Buffalo Wyoming
- ahschneid
- 12 minutes ago
- 7 min read
We arrived at Deer Park Campground in Buffalo Wyoming on Sunday 4 May 2025. We had seen that rain and wind were predicted for Monday and Tuesday, so we went for a walk around the campground in anticipation of being stuck inside for a couple of days. Tuesday (6 May) it was still very windy, but the rain had stopped so we went in to town and opted for indoor sites due to the wind. Right away we noticed the Buffalo Visitor Center and the Jim Gatchell Memorial Museum. The Visitor Center wasn't open. We're not sure if that was because of the road construction downtown or if it doesn't open till Memorial Day. The Jim Gatchell Memorial Museum was open, so we went in and the lady behind the counter was very nice. She told us about a jam session held at the Occidental Saloon every Thursday at 7pm. We asked about the Crazy Woman Canyon drive and she advised to call before going to make sure the road is open. We enjoyed the museum and Anita learned about the brutal wars among cattlemen. We also read about a French group of Basques who settled in Buffalo in the 1880's. After the museum and lunch, we just walked around downtown for a while and we went in the Occidental Hotel, founded in 1880 and still operating as a hotel and saloon.
Buffalo Wyoming 6 May 2025
Jim Gatchell Memorial Museum - Buffalo Wyoming - 6 May 2025
Jim Gatchell Memorial Museum - Buffalo Wyoming - 6 May 2025
Jim Gatchell Memorial Museum - Buffalo Wyoming - 6 May 2025
Jim Gatchell Memorial Museum - Buffalo Wyoming - 6 May 2025
Jim Gatchell Memorial Museum - Buffalo Wyoming - 6 May 2025
Jim Gatchell Memorial Museum - Buffalo Wyoming - 6 May 2025
Jim Gatchell Memorial Museum - Buffalo Wyoming - 6 May 2025
Jim Gatchell Memorial Museum - Buffalo Wyoming - 6 May 2025
Jim Gatchell Memorial Museum - Buffalo Wyoming - 6 May 2025
Jim Gatchell Memorial Museum - Buffalo Wyoming - 6 May 2025
Jim Gatchell Memorial Museum - Buffalo Wyoming - 6 May 2025
Jim Gatchell Memorial Museum - Buffalo Wyoming - 6 May 2025
Jim Gatchell Memorial Museum - Buffalo Wyoming - 6 May 2025
Jim Gatchell Memorial Museum - Buffalo Wyoming - 6 May 2025
Jim Gatchell Memorial Museum - Buffalo Wyoming - 6 May 2025
Basque group in front of the local St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in 1965
Jim Gatchell Memorial Museum - Buffalo Wyoming - 6 May 2025
Jim Gatchell Memorial Museum - Buffalo Wyoming - 6 May 2025
Jackalope
Downtown Buffalo Wyoming 6 May 2025
Downtown Buffalo Wyoming 6 May 2025
Occidental Hotel and Saloon Founded 1880
Downtown Buffalo Wyoming 6 May 2025
Vestibule of Occidental Saloon
Downtown Buffalo Wyoming 6 May 2025
Lobby of Occidental Hotel
On Wednesday 7 May, we went back into downtown to walk on the Clear Creek Trail. Clear Creek actually runs through Buffalo. 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 weather was improving, but was supposed to be best Thursday-Saturday. We decided to do our drive to Crazy Woman Canyon on Thursday.
Buffalo Wyoming 7 May 2025
Buffalo Wyoming 7 May 2025
Clear Creek Trail
Buffalo Wyoming 7 May 2025
Clear Creek Trail
Buffalo Wyoming 7 May 2025
Clear Creek Trail
Buffalo Wyoming 7 May 2025
Clear Creek Trail
Buffalo Wyoming 7 May 2025
Clear Creek Trail
Buffalo Wyoming 7 May 2025
Deer Park Campground - Our home for a week
Buffalo Wyoming 7 May 2025
Deer Park Campground - Our home for a week
On Thursday 8 May we wanted to drive to Crazy Woman Canyon, but when we called that morning about road conditions we found out the road to the canyon is closed. We just decided to drive the Cloud Peak Skyway Scenic Byway to the town of Ten Sleep, which is 63 miles. This route traverses the southern Bighorn Mountains, providing views of distant snowcapped peaks and connecting Buffalo to Ten Sleep. Highlights include Powder River Pass, Meadowlark Lake, and Ten Sleep Canyon.
Cloud Peak Skyway Scenic Byway between Buffalo and Ten Sleep Wyoming 8 May 2025
Cloud Peak Skyway Scenic Byway between Buffalo and Ten Sleep Wyoming 8 May 2025
Cloud Peak Skyway Scenic Byway between Buffalo and Ten Sleep Wyoming 8 May 2025
Cloud Peak Skyway Scenic Byway between Buffalo and Ten Sleep Wyoming 8 May 2025
Cloud Peak Skyway Scenic Byway between Buffalo and Ten Sleep Wyoming 8 May 2025
Cloud Peak Skyway Scenic Byway between Buffalo and Ten Sleep Wyoming 8 May 2025
Cloud Peak Skyway Scenic Byway between Buffalo and Ten Sleep Wyoming 8 May 2025
Loaf Mountain Overlook
Cloud Peak Skyway Scenic Byway between Buffalo and Ten Sleep Wyoming 8 May 2025
Loaf Mountain Overlook
Cloud Peak Skyway Scenic Byway between Buffalo and Ten Sleep Wyoming 8 May 2025
Cloud Peak Skyway Scenic Byway between Buffalo and Ten Sleep Wyoming 8 May 2025
Pioneer River Pass - Temp dropped 12 degrees as we ascended...
