Johnson County Wyoming offers a variety of attractions to hold the attention of visitors of all ages and interests.
Buffalo features the Jim Gatchell Memorial Museum (left), the Historic Occidental Hotel & Saloon, the Clear Creek Trail System, and a historic downtown with shops, restaurants and galleries.
Kaycee has its Hoofprints of the Past Museum and Chris LeDoux Park. It is also the launching point for adventures in Outlaw Canyon and the Hole in the Wall, where Butch Cassidy and others hid from law enforcement.
Of course, the county has a wealth of outdoor recreation opportunities as the Gateway to the Bighorns.
MUSEUMS & HISTORIC SITES
Jim Gatchell Memorial Museum
Jim Gatchell opened the Buffalo Pharmacy in 1900, and his store became a gathering place for people far and wide, from a variety of backgrounds. Over the years before his death in 1954, Gatchell was gifted many items that tell the story of Johnson County’s culture and history. The Gatchell family donated the items to the county in 1954 with the provision that a museum be built to house it. It was established in 1957 and is now located at the old Carnegie Library building on Fort Street next to the county courthouse. In 2023, the museum was one of eight recipients of the 2023 National Medal for Museum and Library Service.
100 Fort St., Buffalo | 307-684-9331
Hoofprints of the Past Museum (KAYCEE)
Founded by volunteers in 1990, the Hoofprints of the Past Museum’s mission is to preserve and share Kaycee and Western history through its historic Kaycee downtown buildings and tours. That history includes Native Americans, the Fur Trade and 1834 Portuguese Fort, the Bozeman Trail, Fort Reno, the Dull Knife Battle, the Johnson County Cattle War, Butch Cassidy and the Hole in the Wall Gang.
344 Nolan Ave., Kaycee | 307-738-2381
Fort Phil Kearny State Historic Site
Fort Phil Kearny was built in 1866 and witnessed the dramatic events of Red Cloud’s War before it was abandoned in 1868. Today, the site encompasses 1,000 acres, including Fort grounds, two major battle sites, and rich wildlife habitat. From May to October, staff in the new Interpretive Center and Gift Shop introduce visitors to the context of the Indian Wars and the Bozeman Trail. From sunrise to sunset year-round, visitors can enter the original site through reconstructed stockade walls and experience the expansive grounds of the largest stockaded fort in the west.
528 Wagon Box Road, Banner | 307-684-7629
The Historic Occidental Hotel & Saloon
The “OX” is the most famous landmark hotel in Buffalo, allowing visitors to travel back in time to the Old West. Founded in 1880, the hotel quickly became one of the most renowned hotels in Wyoming, attracting famous people such as Buffalo Bill Cody, Butch Cassidy, Calamity Jane, Tom Horn, Teddy Roosevelt and in later years, Herbert Hoover. Operating as a hotel and saloon, the hotel also offers tours, has a gift shop, and features live music in the saloon several nights of the week.
10 N. Main St., Buffalo | 307-684-0451
Historic Markers
Fort McKinney
Along Highway 16 on the western edge of Buffalo is a historic marker indicating the location of Fort McKinney, which was built in 1878. The post at its peak consisted of barracks for seven companies of troops and at least 14 structures for officer quarters, stables, warehouses, laundress quarters, a hospital, bakery, offices, and auxiliary buildings. In 1894 Fort McKinney was abandoned, and many of its buildings were dismantled. The Veterans’ Home of Wyoming moved to the site in 1903. Two buildings—the hospital and dairy—from the original fort remain.
Portugee Phillips
Located at the intersection of Kearny Lane and Wagon Box Road, near Fort Phil Kearny, a stone marker honors John “Portugee” Phillips for riding more than 200 miles from Fort Phil Kearny to Fort Laramie in winter weather in December of 1866 to carry the word of the Fetterman Massacre and ask for aid for the garrison.
Father DeSmet Monument
Located at the intersection of Shell Creek Road and Monument Road, this stone marker honors Father Pierre-Jean DeSmet’s visit to the lake that now bears his name. The date listed on the marker (1840) is believed to be incorrect, with DeSmet’s actual trek to the lake believed to have happened in August of 1851.
