Tom Bradshaw captures the beauty of the valley of the South Fork of the Shoshone River. You can see Tom's work at his online Gallery
The past is always present in Cody Wyoming. This part of Wyoming represents the last of the true West. Cody is what America was; a place cowboy culture survives the retro heartbeat of the west. The high plains to mountains vista is spectacular, the land is wild, the people are genuinely friendly and the opportunities for outdoor adventure, recreation, education, and entertainment are as large and varied as the Wyoming skies.
Cody has a well-developed hospitality industry with varied lodging opportunities, fine dining, world-class museums and western activities. It is the only Yellowstone gateway community with two entrances to Yellowstone National Park, and Cody is the hub for several loop tour drives that access five different Scenic Byways.
If you’re searching for the real American West, look no further than Cody, Wyoming. Founded in 1896 by that most authentic representative of the Old West, Col. William F. “Buffalo Bill” Cody, this community of old and new reflects the vision of its founder.
Wyoming Ranch on the South Fork of the Shoshone River below the Absaroka Mountains
Buffalo Bill lived up to the romantic idea of the brave, daring frontiersman. Through his personal exploits and his Wild West Show he became the world’s most famous American. It is Buffalo Bill Cody's name that represents the essence of the Old West, and has provided a draw to this small western town where real cowboys still herd cattle.
A testament to the legacy of Buffalo Bill Cody are the museums that sprouted in Cody with Buffalo Bill as the inspiration. These museums include The Buffalo Bill Museum examines both the personal and public lives of W.F. "Buffalo Bill" Cody, and seeks to interpret his story in the context of the history and myth of the American West. The Whitney Gallery of Western Art presents an outstanding collection of masterworks of the American West. Original paintings, sculptures, and prints trace artistic interpretations of the West from the early 19th century to today. The Plains Indian Museum features one of the country's largest and finest collections of Plains Indian art and artifacts. Expore the cultural histories, artistry and living traditions of Plains Indian peoples, including the Arapaho, Crow, Cheyenne, Kiowa, Comanche, Blackfeet, Sioux, Gros Ventre, Shoshone and Pawnee. The Cody Firearms Museum contains the world's most comprehensive assemblage of American arms, as well as European arms dating to the 16th century. The Draper Museum of Natural History integrates the humanities with natural sciences to interpret the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem and adjacent intermountain basins. The Harold McCracken Research Library advances the understanding, appreciation, and study of the American West.
The Buffalo Bill Scenic Byway goes from Cody to Yellowstone Park, the Wapati Valley is a very scenic section of it.
Cody isand 52 miles east of the Yellowstone National Park's East Entrance, the world’s first national park, and it is about 20 miles east of the Shoshone National Forest, wich is our country’s first national forest. Nestled at the base of the Rocky Mountains, Cody blends spectacularly and unspoiled scenery with outstanding attractions, extensive outdoor recreation, a variety of lodging facilities and restaurants, unique shopping and a bustling business community.
Panoramic views and a plethora of wildlife create some of the most extraordinary scenic drives on earth. The Wapiti Valley, on the Cody road to Yellowstone, the South Fork of the Shoshone and the Sunlight Basin are all home to elk, grizzly and black bears, bighorn sheep, mule deer, moose, bald eagles and a host of other wildlife and birds.
Fly-fishing on the Clarks Fork, South Fork of the Shoshone and the North Fork is a popular activity in Cody Country.
Cody, Wyoming, is home to thousands of lonely trout. The key word for fly-fishing in Cody is solitude. Usually, when we fish around Cody you are pretty much alone. You will not have to fight the crowds as you will in Jackson Hole, Bozeman, West Yellowstone, or many other famous fly-fishing destinations. The lack of fishing pressure does a few things. First, our water doesn't have cynical over educated fish as you might find on the Madison or a popular spring creek, second, there are many high quality fish. It was once said, "famous rivers are there for a reason, to keep people away from the really good ones." In Cody, the fishermen have found this statement to be true. -------------------> More about fishing Cody's rivers and lakes.
Elk hunting is popular outside Cody Wyoming and offers some of the highest bull to cow ratios. It is one of the few places in the country where you can hunt elk with a rifle right in the midst of the rut during the peak of the bugling season. Year after year, trophy bulls meet or exceed the expectations of the most seasoned hunter!
Cody has many lakes, and rivers
and moose find these to their liking. While many prefer river bottoms, moose may also be found at 9,000 feet or higher near a mountain lake.
If you are looking for a trophy buck now is the time and Cody is the place.
A trophy mule buck will weigh more than 200 pounds and can get as large as 300 pounds. Behold the sight of 300 to 500 antelopes per day during hunting season, with many bucks over 15 inches! Hunting antelope is exciting and challenging.
