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Wyoming Bike Tour (Epic)

Summary

Buckle your toe clips, cowboys and cowgirls. Here comes the Wild, Wild West! Ride through lands where coal mines, gold rushes and gun battles defined the landscape and legendary turf wars were won and lost. From Cody, Wyoming, bicycle east into Bighorn National Forest, then north and west through Shoshone and Custer National Forest in the United States. Keep your eyes peeled for the country’s largest population of Bighorn sheep. Explore the lands of the Shoshone, the Arapaho, the Sioux, Chief Joseph’s Nez Perce – and the early settlers pushing west.

Road bike

8 days

767 km / 477 mi

$ 3,650.-

Cloud Peak Scenic Byway
Bighorn Scenic Byway
Yellowstone Wildlife Sanctuary
Beartooth Scenic Byway
Shoshone National Forest
Chief Joseph Scenic Byway

Gallery

Details

Type

Road bike

Duration

8 days

Level

Challenging

Support

Guided

Daily distance

100-120 km / 62-75 mi

Total distance

767 km / 477 mi

Lodging

Deluxe, full board

Luggage transport

Daily luggage transfers

Bicycle

Included

Dates

03 Jul 2023 - 10 Jul 2023

Start

Cody

Finish

Cody

Airport at start

Yellowstone Regional Airport

Airport at finish

Yellowstone Regional Airport

Prices Please note the prices are subject to change depending availability

Price per person / please note the prices are subject to change depending availability

The tour price per person

$ 3,650.-

Single supplement

If you travel alone a single supplement is charged. With some group tours you can avoid a single supplement by sharing a room with another rider.

$ 986.-

Itinerary

Included / Not Included – lodging

Day 1: Meet in Cody, take a warm-up ride from Burlington to Ten sleep

Meet in Cody, Wyoming, named for “Buffalo Bill” William Frederick Cody. We begin with a shuttle (~45min) to the tiny town of Burlington, Wyoming where we saddle up and follow the winding Bighorn and Nowood Rivers east toward Ten Sleep in the western foothills of the Bighorn Mountains. Historically, Ten Sleep was an important camp. It was the midway point between Sioux camps on the Platte River to the south and the northern camps near Bridger, Montana. The journey was “ten sleeps” (nights) from either. There is a small Pioneer Museum for those who want learn more about the history of the town and area.
Meals: Lunch, Dinner, Lodging: Carter Inn
Level: advanced, distance: 69 miles, elevation: +2332 ft / -2341 ft

Day 2: Ride the Cloud Peak Scenic Byway from Ten Sleep to Buffalo through the southern portion of the Bighorn Mountains

Ride across the southern portion of the Bighorn Mountains today on the Cloud Peak Scenic Byway. It is the only road from which you can view 13,167 ft Cloud Peak – the highest peak in the Bighorns. Watch for rock climbers clinging to the walls in Ten Sleep Canyon as you head out of town this morning on your way to the 9,666-foot summit of Powder River Pass. Lush grasslands, river canyons, alpine meadows, crystal-clear lakes, glacier-hewn valleys, rolling hills and sheer mountain walls make for spectacular riding. Buffalo, Wyoming – our destination today – is tucked into the Bighorn’s eastern foothills. The town’s main street has more than a dozen historic buildings, including the Occidental Hotel where Owen Wister’s Virginian finally “got his man”. If history is your thing, try not to miss the impressive Jim Gatchell Museum, with over 15,000 artifacts from the American Old West.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Lodging: The Hampton Inn
Level: advanced, distance: 65 miles, elevation: +6861 ft / – 6724 ft

Day 3: Follow Blue highways from Buffalo to Ranchester beneath Big skies

Bicycle north today on lightly traveled blue highways with the Bighorns on your left and big skies above. Ride past Lake de Smet – which the Sioux believed to have magical healing powers – and through Sheridan to finish in tiny Ranchester (pop. 1064), site of a battle between the Powder River Expedition and Chief Black Bear’s Arapaho camp.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Lodging: Ranchester Western Motel
Level: advanced, distance: 63 miles, elevation: +1778 ft / - 2581 ft

Day 4: Ride the Bighorn Scenic Byway to Lovell – Wyoming’s Rose City

Point your steeds back to the west today and gear up (down?) for some climbing – or maybe a van boost – as we head back across the northern portion of Bighorn Mountains. Ride the Bighorn Scenic Byway to the town of Lovell – ‘Wyoming’s Rose City’ on the northwestern flanks of the range. The route tops out at about 9,500 feet, so plan for a breather at Crystal Creek Rest Area.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Lodging: Travelodge by Wyndham.
Level: advanced, distance: 84 miles, elevation: +8526 ft / - 8446 ft

Day 5: Ride from Wyoming’s Bighorns into Red Lodge, gateway to Yellowstone

Bicycle generally northwest today. Follow the squiggly curves of Silver Tip Creek through Byron and north into Montana. Fields of corn, sugar beets and alfalfa are interspersed with tiny towns in this valley that lies between Yellowstone National Park and the Bighorn Range. Stay two nights at the Pollard Hotel in Red Lodge, Montana, a raucous 1890s coal town that is now a ‘Gateway to Yellowstone National Park.’
Meals: Breakfast, Lodging: Pollard hotel, Red Lodge
Level: advanced, distance: 79 miles, elevation: + 3824 ft / - 2106 ft

Day 6: Polish your spurs and rest up in Red Lodge for a big day in the mountains tomorrow!

