Approximately 31,000 people live in Sheridan. Many of them have stunning views of the Bighorn Mountains from their property. Jack Dow laid out the city and named it after General Philip Sheridan, a Union cavalry leader in the American Civil War. While visiting this city, stop at Whitney Commons Park to see a reconstructed cabin from an early settler. There are 46 buildings in the downtown area on the National Registry of Historic Places, and many of these businesses are filled with unique shopping experiences.
While downtown, consider some of the restaurants. Cowboy Restaurant is a fantastic place to start your day with eggs, bacon, biscuits, and gravy. At lunchtime, head to El Tapatio Dos for fajitas, burritos or enchiladas. End the day at Rib & Chop House dining on steaks, seafood or baby-back ribs.
Organizers held the first rodeo in Sheridan in about 1900. At the first rodeos, organizers included a horse race with the winner taking home a bride. Event planners held the first WYO Sheridan Rodeo in 1931. This week-long event still occurs in mid-July annually. The community hosts a parade, pancake breakfast, dances and other events, along with many rodeos.
There are many museums in Sheridan that you will want to visit. See the head of a massive T-Rex dinosaur named Sue by touring the T-Rex Natural History Museum. Understand more about the Old West and the Plains Indians by touring the Museum of the Bighorns, King’s Museum and the Briton Museum. The Hans Kleiber Studio Museum is an excellent place to see Bighorn-inspired art.
Campgrounds Near Sheridan, Wyoming
Most sites at Sheridan Big Horn Mountains KOA Journey have water and electrical hookups while a few also offer sewer hookups. Wi-Fi is available at each site. Some sites are up to 147 feet long. You can fish in Goose Creek without leaving this campground, and a seasonal swimming pool is available. This campground is open from April 1 through October 31.
All Peter D’s RV Park sites are 60 feet long and offer pull-through convenience. Each site comes with free Wi-Fi and complimentary cable television. There are four acres available to use as a pet run. This family-owned campground, operated by Pete and his wife, Barbara, has a spacious laundry and bathhouse.
Lazy R Campground offers an on-site coffee shop and bakery. This campground in Ranchester, Wyoming, offers concrete pads, and each site is pull-through. Each site at this campground that never closes also has free Wi-Fi. Historic Connor Battlefield State Park is within walking distance.
National Parks near Sheridan, Wyoming
Wind Cave National Park is about 230 miles southeast of Sheridan. According to Lakota Native American lore, the first buffalo and humans emerged on earth from this cave’s natural entrance. Often, when you stand in the right place, you can hear a unique humming sound, so you will want to try it. After touring the cave, consider hiking on some of this park’s 30 miles of trails. Bring your camera as you will want to capture the varied forest and prairie landscape. Do not be surprised if a bison or a prairie dog wanders into your photo. Elk Mountain Campground is a fantastic place to go birdwatching. This campground has 48 RV-friendly sites with full hookups during the warmer months.
Grand Teton National Park is a beautiful destination where you can see eight peaks that are over 12,000 feet tall. It is about 320 miles southwest of Sheridan. Many climbers head to this location to try to summit Grand Teton, as it is the tallest peak in the park, but if you are a beginner, there are many easier choices. This park has six mountain lakes that are excellent places for a paddling or fishing adventure. Part of the Snake River runs through this park, and it is a terrific place for a rafting adventure. There are numerous campgrounds spread across this park, including Colter Bay Campground, which has over 300 sites, and Gras Ventre Campground, which has over 250 sites.
Theodore Roosevelt National Park is about 320 miles northeast of Sheridan. Federal officials have divided this park into three units. The Elkhorn Ranch Unit is where President Roosevelt lived from when his wife died until his death, and it is the least developed. There are beautiful scenic drives across the north and south units, where you may see horses, longhorn cattle, mule deer, bison, white-tailed deer and elk. One of the reasons that you will want to camp at this national park is to attend the evening programs hosted by park rangers in the Cottonwood Campground Amphitheater. Another reason is to see the dark skies filled with stars and planets. Consider timing your visit to coincide with the Dakota Nights Astronomy Festival, held annually in mid-September.