A typical trophy buck will grow horns of at least 14 inches and makes one of the most beautiful mounts of Wyoming's big game trophies.
For hunting quality big horn sheep, Wyoming offers the best.
Sheep hunting can be one of the most physically demanding hunts of all the North American species. Hunters, therefore, get the most out of their big horn hunting by being in their best physical condition. --------------------> More about hunting Cody Wyoming
Wildlife abounds in Cody Country, This Bighorn was found in the North Fork Valley not far from the Yellowstone enterance.
Cody’s whitewater enthusiasts enjoy the Shoshone River the main eastern drainage of Yellowstone National Park. It reads like a flowing history book with almost as many scenic vistas as the colorful people and cultures who explored it. This river was used as a trade route during the fur-trading era for the mountain men and Native Americans who entered the "Yellow Rock" country in pursuit of its abundance of wildlife. This pursuit of adventure continues today.
More than history and the feel of the Old West are present in modern day Cody, Wyoming. Because it’s a tourist destination, Cody has a number of fine restaurants, superb shopping, western design furniture manufacturers and other western artisans, an array of art galleries and a business friendly climate.
Cody's Irma Hotel is listed on the National Register of Historic Places by the National Park Service, in recognition of its contribution to the cultural foundations of America. Certain exterior walls are made of river rock and locally quarried sandstone from Beck Lake just south of town. The fireplace is an assemblage of rock, ores, minerals, and fossils from the Big Horn Basin. The Irma Hotel is a living museum of the Old West. Buffalo Bill Cody the city’s founder and namesake built and named the hotel for his daughter Irma. You step back into the old West at the Irma Hotel where you'll capture the romance of an era when Cowboys came in from the surrounding ranches and tied their horses to the rail of the hotel. The original part of the hotel was built for Buffalo Bill in 1902. The northwest addition was constructed in 1929, and the southwest addition was added in 1976-1977.
North Fork of the Shoshone River outside of Cody Wyoming.
South Fork of the Shoshone River outside of Cody Wyoming.
The juxtaposition between the reds and the greens in Cody Country in spring and early summer is a stunning treat for the eyes.
Metaphorical gateway to Yellowstone
Cody Wyoming is one of the best places anywhere for ice climbing
The historic bar that the Queen of England gave to Buffalo Bill in 1902. Buffalo Bill later built the Irma Hotel so he would have a place to put thim magnificiant piece of woodwork. The Irma Hotel is a wonderful place to stay while visiting hostoric Cody Wyoming.
Greater Yellowstone News
Yellowstone in Recovery
In June 2022, unprecedented amounts of rainfall caused substantial flooding, rockslides, and mudslides within Yellowstone National Park. Historic water levels caused severe damage to roads, water and wastewater systems, power lines, and other critical park infrastructure. ......... All you need to know
Backpacking The Thorofare in Yellowstone – The Most Remote Place in the US Lower 48 ~
The logistics of planning a backpacking trip in Yellowstone are a bit tricky but manageable. The biggest challenge is the lack of commercial airline service in Wyoming. Cody, West Yellowstone, and Jackson Hole airports are all extremely expensive, offer few options, and almost always require a connection. Rental car availability and price can also be a challenge in those markets. I have opted for Salt Lake City for all my Yellowstone trips as the logistics, aside from a long drive, are easier to manage at a fraction of the price. ........ Rest of the story
Fire is good;
Yellowstone has long been shaped by fire and not just the cool, creeping ground fires often described as "good" for grass production. The natural history of fire in the park includes large-scale conflagrations sweeping across the park's vast volcanic plateaus. Most Americans steeped in Smokey the Bear's "Only you can prevent forest fires!" mantra, the very thought that forest fires might have a positive side seemed preposterous. We all learned this as children and it is damned hard to change, as our indoctrination to this policy was total. ...... Learn More
A forest reborn
The Greater Yellowstone Bald Eagle:
Bald Eagles are again a common site along the rivers and lakes of the Greater Yellowstone Region, and they always bring a thrill to Yellowstone visitors when they set their eyes on one of these magnificent birds. The thrill of seeing our national bird soar above never fails to awe a spectator........ read more
Is social media ruining our nature excursions?
Social media, the curse and blessing of the twenty-first century. A focus on the evolution of the problem inflicted on nature, ways of to mitigate how it affects our beautiful places, our wildlife, our experience. Dichotomies and conundrums to ponder. Since the advent of the digital photography and its ease of use and economy after initial investment, America and the world have hit the road and the road comes back to us on our social media. .................... rest of article Addendum, this is getting worse than ever.