FAMILY RECREATION
Buffalo Municipal Pool
Once called the world’s largest outdoor swimming pool, the Buffalo Municipal Pool in Washington Memorial Park is still a pretty big deal at 393 feet by 292 feet. Constructed in the 1930s, the largest freshwater swimming pool in Wyoming is a great way to cool off in the summer. It holds more than 1 million gallons of water and is fed by the mountain waters of Clear Creek.
George Washington Memorial Park
Also known as City Park, the park includes the Municipal Pool, tennis/pickleball courts, horseshoe pits, a playground, and a section of the Clear Creek Trail System.
Buffalo Golf Club
Nestled in the middle of picturesque Buffalo is one of the prettiest public golf courses that you will find anywhere. Established in 1934, Buffalo Golf Club is an 18-hole public facility with stunning mountain views and beautiful mature tree lines. The golf course has earned a reputation as one of the top courses in the state, previously being named the best municipal golf course in Wyoming by Golf Digest. Players of all ages and abilities are welcome to play on a daily basis. The pro shop and Bison House restaurant and bar open seasonally.
500 W. Hart St., Buffalo | 307-684-5266
Buffalo Theater
Recently renovated as part of HGTV’s Home Town Kickstart series, the Buffalo Theater proudly serves the Buffalo community with their favorite on-screen entertainment on two screens. Showings are typically Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. The theater also can be rented for birthdays, celebrations, or other gatherings.
25 S. Main St., Buffalo | 307-684-9950
Buffalo Bowl
This six-lane bowling alley traces its history back to the 1950s. Fred and Carma Kostenbauer started cutting and hauling the logs by hand in 1954. Construction of the alleys began in 1955, and the facility opened on September 1, 1956. Buffalo Bowl offers leagues, open bowling, and special events It is available for rental to host gatherings.
90 S. Cedar St., Buffalo | 307-684-2613
Chris LeDoux Park
Chris LeDoux Park and the “Good Ride Cowboy” monument were unveiled in 2010 at a ceremony which drew thousands of people to the small town of Kaycee. To this day, the park and the sculpture serve as a colorful and peaceful place of reflection in honor of LeDoux, a world champion bareback rider and celebrated country musician who died in 2005 at the age of 56. After LeDoux’s death in 2005, the land was donated for the creation of the park. The centerpiece is the 3,500-pound statue, ‘Good Ride Cowboy,’ sculpted by noted Buffalo artist and family friend D. Michael Thomas. The statue shows Chris LeDoux on his horse, Stormy Weather, which he rode when he won the National Finals bareback riding championship in 1976. The statue’s base is a guitar with the title of one of LeDoux’s songs, “Beneath These Western Skies.”
OUTDOOR RECREATION
Crazy Woman Canyon
Located about 12 miles south of downtown Buffalo, Crazy Woman Canyon Road from Highway 87/196 snakes through a canyon alongside a rushing creek to U.S. Highway 16 on the west end. This canyon has countless recreational opportunities as well as the chance to just enjoy the beautiful natural scenery. The 13-mile single-lane dirt road encourages slow travel, which is perfect for taking in the scenery of the high cliffs, the large boulders that have tumbled down from above, and the mountain waters cascading down the canyon. There are several great camping sites, many located near small pull-out areas. Rock climbing and trout fishing also are part of the attraction for Crazy Woman Canyon.
Dry Creek Petrified Tree Environmental Education Area
Located about 13 miles east of Buffalo off Tipperary Road, the Dry Creek Petrified Tree Environmental Education Area offers visitors an opportunity to discover the history of the northeastern Wyoming landscape. About 60 million years ago the red sage hills and sagebrush country were a jungle-like swamp with towering Metasequoia trees. Many of these trees still exist as petrified wood. An interpretive loop trail winds eight-tenths of a mile through portions of remnant petrified trees. A shelter with picnic tables and vault toilets are available. Backcountry camping is allowed in the recreation area, outside of the fenced-in trail and picnic area.
Lake DeSmet/Mikesell-Potts Recreation Area
The Mikesell-Potts Recreation Area is a county facility offering camping and boating facilities on the south shore of scenic Lake DeSmet. It is located 8 miles north of Buffalo near exit 51 of Interstate 90. Each year, Lake DeSmet is visited by locals and travelers from across the country who enjoy fishing, boating, swimming, camping and pristine views of the water and surrounding mountains.