State Parks Near Sheridan, Wyoming
Boysen State Park is on the edge of the Wind River Canyon. The reservoir is a fantastic place to go fishing for walleye, sauger, perch, crappie, largemouth bass, bluegill, stonecat, black bullhead, mountain whitefish, carp, flathead, lake and creek chubs and golden and sand shiners. The looped Wind River Canyon Scenic Byway starts at this location and is a terrific place for a scenic drive. Seasonally, hunting is allowed. There are two campgrounds. Lower Wind River Campground is in the northeast part of the park while Upper Wind River Campground is in the northwest part.
Keyhole State Park is on the western edge of the Black Hills. There are 10 campgrounds at this state park, which covers 15,890 acres. The 14,000-acre reservoir is a terrific place for fishing, boating, swimming, canoeing and kayaking. Anglers especially often catch trout a short distance downstream from Yellowtail Dam.
An impoundment of the Shoshone River forms Buffalo Bill Reservoir in Buffalo Bill State Park. Numerous boat ramps make it easy to access the 9,000-acre reservoir. Many visitors love to come here to go off-roading. As you explore this park, you may see deer, antelope, elk, moose, coyotes, bears, bighorn sheep and prairie dogs. Some type of hunting is available year-round at this location. This park has three campgrounds, with Lake Shore ideally positioned for boaters. There is a large irrigated field at North Fork Campground, and it often provides some of the best wildlife viewing. Trout Creek Group Camping Area is ideally situated for group get-togethers as there is a large picnic pavilion.
National Sites Near Sheridan, Wyoming
Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument portrays what happened at this location on June 25 and 26, 1876, when troops, including George A. Custer, died at the hands of several thousand Lakota, Cheyenne and Arapaho warriors who were trying to defend their way of life. Start your visit by seeing the large memorial near the visitors center before driving along Tour Road, where you will find pullovers with interpretive signage. A cellphone audio tour will help you learn more about the deadly event. Throughout the summer months, local Native American tribes give public tours.
Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area - Bighorn Lake is a fantastic place for fishing and paddling fun because of the breathtaking vertical walls surrounding it. You can also go trout fishing on the Bighorn River at this location. There are over 27 miles of hiking trails. Take time to explore the three historic ranches. The largest herd of wild horses in the United States lives at this location. There are eight campgrounds in addition to many opportunities to boondock.
Devils Tower National Monument - The thousands of crags on Devils Tower National Monument make this an immensely popular climbing location. Many Northern Plains Native Americans consider this location sacred, and throughout June so that they can host ceremonies at this location. Climbing routes may also be closed during spring and summer to protect nesting falcons. You can see great tower views from many of this monument’s hiking trails. This park’s remote location lends itself to stargazing. You can often find top views from Joyner Ridge Parking Lot and Circle of Sacred Smoke Sculpture and Picnic Area. Park rangers often host nighttime viewing parties.
National Forests Near Sheridan, Wyoming
While it can be a long drive from Sheridan, Coconino National Forest is a terrific camping destination. Clear Creek and Manzanita campgrounds are open year-round, but many other choices exist. This national forest covering more than 1.8 million acres is an excellent place to go hiking, paddling, fishing and swimming.
Bighorn National Forest contains over 1,200 miles of trails for hiking, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, off-roading and other activities. Located a short distance from Sheridan, Sibley Lake is a fantastic place to go trout fishing. There is a 24-unit campground on the lake’s shores. Dead Swede Picnic Ground is a fabulous location for a picnic, and it is very near Dead Swede Campground, which has 20 sites open during the summer. Annually, the picnic ground is the starting and ending point for a 100-mile bike race through the Bighorn Mountains in early June. Shorter races and tours are also available during the Dead Swede, which draws participants from across the U.S. and beyond.
Custer National Forest contains numerous campgrounds and lots of dispersed camping locations. Bangtail Divide Trail is a terrific place to start a mountain-biking adventure. Hebgen Lake, near the west entrance to Yellowstone National Park, offers anglers an opportunity to paddle and fish in a stillwater lake created by an earthquake in 1959. Prime climbing locations fill this national forest. If you want a unique adventure, consider climbing one of this forest’s frozen waterfalls in the winter. Those who want to go bouldering will want to hike along the Chestnut Trail.
