miles and 1700 ft of elevation change is certainly not a walk in the park, but it really took a toll on us and we were dragging by the time we returned to our vehicle. I think it was the constant rockiness of the trail that wore us down, having to step up, over and down large rocks all day long. But worth the effort I say, and once beyond the first lake (Sherd), traffic dwindled to almost none.
The Sherd Lake Trail has many rocky sections
Sherd Lake
Granite peaks are visible along the trail
A lake along the trail
The hike is mainly within the Cloud Peak Wilderness area, which restricts travel to exactly two methods: foot or horse. It’s nice not having to be on the lookout for mountain bikers, and even nicer to not have the pristine wilderness ruined by motorcycles and ATVs. Access to any wilderness area requires a free permit, which are available at this trailhead.