Click on photo to purchace
Study: More elk killed by cougars than by wolves in Idaho:More elk are being killed by cougars than by wolves in Idaho, a study by the state Department of Fish and Game has found.The study found that wolves accounted for 32% of adult female elk deaths and 28% of elk calf deaths, while cougars accounted for 35% of adult female elk deaths and 45% of elk calf deaths. The study also found ............ rest of story
Return of the Yellowstone cutthroat trout by Kelsey Dayton
The water in Atlantic Creek in the remote Thorofare region of Yellowstone National Park was clear. So clear that Dave Sweet could see the fish before he even cast. They were everywhere: dozens of beautiful trout with distinctive red slashes under their jaws. Sweet had journeyed for two days on horseback to the major spawning tributaries of Yellowstone Lake for those fish. Over the next few days he and his daughter would see thousands of Yellowstone cutthroat trout and catch some as long as 25 inches. But just as exciting were the younger, smaller fish. They, Sweet realized, mark a turning point in a battle to save a species..................... Rest Of Story
Huge Yellowstone Cutthroat trout
The Resort Town Curse by Daryl L. Hunter
In 1962 as a child my family went through Carmel California, and after my exclaimation how beautiful the place was, my mother explained to me that it was against the law to cut down a tree in the town and it was so beautiful. I wondered why every town didn't do that. A few years later my hometown, San Luis Obispo, did enact all kinds of restricted zoning like Carmel's as a part of an urban renewal plan, and now I couldn't afford to move back there if I wanted to. This town is now populated with what they call "Grey Gold", rich retired people that ran up the property values so high that native born could no longer afford to live there. I have lived in many resort towns since, and I have noticed a trend. I am attracted to them when they are still little, quaint and undiscovered, but it usually isn't long before word spreads about the next great place. .............. Rest of story
A Protective Firewall For Grizzlies By Daryl L. Hunter
The delisting of the Yellowstone Grizzly Bear is imminent and this we should celebrate (''''dancing''''). Now that our happy dance is complete, we must ensure the grizzlies' recovery is permanent. To ensure "continuity of achievement," the grizzlies need a firewall to protect the success of this achievement from human foible.
The Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee was formed in 1983 to help ensure recovery of viable grizzly bear populations and their habitat in the lower 48 states through interagency coordination of policy, planning, management, and research. Many people have been working on this recovery for decades, for some; it has been most of their career. I can understand why the delisting of the grizzly before their retirement is their goal. A metaphorical gold watch if you will.
Many will argue differently,................. Rest of Article
Grizzly 399 and her quadruplets doing their part in Grizzly Recovery in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.
The Grand Teton Photo and Field Guide is an encapsulation of the flora, fauna, and photography of Jackson Hole Wyoming and Grand Teton National Park. Also included are thumbnails of the history and geology of the valley. This book is for all visitors with a desire to seek out wildlife, photograph the landscape, or merely learn about the history, geology, and lay of the land of Grand Teton National Park. The author provides general overviews including hot links with more in-depth descriptions of subjects of individual interest.
In the “Lay of the Land” section, includes the obvious highlights along the loop through Grand Teton Park. Hot links to side roads will give you more in-depth description of side roads and feeder roads and their highlights. Also included are descriptions of all two-rut roads that are legal to travel on in Grand Teton Park. GPS links to Google Maps are provided throughout.
As a field guide, profiles of most of animals and birds in the area are described. Jackson Hole is full of wildlife but there are places where animals are, and there are places where they are not. It is a waste of time to scrutinize a landscape devoid of what you are looking for, so this guide narrows options down to the hot spots. I provide maps of the likeliest places to find the popular critters of Grand Teton National Park. I also touch on trees, shrubs, and wildflowers with minimal explanations.
Huge Bull Moose, dwarfed by the giant peaks of hte Grand Tetons.
Click on photo to see larger or purchase
The grandeur of Grand Teton Park has made it one of the most photographed places in the world. The opportunity to harness multiple juxtapositional elements has drawn photographers for over a century since William Henry Jackson took the first photos here in 1878. Grand Teton Park’s plethora of famous vistas are profiled as well as many which are less clichéd that can bring new perspectives of a well-documented landscape. Grand Tetons’ iconic landscape photo opportunities are described in detail; however, they barely scratch the surface of opportunities as it takes a photographer with an artist’s eye to unveil as they follow their own intuition and vision. The author who shies away from clichéd landscapes provides a chapter of his favorite places that aren’t landscape clichés.
In the photography section the author includes chapters on composition, exposure basics, when to shoot and why. Daryl has summarized what he teaches in his, half day, Grand Teton workshops in a simple concise way.
If you are only in Grand Teton Park for a day there is a chapter called the “Portfolio Packer Morning Trip,” that does just that, all the icons and several favorite places in a five our blitz. But it is better to spend more time and dig deep into the embarrassment of riches of Grand Teton National Park................. More Info
