Cody.

Whenever we come out of Yellowstone Park into Wyoming past the Grand Teton's we always pass through Cody but as yet we have never stayed there, but always managed a couple of photos here and there. Cody will have a lot to offer the tourist in it's long history but we have not as yet discovered the real Cody, just only using it as a passing through town.

Getting there Cody is located about 50 miles east of Yellowstone National Park in northwest Wyoming. Cody's Yellowstone Regional Airport is served by Sky West Airlines from Salt Lake City and Mesa Airlines/United Express from Denver. Rental cars are also available.

By car, U.S. 310 connects Interstate 90 west of Billings, Montana, with U.S. Highway 14-A or Wyoming 120. From the south, take Interstate 25 to Casper, then U.S. 20 to Thermopolis and Wyoming 120 to Cody. From the east, take Interstate 90 to U.S. Highways 16 and 14 via Buffalo, Worland, and Greybull or U.S. Highway 14-A (north of Sheridan) over the Big Horn Mountains.
Cody marked its 100th anniversary as a town in 1996. Special events included several wagon trains, a hot air balloon festival, and a bike tour. Theodore Roosevelt once called the highway between Cody and Yellowstone National Park (U.S. 14-16-20) "the most scenic 50 miles in America."
Buffalo Bill Dam west of Cody was Wyoming's first major dam and, when completed in 1910, it was the highest concrete dam in the world.

Since before its beginnings as a town in the late 19th century, Cody has had the stuff to spark Western imaginations. Lewis and Clark party alumnus John Colter traveled through the area in 1807, observing unearthly thermal activity that led to his descriptions of what came to be called "Coulter's Hell." Mountain man Jim Bridger and Theodore Roosevelt were among others fascinated by the physical beauty and bounty of this land.

Buffalo Bill.

But it was frontier legend William F. "Buffalo" Cody who gave the town its name and fame. Spurred by the Carey Act of 1894 which encouraged the settlement of arid Western lands, a partnership led by George Beck invited Cody to take part in developing a town. Cody enthusiastically agreed, helped promote the town through his Wild West shows, and ultimately called the town home himself. The Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad arrived in 1901, helping establish Cody as a tourist center and a gateway to Yellowstone National Park. The following year, Buffalo Bill built the Irma Hotel to serve vacationers -- a role it still plays today. By 1909, Cody was the seat of Park County.

Cody's past -- and that of the West as a whole -- are lovingly preserved at many sites throughout the town. The best known and most comprehensive is the Buffalo Bill Historical Center. In addition to its role as a Yellowstone National Park gateway, Cody is the headquarters for the Shoshone National Forest and an outfitting spot for backcountry adventures throughout western Wyoming. With about 8,000 people, Cody also is among the largest towns in northwest Wyoming and an important retail and services center.

Tour Yellowstone National Park, about 50 miles west of Cody via U.S. Highway 14/16/20. Or go off the beaten path to the 2.5-million acre Shoshone National Forest, home to vast tracts of designated wilderness, abundant wildlife, and outstanding recreation.
Visit the Buffalo Bill Historical Center, recognized as one of the world's best collections of Western Americana. Actually four museums in one (the Buffalo Bill Museum, the Cody Firearms Museum, the Plains Indian Museum, and the Whitney Gallery of Western Art), the complex devotes more than 250,000 square feet to displays as varied as Buffalo Bill's boyhood home (moved to Wyoming from Iowa in 1933), artifacts from the Plains Indians' Ghost Dance movement of the late 1880s, and artist Frederic Remington's studio.

Float the Shoshone River. Raft trips range from two hours to all day in length. Other popular summer activities include wagon rides, golf, mountain biking, horseback rides, and scenic flights. And of course Cody Wild West Days.
Enjoy bronco-bustin' action at the Cody Night Rodeo, held each evening June through August at the Rodeo Grounds on Yellowstone Highway.

Take a gallery stroll. The Cody Gallery Association hosts leisurely walks through the town's art galleries, which have special evening hours on Thursdays all summer long. Meanwhile, music lovers will want to stop by the Cody City Bandshell for concerts at 6 p.m. each Friday during July and August.

Explore the past at Trail Town, a collection of frontier buildings and pioneer artifacts, and the Historic Wyoming Territory Old West Miniature Village and Museum, featuring a diorama of Western history.

See Buffalo Bill Dam, completed in 1910 and designated a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark. The grounds include a natural history museum, dam overlook, and striking views of the Shoshone River Canyon.

Go fishing. Cody is surrounded by blue-ribbon trout streams, and knowledgeable local outfitters can help you find the best spots.

Perhaps the greatest asset of Buffalo Bill's home town of Cody is the continuation of the spirit of individual accomplishment, western hospitality, honesty, and friendliness, and joint cooperation of the citizens as was instilled in the early settlers by the "Old Scout". That spirit still prevails and is manifested today on the streets and in the homes of Cody Country people.

Devils Tower.

Brought to international attention by the hugely popular movie, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Devils Tower has been a sacred place of numerous Indian tribes since prehistoric times.

Devils Tower National Monument is located in northeastern Wyoming, in beautiful Crook County. The Tower and the surrounding 1,347 acres were designated as our nation's first National Monument by President Teddy Roosevelt in 1906. Scientists believe that Devils Tower is the core of a volcano exposed after millions of years of erosion caused by weather and the Belle Fourche River. (The Belle Fourche River meanders around the base of the tower, 1,267 feet below the summit.) While the name of Devils Tower may not be a household word, millions will recognize the shape of the Tower from the movie Close Encounters of the Third Kind, which featured the Tower as the landing spot for the awesome Mother Ship.