Planning a Trip

Getting There

Cody's Yellowstone Regional Airport (tel. 307/587-5096) serves the Bighorn Basin as well as the east and northeast entrances of Yellowstone National Park with year-round commercial flights via Delta (tel. 800/221-1212) and United (tel. 800/864-8331) through Salt Lake City and Denver.

If you're driving from Cheyenne, travel north on I-25 to Casper, then west on U.S. 20/26 to Shoshoni, where U.S. 20 turns north to Thermopolis. From there, it's another 84 miles to Cody on Wyo. 120. From Jackson, take U.S. 191 to the West Thumb Junction in Yellowstone, drive east along the northern boundary of Yellowstone Lake, and continue on U.S. 14/16/20 to Cody. Coming from the southwest, drive north from Rock Springs on U.S. 191 to Farson, Wyo. 28 to Lander, Wyo. 789 to Thermopolis, and Wyo. 120 to Cody.

Visitor Information

For printed information on this area of Wyoming, contact the Buffalo Bill's Cody/Yellowstone Country, 836 Sheridan Ave. (P.O. Box 2454), Cody, WY 82414 (tel. 307/587-2297; www.yellowstonecountry.org), or the Wyoming Business Council Travel and Tourism Division, I-25 at College Drive, Cheyenne, WY 82002 (tel. 800/225-5996 or 307/777-7777; www.wyomingtourism.org).

Getting Around

If you haven't come by car, you'll probably need to rent one; there's little public transportation. Budget (tel. 800/527-0700 or 307/587-6066), Thrifty (tel. 800/367-2277 or 307/587-8855), and Hertz (tel. 800/654-3131 or 307/587-2914) maintain desks at Yellowstone Regional Airport.

Special Events

The Buffalo Bill Historical Center is a tremendous resource for unique events in Cody. The April festival of Cowboy Songs and Range Ballads features storytelling, poetry, and some fine yodeling and balladry. In mid-June, the Plains Indian Powwow brings alive the Robbie Powwow Garden on the south end of the Buffalo Bill Historical Center parking lot with whirling color. Traditional dance competitions are coupled with craft shows and American Indian food, and non-Indians are welcomed into round dances. Call the Buffalo Bill Historical Center (tel. 307/587-4771) for information.

Every July 1 to July 4, during the Cody Stampede, the streets are filled with parades, fireworks, street dances, barbecues, and entertainment, capped by a top-notch rodeo. Call tel. 800/207-0744 or 307/587-5155 for tickets (visit www.codystampederodeo.org for more information). For 2 days in July, the cool rhythms of jazz and the brassy sound of big band and swing music take over the lawn of the Elks Club, 1202 Beck Ave., and other venues during the Yellowstone Jazz Festival. Featured musicians come from afar, and all varieties of jazz are heard from 11am until dark. Call tel. 307/587-2777 for information.

In mid-August, the Buffalo Bill Historical Center (tel. 307/587-4771) stages the Buffalo Bill Celebrity Shootout, where celebrities and local shooters test their skills in trap, skeet, sporting clays, and five-stand shooting. In late September, Cody hosts the Western Design Conference (tel. 888/685-0574) at the Cody Auditorium and the Buffalo Bill Historical Center, a gathering of artisans to show off their work in Western-style furniture, decor, and clothing.