Polish your spurs and rest up your mounts in Red Lodge before another big day in the mountains tomorrow. Visit the Yellowstone Wildlife Sanctuary for non-releasable wildlife (wildlife sightings guaranteed!), check out the depot and art galleries, hit up a local fly-fishing outfitter, or pick up a walking tour brochure at the Carbon County Museum and get the inside story on Red Lodge’s history. If you need to keep your legs moving, there are lonely highways to nowhere to explore, or you can sample a bit of tomorrow’s spectacular ride as an out and back from town. Lunch and dinner are on your own today.
Meals: Breakfast, Lodging: Pollard hotel

Day 7: Get ready for alpine glory along the Beartooth Scenic Byway “ ...the most beatiful (ride) in America!”

Ride west toward Yellowstone National Park today on the Beartooth Scenic Byway through Custer-Gallatin and Shoshone National Forests. American journalist Charles Kuralt called this “…the most beautiful drive in America,” and we are not going to argue. We consider this stage both the literal and figurative high-point of the tour, topping out at almost 11,000 feet! Shoshone National Forest has virtually all the original animal and plant species that were there when white explorers such as John Colter and Jim Bridger first visited the region. The forest is home to grizzly and black bear, cougar, moose, tens of thousands of elk as well as the largest herd of bighorn sheep in the U.S. The streams in the forest are considered to have some of the best game species fishing opportunities in the U.S. including Yellowstone cutthroat trout.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, dinner Lodging: Alpine Motel in Cooke City
Level: advanced, distance: 56 miles, elevation: +6070 ft / - 5083 ft

Day 8: Return to Cody on the magnificent Chief Joseph Scenic Byway

After breakfast in Cooke City, we hop back on our bikes to ride the Chief Joseph Scenic Byway back to Cody, where our journey began. Following a climb to the overlook at Dead Indian Hill, it’s time to head down: 4,800 ft of climbing is followed by 6,300 ft of terrifically fun downhill. Finish off the week with a celebratory toast! If you’re staying on for an extra night, take time to check out the Buffalo Bill Historical Center and relive some of the highlights of your adventure.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch.
Level: advanced, distance: 61 miles, elevation: +4806 ft / - 6320 ft

* This is a general itinerary. Tour itineraries are subject to change based on the group, available accommodations and other unforeseen circumstances such as the weather, local conditions, government intervention, that may affect the quality of the trip and/or safety of the participants. Please view this itinerary as an outline as to what to expect on this tour.

Included:

Lodging
All meals, except one dinner and one lunch on your own.
Road / hybrid bike
Hiking & Wild West History
Luggage transfer

Not included:

Night before and after the tour.
Flights to and from the tour
Gratuities guides

Lodging:

Carter Inn
Hampton Inn, Buffalo
Ranchester Western Motel
Travelodge, Lovell
2 nights: Pollard Hotel, Red Lodge
Alpine Motel, Cooke City

Map & Routes

Map

Satellite

Bicycle

Giant Defy ADV 3

Choose the longer route. Climb higher mountains. This all-new endurance road bike is purpose-built to help you tackle long-distance road rides in all types of conditions. It’s smooth, it’s efficient, and it’s fast.
Ride farther and faster with an all-new composite frameset that’s engineered with endurance geometry and built-in compliance. Handcrafted with Advanced-grade composite material, it’s engineered with tube shapes that are optimized to absorb road shocks and vibrations. And the frame is still stiff in all the ways that matter—for pedaling efficiency as well as steering and cornering precision. It’s made with a specific carbon layup to give it just the right feel. And for added control, it features integrated disc brakes with flat mounts and 12mm thru-axles. The D-Fuse Seatpost and handlebar system also help reduce road vibrations, adding to its smooth, compliant feel on the road.
Components: Giant Conduct disc brakes, Shimano Tiagra groupset, 50/34 cranks, 11 x 34 cassette, Giant S-R2 tubeless wheelset 700x28c

Hybrid / flat Bar Road bike

The perfect balance of road bike speed and city bike versatility. Built on a lightweight ALUXX SL aluminum frameset, this new flat-bar road bike puts the rider in a comfortable position that’s smooth and efficient. The fast-rolling 700c wheels and vibration-absorbing composite D-Fuse seatpost help smooth out rough roads. The fast-rolling 700c wheels can accommodate large tires up to 32c, perfect for tackling rough roads with confidence and control, while integrated ergo bar ends keep your hands comfortable on longer adventures. Powerful disc brakes give you added control in all types of weather, and easy-to-use rack mounts make FastRoad SL a smart choice for commuting, fitness riding and weekend adventures.