Mountain Plains Heritage Park
Take a trip through time on the 1-mile, marked nature trail at Mountain Plains Heritage Park on the east side of Buffalo. Visitors can walk in the paths traveled by the pioneers of the Bozeman Trail and gaze at the beauty they saw as they approached the Bighorn Mountains. Interpretive signs also provide information about where the railroad rolled through the area from 1912 to 1948.
MIddle Fork Powder River
Located about 21 miles southwest of Kaycee, the Middle Fork of the Powder River is a spectacularly scenic part of the state rich with the legend of Old West outlaw activity from the late 1800s. Part of the area is known as Red Wall Country, with a red stone cliff stretching for miles along one side of the valley. The Outlaw Cave Campground and Outlaw Canyon Trail are located west of the Red Wall.
The Ed O. Taylor Wildlife Habitat Management Area, which consists of 10,215 acres, is located just west of the Outlaw Cave Campground. From April through October, pronghorn antelope may be observed on the open rangeland areas. The Middle Fork of the Powder River and two creeks that also run through the canyons in this area are home to a variety of trout.
Bud Love Wildlife Habitat Management Area
This 7,900-acre wildlife management area was established in 1970 to provide crucial winter habitat for big game species. This area is six miles northwest of Buffalo and supports approximately 500 wintering elk and 200 mule deer. Hunting is allowed at Bud Love for big-game species, and anglers can find brook or rainbow trout in the North Fork of Sayles Creek, along with three of the area’s five man-made ponds, contain brook or rainbow trout. These waters are stocked each year by the Wyoming Game and Fish Department. The scenic beauty of Bud Love also attracts photographers, backpackers, and picnickers.
Clear Creek Trail System
The Clear Creek Trail System includes more than 20 miles of mostly interconnected trails, and it traverses an area rich with history and surrounded by the magnificent scenery of the Bighorn Mountains. The trail’s eastern end is along Clear Creek at the South Bypass Road. It winds through downtown, through Washington Memorial Park and follows Clear Creek for more than a mile west of downtown. After passing through the Veterans Home property, the trail continues west to a parking area, through Mosier Gulch and up Grouse Mountain. There are several parking areas along the way to take short hikes along the creek. See the map here.
SCENIC DRIVES
Cloud Peak Scenic Skyway
One of the most scenic drives in Wyoming, the Cloud Peak Scenic Byway is officially designated at 47 miles from Buffalo through Ten Sleep Canyon. This stretch of U.S. Highway 16 borders the Bighorn National Forest and provides access to Cloud Peak Wilderness as well as Meadowlark Lake for a number of recreational opportunities. Travelers may see wildlife such as pronghorn antelope, deer, pheasants, elk, moose, foxes, coyotes, and more. Reaching an elevation of 9,666 feet at Powder River Pass, the weather can be extreme, and snow may fall in any month. Rarely does it affect travel in the summer and early fall.
Crazy Woman Canyon
Located about 12 miles south of downtown Buffalo, Crazy Woman Canyon Road from Highway 87/196 snakes through a canyon alongside a rushing creek to U.S. Highway 16 on the west end. This canyon has countless recreational opportunities as well as the chance to just enjoy the beautiful natural scenery. The 13-mile single-lane dirt road encourages slow travel, which is perfect for taking in the scenery of the high cliffs, the large boulders that have tumbled down from above, and the mountain waters cascading down the canyon.
Red Wall Country/Outlaw Canyon
Southwest of Kaycee, the drive to Outlaw Canyon takes travelers on a gravel road along the Red Wall (cliff) and west toward the Middle Fork of the Powder River. The Outlaw Cave Campground and Outlaw Canyon Trail mark the western end of the drive, which covers about 25 miles one way from Interstate 25/Kaycee but takes about an hour.
BUSINESSES
MOUNTAIN MEADOW WOOL
Family-owned Mountain Meadow Wool Mill is the largest full service mill in the West. It offers custom processing, custom blending and spinning, as well as 23 different types of yarns that can be hand-dyed in custom colors. Its process is 100 percent natural with biodegradable soaps and non-petroleum spinning oil. Opened in 2007 to revitalize the American wool industry by offering fair prices to local sheep ranchers, Mountain Meadow Wool currently processes more than 60,000 pounds of wool a year. The facility is open for self-guided individual tours and guided group tours.
22 Plains Drive, Buffalo | 307-684-5775