Sheridan, Wyoming located at the foothills of the Bighhorn Mountains is located 20 miles from Buffalo, Wyoming, 3 hours from Cody, Wyoming and 5 hours from Yellowstone National Park. This town of 17,860 was founded in 1882 and named after General Philip H. Sheridan.
Wyoming’s Coolest Small Town
This spruced up cowboy town is often referred to as the gateway to some of Wyoming’s coolest stuff. With authentic western hospitality, it has been the Wild West important destinations, surrounded by mountains, national parks and a lot of wide open land.
Downtown Sheridan
Sheridan has a long main street with historical unique shops, restaurants, ice cream parlours and more. Surf Wyoming is a unique T-shirt shop which you have to visit and also has a store in Cody. When asked how the store got it’s name: Wind Surfing on lakes in Wyoming is a popular activity. Bighorn Design Studio is also here – one of the largest full-service custom embroidery, screen print, sign and graphic design studio in the Northern Rockies. Make sure to stop at Red Bison Studio who I stumbled on to their great mugs in Buffalo, Wyoming. The best coffee and blueberry muffins are at Little Bistro and Bakery on Main Street. King’s Saddlery has everything imaginable to get your cowboy on – boots, hats, saddles, rodeo chaps and watch them make specialty ropes. If you are into fly-fishing (my husbands new found sport), Fly Shop of the Bighorns can help you out. There are 3 golfcourses – public Kendrick Golf Course, Hidden Ridge Golfcourse, The Powder Horn Private Golf Club.
SAGE and For The Arts
The real draw though is the art installations statues on every corner of downtown Sheridan. I had to stop into SAGE Community Arts where I became a artist member earlier in this year 2019. I am super excited to be part of this art community and look forward to being a long time member. The Sheridan Public Arts Council organizes all the public art installations throughout Sheridan, including permanent sculptures and sculptures on-loan.
Buffalo Bill’s Sheridan Inn
The Sheridan Inn is something to see – built in 1893 by a railroad company and managed by “Buffalo Bill” Cody where he would audition new members for his touring “Wild West” show on the front lawn and he was seen overlooking auditions from the hotel’s wraparound porch. The hotel had a major restoration in 2015 and reopened to the public for the first time in 50 years.
The Nelson Inn, Home away from Home
The rooms are modest at The Sheridan Inn, so we decided on staying at The Nelson Inn on Main Street – and so glad we found it as it was the best stay to date on any road trip. The Nelson Inn is like your own home away from home, a contemporary newly renovated fourplex. We had a 2 bedroom/2 bath suite for the price of a hotel room with full kitchen, air conditioning, wifi, patio and one of the best beds ever slept on a while traveling. The Inn is a key location because you can park in the back of the building for a day or so and walk around all the downtown shops.
Sheridan, the Gateway to the Bighorns
There are other places outside of Sheridan to visit like the Brinton Museum with a Western and American Indian Art collection of 19th, 20th and 21st century. Or the UCross Foundation Red Barn Art Gallery. Little Bighorn Custers Last Stand is an hour north of Sheridan. The fascinating Medicine Wheel, an 80-foot-wide that has been used for sacred tribal ceremonies for over a thousand years and is only accessed by a 1.5 mile hike ending at an elevation of 10,000 feet. Don’t forget a trip to the Bighorn Mountains – The Big Horn Scenic Byway/U.S. 14 starts about 28 miles northwest of Sheridan and climbs through Bighorn National Forest.
Between Buffalo,Wyoming and Sheridan, Wyoming is the UCross 20,000 acre Ranch and Foundation established in 1981. The mission of the UCross Foundation is to “foster the creative spirit of deeply committed artists by providing uninterrupted time, studio space, living accommodations and experience the majestic High Plans while serving as a good stewart”. Artists of all disciplines, writers, composers, visual and performing artists can apply for residency from 1 week to a month and stay for free while studying their creative art. Artists come from all over the world and the list is impressive who have won Golden Globe, Tony Awards, Pulitzer Prizes and National Book Awards are impressive.
There is so much to explore in Wyoming – and a great destination always leaves you wanting more. Definitely put Sheridan, Wyoming on your list to see on your next Road Trip.
