Itinerary

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
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
Distance: 65 miles, elevation: +6861 ft / – 6724 ft

Day 3: Follow blue highways from Buffalo all the way to Ranchester, or stop in Sheridan to immerse yourself in the Wild West for the afternoon.

Bicycle north today on lightly traveled blue highways with the Bighorns on your left and big skies above. Ride past glittering Lake de Smet – which the Sioux believed to have magical healing powers – and on to Sheridan for lunch. This is where we will be spending tonight, so you have a choice. You can either tie up your trusty steed here for the day (after about 45 miles) and enjoy the afternoon in Sheridan – once home to gold miners, cattle rustlers, Butch Cassidy, the Sundance Kid, and Buffalo Bill Cody – or if you want to complete every inch of the riding, you can spur your mount on the last 20 miles to tiny Ranchester (pop. 1064), where we will start riding over the northern Bighorns in the morning. (Yes, we will shuttle you back to Sheridan!) Stay in the historic downtown at the Best Western Sheridan, where you can try on some cowboy boots, enjoy a variety of western museums, and slake your thirst at the legendary Mint Bar watering hole.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Lodging: Best Western Sheridan
Distance: 63 miles, (or 45 if you stop in Sheridan) 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.
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
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.

Lodging

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

The hotels, Inns, and B&B’s we use are always among the finest the area has to offer. Our smaller group sizes(max. 13) allow us to stay at some award-winning places that can’t handle groups of 25 or more. We work closely with the innkeepers to make sure they understand your needs and ours, whether that is having a place to store your bike, an early morning breakfast or a convenient place to park the van, they are as committed to your vacation experience as we are.

Lodging is based upon two people to a room with a private bath. If you’re traveling solo on any of our trips, we’ll assign you a roommate of the same gender and often of the same age bracket. There is no extra charge if we can’t find you a roommate, even if you sign up the day before the trip starts. You can guarantee yourself a private room and bath if you pay the Single Room Fee. Occasionally a room with two beds consists of one bed plus a roll away bed or sofa bed.

Included:

• Deluxe lodging
• All meals, except one dinner and one lunch on your own. Snacks and beverages between meals
• Road / Hybrid bike. Helmet and Wahoo GPS device
• Hiking & Wild West History
• Park and other entry fees
• Luggage transfer

Not included:

• Night before and after the tour
• Flights to and from the tour
• Alcoholic beverages at meals
• Gratuities guides

Pricing / Tour dates

Tour price 2024: $ 3650.-pp single fee $ 986.-
You can avoid a single supplement by sharing a room with another rider.
Tour dates 2024:
08 Jul – 15 Jul Guaranteed

Conditions

Deposit 25%
The deposit payment for a tour must be paid within two weeks after the booking is confirmed.
The remaining payment is due 90 days before the start of the tour.
For tours that are booked within 90 days before the start of the tour you will pay 100% of the tour price

Information

Meals and dining:
We know how important breakfast is to make sure your day starts off right. Most breakfasts are served at the inn where we spend the night and are either a set menu or a continental breakfast buffet. But if there is a local restaurant with a reputation for a great breakfast, we can guarantee we will find it and you will be treated to a nutritious meal to start the day.
Lunch is provided at a state park or similar scenic setting midway during the day’s ride. Guests are always surprised at the variety and quality of lunches we prepare. Besides sandwich fixings and cold drinks, we offer fresh fruits and vegetables and hot lunches such as tortellini with pesto or veggie burritos. If you prefer a certain item of food or drink, just let your tour guide know and we will be sure to prepare just the right lunch to keep your energy up for the rest of the day.
During the day water, fruit juices, soft drinks, energy bars, fruit, and snacks are available from the van. A cold beer from our cooler waits at the end of the day, and you can relive the day’s highlights at our wine and cheese party before dinner.
Dinner is eaten together at the best restaurant in the area. At most restaurants, you order what you want from the menu. Except for alcohol, everything is included, even appetizers, salad, soup, and dessert. If we have to shuttle everyone a short distance to get to that special place, we do it. We like to eat well.
If you have any special dietary requests, please let us know in advance. We regularly accommodate vegetarians and other restricted diets. All of our meals are carefully selected to provide you with the unusually high nutritional and caloric needs of your body on an outdoor adventure.