Washakie & Absaroka Wilderness Areas

When traveling to Cody, Wyoming, you will want to take the time to explore the wondrous wilderness areas that surround this adventurous mountain town.

Nearby are the Washakie Wilderness, the Absaroka Wilderness, and the popular Yellowstone National Park.

Washakie Wilderness

The Washakie Wilderness is located just 30 miles southwest of Cody, 25 miles west of Meteesee, and just 15 miles north of Dubois. The entire wilderness area expands 1,019,544 and yields ecosystems ranging from Rocky Mountain Douglas fir forests, lodgepole pine, sagebrush steppes, and large grasslands on south facing slopes. The best season to visit is July through September when weather is conducive to horseback riding, hiking, backpacking, hunting, and fishing. Travelers should be aware that the area is home to many grizzly bears, and sudden thunder storms are known to break without warning.

The area was originally established as Yellowstone Timberland Reserve by Congress in 1891, but was redesignated as the Washakie Wilderness in 1972. The area was named after Chief Washakie, an important leader from the Shoshone Tribe.

Along the 473 miles of hiking trails, most of which are not maintained regularly, you'll be able to find and abundance of wildlife. There are over 8,000 elk, 16,000 mule deer, 1,000 bighorn sheep, and hundreds of moose that live in the wilderness. Antelopes are found in the grasslands, while the grizzlies live mainly in the northwest corner of the wilderness in the valleys of Canfield and Fishhawk Creeks. Some trails take you into Yellowstone National Park or the Teton National Park. These trips take several weeks or more, and backcountry permits are required if you spend the night in a national park.

Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness

The Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness are located 10 miles east of Cooke City, Montana. It spans 943,610 acres and yields ecosystems of Douglas fir forests, lodgepole pine, western spruce-fir, and large areas of alpine tundra. The best time to visit is July through August.

The vast Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness stretches over the Montana border and includes the granite peaks of the Beartooth range. South, at the Wyoming portion of the wilderness, you can find low granite benches, forests of lodgepole pine, and several woodland lakes.

The Beartooth Mountains were created by an uplift that happened 30 million years ago. Some granite found in the Beartooths is over 3.7 billion years old, making it some of the oldest rock known to man. The Absaroka range was built by volcanoes.

The area is popular for dayhiking. If you are driving along the Beartooth Scenic Highway, one of the Beartooth High Lakes would make an excellent dayhike adventure. Horsebackriding, fishing, cross-country skiing, and bird hunting are other recreational activities that the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness has to offer.

Yellowstone National Park

Yellowstone National Park is located 50 miles west of Cody,Wyoming and 55 miles north of Jackson, Wyoming. Yellowstone National Park was the world's first national park and was established by Congress in 1872. The purpose was to preserve the natural and geologic wonders for all to enjoy.

Yellowstone expands 2.2 million acres and is larger than the entire state of Rhode Island. The area was created by heavy volcanic activity. The two largest eruptions occurred 1.3 million years ago and deposited layers of basalt and other volcanic rocks. Like the Hawaiian Islands, Yellowstone is considered a geological Hotspot where the continental plates drift over a fixed magma source. Many volcanic features can be found in the park: geysers, mud pots, and hot springs.

Some highlights in Yellowstone National Park include: Mammoth Hot Springs, Old Faithful, Yellowstone Falls, The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, Mud Volcanoes, Yellowstone Lake, and wildlife viewing. Outdoor recreational activities abound in Yellowstone. You'll find excellent hiking, camping, fishing, boating, and wildlife viewing. Bikes are only permitted on designated roads. There is no mountain biking.