Traveling The Black To Yellow Region In Wyoming

Did you watch my “Five Regions of Wyoming” video and now you're just dying to know more about each of these areas? In this episode of Wynot?, we’re going to take a road trip through the Black to Yellow region. We’ll go from the Black Hills in South Dakota all the way over to Yellowstone National Park to discover beautiful Wyoming even closer.

The Black To Yellow Region

Did you know that the Black to Yellow region actually got its name over 100 years ago? This was back when they first named it the Black to Yellow Trail, which begins at Mount Rushmore in the Black Hills. If you've never been to Mount Rushmore, it's just a four-and-a-half-hour drive from Cheyenne—and I'd recommend that you get there soon.

There you will find hot springs, dinosaur dig sites, Sturgis for you bikers, and obviously Mount Rushmore and Crazy Horse. Of course, this show is all about Wyoming, so I'll let you figure out that road trip for yourselves. To begin our Black to Yellow journey, we’re going to start out in the town of Newcastle.

Newcastle To Gillette

Newcastle is located right near the state line. When you visit this city, you're going to want to check out the Dogie Theater and catch a movie. They play a movie every single night at 7:00 pm, and after the movie, you can go get some delicious Italian food over at Isabella's Italian restaurant. That's right: even in Newcastle, there's awesome Italian food. Weather permitting, if you can get a seat on the patio, I would strongly recommend that.

Next, we're going to jump in the car and head west over to Gillette. You're going to need to go just a little bit out of the way further north so you can hit Devils Tower National Monument. This 867-foot tall geological feature was America's first National Monument. It has actually been mentioned in the oral storytelling of Native Americans for thousands of years. Here’s a little bit of pop culture for you guys: Devils Tower was actually featured in the Hollywood blockbuster hit Close Encounters of the Third Kind.

Now that you're in Gillette, you're going to probably want to spend the day checking out the museums. There's a Rockpile Museum, the Frontier Auto Museum, and a lot of little shops around town. You’ll want to head over and grab a beer at the Gillette Brewing Company before you head out on the road.

Buffalo To Ten Sleep

As you continue on, you can have some fun in Buffalo. Drink a Sassafrass at the Old Occidental Hotel before you head into town and see the rest of the museums. My personal favorites are the Wyoming in Color and Crazy Woman museums. They're both really fantastic. Be sure to cap off the night with one of the greatest steaks anywhere around at the Winchester Steakhouse.

Now you have a choice to make. This first option is to head north up to Sheridan and have some fun. Grab a beer at the Black Tooth Brewing Company or Luminous Brewhouse, then take a walk around and visit some of the many museums and art shops that are right there in town. You can even go for a guided horseback tour at the Spear-O-Wigwam Ranch.

Your other option is to head south and catch some of the most picturesque scenery along Highway 16 as you head towards Ten sleep and the Ten Sleep Rock Ranch. Don't forget to stop in at Dirty Sally's and grab a cup of coffee while you're there, or head over to the Ten Sleep Brewing Company where you can get a bite to eat and a cold beer.

Worland To Cody

Our next stop on our trip will be Worland—before we head north to Greybull. This entire area is all about the scenery, so take your time, take in the views, and enjoy the ride. Some points of interest in this area might be the Gooseberry Badlands Scenic Overlook, the Honeycombs Wilderness, Devil's Kitchen, and the Red Gulch Dinosaur Tracksite—just to name a few.

While in town, you're not going to want to miss the Washakie Museum. Here at this museum, you can learn all about the history of the Bighorn Basin from ancient mammoth hunters all the way to the early settlers. Next, you’re on your way west to Cody. This city is named for its original founder, the famous Buffalo Bill Cody, and is full of wild west adventure.

Here in the town of Cody, you’ll find tons of museums and other historic sites—including some reenactments of wild west shootouts right there on the streets. The town also hosts concerts in the park all summer long. And when you're ready for some real adventure, just know that Wyoming River Trips has consistently been rated as a five-star rafting company on TripAdvisor. So go ahead and strap on your helmet and hit the rapids.

Ending At Yellowstone

From the beginning of our journey in the Black Hills, we’ve finally arrived at our destination: the easternmost edge of Yellowstone National Park. As you can see, the Black to Yellow region of Wyoming is full of tons of fun. You can enjoy the museums, shops, and historic sites or you can get out and enjoy the scenery through this entire region by day. In the evening, you’ll find plenty of local breweries where you can grab a beer and enjoy your evening.

There are plenty of art museums and tales as old as time about the local history and the geology of the surrounding areas. Just like all of the regions, the entire state of Wyoming is full of plenty of outdoor activities. So Wynot grab your gear, come on up, and plan to stay awhile?

Make sure you subscribe to my channel so you don’t miss the next region of Wyoming that I’ll feature soon. If you want to know more about making your home in our great state of Wyoming, feel free to reach out to me and I’ll be happy to connect!