Sheridan, Wyoming

Sheridan, Wyoming located at the foothills of the Bighorn Mountains is located 20 miles from Buffalo, Wyoming, 3 hours from Cody, Wyoming, 5 hours from Cheyenne, 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’s important destination, 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 parlors and more.  Surf Wyoming is a unique T-shirt shop that you have to visit and also has a store in Cody. When asked how the store got its 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, screenprint, 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. For great coffee and bakery try Java Moon on Main Street, who also showcases local artist monthly. 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, Fly Shop of the Bighorns can help you out. Don’t miss Kendrick City Park which offers free concerts in the park and a viewing of the Trails End Buffalo Park. There are 3 golf courses – the public Kendrick Golf Course, Hidden Ridge Golfcourse, The Powder Horn Private Golf Club.

Watch “Flying Through Sheridan” from Visit Sheridan.

Sheridan Public Arts

The real draw though is the art installations statues on every corner of downtown Sheridan. Stop into SAGE Community Arts where I became an artist member early in 2019 and am now the marketing coordinator. 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. SPAC needed a new website, so I redesigned it and rolled out their new website in January 2022.

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.

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 centuries. 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. If you want to get a real experience, watch the series “The Backyard” created by Visit Sheridan, Director of Tourism Shawn Parker.

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.

For more information on Wyoming, watch the 1 hour Wyoming PBS video here.