JULY TRIP TO CODY WYOMING - what to do?

[WATERMAG]

Heading out to Cody Wyoming late June for a wedding. Plan on flying into Billings (due to cost) and renting a car for the 5 day trip. I have 3 days unplanned and would like to do some exploring/hiking. I have been hitting the YMCA every morning to get in better shape for hiking.

What do you all recommend doing?
So far my thoughts are
Buffalo Bill Museum
Yellowstone
I would really love to find an elk shed to bring home...

Thanks for any recommendations and fell free to PM me if you know where all the elk sheds are hiding!!!!!!

 

[Jappenz617]

I had my family in Cody area last year and really enjoyed it. We did a rafting trip on the Shoshone right out of Cody. The Outlaw Trail's N/E of Cody at Newton Lakes was a decent hike with some nice views. Not far from town if you don't want to venture far.

 

[BirdManMike]

The museum is awesome. Looks like you have that on the list. Jellostone, too.

If youre a fisherman, there is some excellent trout fishing around. Depending on runoff timing, there is going to be something fishing well in the area.

Irma for breakfast. The food is somewhere between terrible and mediocre, but hey! when in Rome. Cool old hotel.

Recommend hiking out of one of the trailheads down the South Fork. That valley is super great. All the trailheads Ive been up are worth the time. Watch out for the grizz.

 

[TexanSam]

Fish the shoshone river but bring bear spray if you are upstream of the reservoir.

 

[WATERMAG]

Is there anywhere that rents fishing gear? I feel like I would end up with some broken gear if I fly with it.

 

[Ben Lamb]

Is there anywhere that rents fishing gear? I feel like I would end up with some broken gear if I fly with it.

North Fork Anglers should be able to hook you up.

Head up the S. Fork of the Shoshone and hike into the wilderness, even if you don't have a rod.

Chief Jo highway, over to the Beartooth Highway/Beartooth pass

Spend a day around Cooke City and head into the Lamar Valley around the golden hours for the best wildlife watching.

BB museum is a full day to 3 day effort. Choose wisely.

Bighorn Armory if you want to look at some sweet custom lever actions

North Fork has some good trailheads as well.

 

[WYWINCHESTER]

There is eve an indoor shooting range you can rent firearms to play with. Stay out of YELLOSTONE park. It will be full of idiots trying to pet the wildlife.

 

[mtmiller]

There is eve an indoor shooting range you can rent firearms to play with. Stay out of YELLOSTONE park. It will be full of idiots trying to pet the wildlife.

Some of those idiots might have slipped east to the Cody indoor shooting range.

 

[Wind Gypsy]

Make sure to pick up a yellowstone dutton ranch t-shirt, trucker hat, and decal.

 

[rke]

We were there this last summer for 3 days. The museum was GREAT! we went twice. We also did white water rafting in the Shoshone that we would do again.

 

[ccc23454]

Fish the shoshone river but bring bear spray if you are upstream of the reservoir.

River is closed above res until july until you get up close to park (newton) Best fishing will be below dam (as flow permits) and in smaller lakes as they open up, i would focus on beartooths streams river and lakes. If family trip hit upper sunshine reservoir for a ton of stocked cuts with a cool view.

 

[mtmiller]

Billings ---> Red Lodge ---> Beartooth Hwy to Cooke City ---> Lamar Valley (early morning or evening) -----> Yellowstone Lake and out East entrance to Cody or backtrack through Lamar and take Chief Joseph hwy to Cody.

As WYW alluded to, YNP can be a shit show, but early and late are less traffic, more critters and something every American should see. Enjoy yourself and take some time to hike around in the Beartooths if you go that route. Amazing highway.

 

[88man]

Perhaps a trip to kirwin
Are the grizz flipping rocks looking for cutworm larvae down by Fracs peak in late june? I'm think early August is the time
A beer or meal at the Proud cut or the Irma

 

[Ben Lamb]

Billings ---> Red Lodge ---> Beartooth Hwy to Cooke City ---> Lamar Valley (early morning or evening) -----> Yellowstone Lake and out East entrance to Cody or backtrack through Lamar and take Chief Joseph hwy to Cody.

As WYW alluded to, YNP can be a shit show, but early and late are less traffic, more critters and something every American should see. Enjoy yourself and take some time to hike around in the Beartooths if you go that route. Amazing highway.

If you really want to have fun in the Park, whip into a pullout where nobody else is, get out of the car and point excitedly to a distant spot and jump up and down.

Then, when 30 other people stop, rush off so nobody yells at you for causing a fake bear jam.

Also:
Old Faithful usually has a bit of a false start. When the boardwalk is full, and there's a slight delay in the next burst, stand up and loudly say "Well that's it. Let's go get a hot dog." And walk off. You'd be surprised how many people get up to leave.

 

[PrairieHunter]

Cody is a nice place to hang out. Has a nice downtown with all sorts of stuff to see, do, etc ass you walk around. Gun museum is fun. I like Peters cafe for breakfast.

If you don't want to deal with YNP traffic and idiots head south to Thermopolis one day, it's a nice place to hang out and there are some less busy places to enjoy a hike along the way.

River is highly recommended but I am more familiar with floating into Thermopolis not in and around Cody. I'm sure it's fun as well. Paddle boarding is something else to consider that time of year.

 

[mtmiller]

If you really want to have fun in the Park, whip into a pullout where nobody else is, get out of the car and point excitedly to a distant spot and jump up and down.

Too much planning to find parking spot.....just stop in the middle of the road.

 

[bonniecutthroat]

Surprisingly impressive in town and near town mountain biking on a variety of trail types (flow to slick rock)!

 

[BigHornRam]

July 1 the snow can still be deep in the high country near Beartooth pass. Just below the snow line the skeeter hatch can be intense. Every year is different however, but this year is looking like we are going to get a lot of snow. Shed hunting is good in the Park, just don't keep any. Have fun, neat country!

 

[Ben Lamb]

Too much planning to find parking spot.....just stop in the middle of the road.

This is the kind of on-the-fly thinking that saved Pearl Harbor from the Germans in 1941. Nicely done.

 

[WATERMAG]

There is eve an indoor shooting range you can rent firearms to play with. Stay out of YELLOSTONE park. It will be full of idiots trying to pet the wildlife.

One thing I hate is a tourist trap/ to many people!!