Cloud Peak Skyway Scenic Byway between Buffalo and Ten Sleep Wyoming 8 May 2025
Meadowlark Lake (Elevation of 8,685) is still frozen and there are tire tracks visible...
Cloud Peak Skyway Scenic Byway between Buffalo and Ten Sleep Wyoming 8 May 2025
Cloud Peak Skyway Scenic Byway between Buffalo and Ten Sleep Wyoming 8 May 2025
Cloud Peak Skyway Scenic Byway between Buffalo and Ten Sleep Wyoming 8 May 2025
Cloud Peak Skyway Scenic Byway between Buffalo and Ten Sleep Wyoming 8 May 2025
Cloud Peak Skyway Scenic Byway between Buffalo and Ten Sleep Wyoming 8 May 2025
Ten Sleep Canyon
Cloud Peak Skyway Scenic Byway between Buffalo and Ten Sleep Wyoming 8 May 2025
Cloud Peak Skyway Scenic Byway between Buffalo and Ten Sleep Wyoming 8 May 2025
Cloud Peak Skyway Scenic Byway between Buffalo and Ten Sleep Wyoming 8 May 2025
Cloud Peak Skyway Scenic Byway between Buffalo and Ten Sleep Wyoming 8 May 2025
Downtown Buffalo Wyoming 8 May 2025
Occidental Saloon Jam Session 7pm - 9ish
Downtown Buffalo Wyoming 8 May 2025
Occidental Saloon Jam Session 7pm - 9ish - Note the little guy playing fiddle lower right...
On Friday 9 May, we decided to check out Lake De Smet, which is about halfway between Buffalo and Sheridan Wyoming. We were going to Sheridan to grocery shop anyway, so a stop at the lake was on the way. We had read online about the lake and learned that it is named after a priest, Father De Smet. It sounded French so we wondered if this priest had come over with the Basques. More research did not show that, instead we learned that Father Pieter-Jan De Smet was a Flemish Catholic priest and member of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits). He is known primarily for his widespread missionary work.
At Lake De Smet we went to the Miksell-Potts Recreation Area (opened in 2015) for a walk around the lake. From where we started we couldn't go very far with the water at our side, but we kept walking to get about 1.5 miles in. We drove around the recreation area looking for the monument for Father De Smet, but didn't find it. It turned out to be about 5 miles further on I-90, so we got to see it.
Lake De Smet - Miksell-Potts Recreation Area (8 miles north of Buffalo WY) 9 May 2025
This nice trail went around the southwest camping area of the lake...
Lake De Smet - Miksell-Potts Recreation Area (8 miles north of Buffalo WY) 9 May 2025
Trout in very shallow water of Lake De Smet
Father De Smet Monument 9 May 2025
Father De Smet Monument 9 May 2025
Pronghorn Antelope seen from 1.2 mile gravel road between I-90 and Father De Smet Monument
9 May 2025
We have actually seen lots of pronghorn antelope in all our travels in Wyoming...
Pronghorn Antelope seen from 1.2 mile gravel road between I-90 and Father De Smet Monument
9 May 2025
Pronghorn Antelope seen from 1.2 mile gravel road between I-90 and Father De Smet Monument
9 May 2025
Sheridan Wyoming - 9 May 2025
Our sack lunch spot
On Saturday 10 May, we hung around the campsite to get ready for traveling Sunday. We attended mass at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Buffalo. The church is celebrating 75 years in June. Before mass, the two priests were in the church and getting the altar ready and we noticed one of them was wearing cowboy boots and a big gold belt buckle like we've seen ropers wearing. After mass that same priest was greeting people wearing his cowboy hat. We got a picture since it was our first "cowboy priest".
St. John the Baptist Catholic Church - Buffalo Wyoming - 10 May 2025
St. John the Baptist Catholic Church - Buffalo Wyoming - 10 May 2025
St. John the Baptist Catholic Church - Buffalo Wyoming - 10 May 2025
St. John the Baptist Catholic Church - Buffalo Wyoming - 10 May 2025
St. John the Baptist Catholic Church - Buffalo Wyoming - 10 May 2025
St. John the Baptist Catholic Church - Buffalo Wyoming - 10 May 2025
Today (11 May 2025) we've arrived at Livingston Montana for a week. We hope to take care of some things here before driving to Alaska. We have an appointment on Tuesday for an oil change and tire rotation, and we want to go through our storage and purge whatever we're not using. If the weather holds up, we'll wash the camper and take the truck through a carwash. The forecast is iffy all week with possibilities of rain, thunderstorms and high winds on at least three days while we're here. We're surrounded by snow-capped mountain ranges, so hopefully we'll be spared any really bad weather.
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