FIVE WAYS TO ENJOY A CODY YELLOWSTONE FALL GETAWAY

With summer vacations wrapped up and children back to school, if you want to enjoy the scenery of Yellowstone without the sight of crowds of other tourists around the Fall season is a great time for a getaway to the national park and the nearby quaint northwestern Wyoming town of Cody. This town provides a great staging point with the comforts of civilization for your outdoor adventures in the Yellowstone region. 

Here are five ways to enjoy a Cody Yellowstone fall getaway:

Go fishing. Cody Yellowstone is home to an abundance of top-flight fishing spots including the North and South Forks of the Shoshone River and rivers and streams in Yellowstone National Park. Local fishing outfitters offer guides, maps and advice. Blue-ribbon trout fishing is especially popular in the fall, where Yellowstone cutthroat, one of the four subspecies of cutthroat found in Wyoming, can be found throughout the region. 

Drive a UTV to a backcountry ghost town. Cody-based Tread ‘N Trails rents street-legal UTVs for adventurous visitors to explore backcountry areas such as the ghost town of Kirwin. Located high in the Absaroka Mountains above the town of Meeteetse, the discovery of gold in the late 1800s prompted the creation of this once-thriving boomtown. When a disastrous blizzard struck in 1907, most people left the town, leaving behind numerous structures and mines. UTV enthusiasts can explore miles of trails surrounding the town. They can also take a short hike to the foundation of a cabin that was being built by aviatrix Amelia Earhart, a frequent visitor to the region before her disappearance. 

Drive a scenic byway. Road-tripping in the fall is a memorable way to enjoy fall color, with five scenic drives leading into Cody that take travelers past some of Wyoming’s most breathtaking valleys, mountain passes, rivers and forests. Download the free TravelStorys app and listen to a GPS-prompted audio tour of the Chief Joseph Scenic Byway or the Buffalo Bill Scenic Byway. Fans of audio tours can also listen to a guided walking tour highlighting downtown Cody’s historic structures. 

View wildlife in action. Fall is one of the best times of the year to watch wildlife in action. The forests, river valleys, mountains and canyons of Cody Yellowstone are filled with wildlife such as bears, elk, wolves, moose, bison, eagles and river otters, and many of these species are especially active in the fall. Bears spend the fall months filling up on pine nuts to fatten up before heading to their dens in the winter. It’s mating season for elk, and the males of the species court prospective mates by shrilly bugling and challenging other males to battles. Fall is also a great time to watch wolves. Wolf packs are often larger in the fall than other times of the year because pups are finally big enough to hunt with the adults. Top places to see wildlife in Cody Yellowstone include Lamar Valley in Yellowstone National Park, and along the Chief Joseph Scenic Byway from Cody to the northeast gate of the park and the Buffalo Bill Scenic Byway from Cody to the east gate of the park. 

Hit the trails. Explore Cody Yellowstone on a bike, on horseback or on foot. A free downloadable trail map offers suggestions for trails based on desired challenge level and type of trail (hiking, horseback riding, gravel bike or road bike). Grab a free downloadable trail map and hop on a bike to explore the town and the surrounding areas. Popular regions include downtown Cody, Beck Lake, Slick Rock and the Shoshone National Forest.

After a day full of adventure, you are sure to be hungry and thirsty. The new Cody Yellowstone Sippin’ Trail is a great way for visitors to experience some of the town’s most popular restaurants and bars. The trail includes breweries, restaurants and unique venues such as a cigar lounge and a historic hotel built by town founder Buffalo Bill Cody. Visitors who download a free app and make a purchase at the participating locations can earn points for rewards like Sippin Trail T-shirts, pint glasses and stickers.

Home of the Great American Adventure, Cody Yellowstone is comprised of the northwestern Wyoming towns of Cody, Powell and Meeteetse as well as areas inside of Yellowstone National Park and the valley east of the entrance. The region is known for recreational adventures that reflect the adventurous spirit of the visionaries and explorers who brought the remote region to the world’s attention.