Spend a Wild Weekend in Sheridan, Wyoming

Halfway between Yellowstone National Park and Mount Rushmore, Sheridan, Wyoming, offers a different sort of Western destination: acces­sible mountains, an artsy downtown, open spaces, and no crowds or entrance fees. Flanked by ranches and home to hard-working people, the town isn’t a tourist hot spot—and that’s exactly why you should visit.

Hit the trail.

Sheridan sits at the base of the Bighorn Mountains, a range of meadows, tumbling creeks, and rocky peaks. Unlike some of the state’s other mountainous areas, the Bighorns are easily reached through public roads and trails, and you don’t need to be a hardcore hiker to experience the high­-altitude sights in spring and summer. If you stay in the lower elevations near town, you can still take in mountain views as you walk, fish, or just hang out under the big sky.

With 17 miles of trails, the Red Grade Trail System is a not-too­ strenuous introduction to the beauty of the Bighorns: purple bell-shaped blooms, forests of pine and aspens, and the occasional moose. Or try the Soldier Ridge Trail, another gentle option, just five minutes from downtown. As you meander through the grassy, wide-open foothills, you’ll feel surrounded by warbling Western meadowlarks and vibrant wildflowers.

A 35-minute drive from Sheridan takes you to Tongue River Canyon, where a trail follows a clear mountain stream flowing between limestone cliffs. With a fly rod and a Wyoming fishing license, you can search for rainbow and brown trout in the pools and riffles.

But you don’t need to leave town to enjoy the great outdoors. At Kendrick Park—part arboretum, part community gathering place—amble through shady trees along Big Goose Creek. In summer, kids splash in the water and people of all ages line up for cones and shakes at Scoops.

Grab a bite.

The Cowboy Cafe downtown is the place to go for a big meal that hits all the spots. Start the day strong with bison and elk sausages with eggs or peach-and-rhubarb French toast.

With a golf simulator, billiards, cornhole, shuffleboard, bocce ball, and an enclosed patio with firepits, The Warehouse Gastropub has plenty to keep you entertained before, during, or after your truffle burger, bison nachos, or ahi bowl. For a quiet evening, the patio at McGregor’s steakhouse offers sunset mountain vistas to go with your sirloin or linguine.

Dress the part.

Every mountain town needs a place where locals dish out advice and provide gear for outdoor adventures. The Sport Stop downtown has hiking boots, backpacks, Patagonia hoodies, and everything else you need to become a mountaineer—or at least look like one.

Whether your overall style is cowboy or trucker, you can find a new hat at the High Mountain Mercantile, the downtown spot for Western blankets, T-shirts, and other Wyoming souvenirs. 

A downtown fixture, 45th Parallel goes beyond typical Western fashion and decor with brightly patterned scarves, sparkling crystals, and bold sterling silver necklaces glimmering with gemstones. 

View Western art.

Thanks to community visionaries with an eye for history, the area has become a bastion of Western art and culture. About 13 miles south of Sheridan, near the tiny town of Big Horn, The Brinton Museum displays art from the 1800s to today. The collection ranges from Old West paintings by Frederic Remington and C.M. Russell to contemporary pieces by Wendy Red Star and Rhonda Holy Bear that challenge the romanticized vision of westward expansion. Built into a hillside, the building is a marvel on its own. The most notable feature, a 51-foot-tall rammed-earth wall, curves dramatically through the center of the museum’s three floors.

Downtown Sheridan itself is an open-air gallery of sorts, with over 150 statues and sculptures on display. A short stroll will take you past a bronze horned toad, a pouncing fox, a somber Sacagawea (Bird Woman), and several abstract works of modern art. Along the way, stop into Ballard’s Fine Art Gallery, where bison, bears, and mountain landscapes shine in oils, pastels, and bronze.

Nearby, the smell of leather wafts through the Don King Western Museum, home to enough artisan saddles to outfit a crowd of cowboys. Visitors can buy handcrafted rope, peer in preserved wagons, and peruse memorabilia honoring gauchos, vaqueros, and other wranglers from all over the world.

Stirrup some fun.

In many ways, Sheridan and its environs still run on horses. Every Sunday in the summer, spectators spread out picnics on the grass at the Big Horn Polo Club and watch horses and riders work together to score goals in fast-paced matches.

For an even greater display of horsepower, visit the Sheridan WYO Rodeo, July 8–11. One highlight: the World Championship Indian Relay Races, where Native American competitors in regalia ride bareback around the track three times, switching between three steeds on the fly.

After the rodeo, boot scoot your way over to the unofficial after-party, the Shots and Spurs Street Dance. Each year, folks fill the block in front of The Mint Bar to two-step to live music under the neon glow of the saloon’s giant bronco-busting cowboy. The fest roars into the wee hours on Friday and Saturday, so come prepared to boogie down in this cow town.