Last-Minute Cody Yellowstone Vacation on a Budget; Free and Moderately Priced Experiences (And a Few Splurge-Worthy Ones Too)
CODY, Wyo., Aug. 16, 2024 – Vacationers seeking a high-adventure, last-minute vacation with a low-budget price tag should plan a trip to northwestern Wyoming’s Cody Yellowstone this summer. Home to an array of authentic Western experiences and offering easy access to two of Yellowstone National Park’s five gates, the region offers affordable fun for families, couples, athletes, history buffs, music-lovers and solitude-seekers.
“Fun doesn’t have to cost a fortune in here,” said Ryan Hauck, executive director of Cody Yellowstone, the marketing arm for the region that includes the towns of Cody, Powell and Meeteetse, parts of the Shoshone National Forest and a large swath of Yellowstone National Park. “With a variety of free and moderately priced adventures, the region offers incredible value for budget-minded travelers.”
With all the money saved, travelers might also want to select a splurge-worthy adventure or two, Hauck added.
Cody Yellowstone is home to a wide range of accommodations – from campsites to luxury inns – and even last-minute travelers can find a place to stay within their budgets.
Here are some examples of free and moderately priced experiences in Cody Yellowstone.
Free activities:
- Download a TravelStorys audio tour. Cody Yellowstone just added a narrated tour that provides information on the Chief Joseph Scenic Byway. Accessed through a smart phone app, the tour describes various topics of historical significance, geology of the region, fire ecology, wildlife, dude/guest ranches and more.
- Have a cold one on the “Sippin’ Trail.” Cody was lauded for having the best small-town beer scene in the U.S. and once visitors experience it they will find it easy to see why. The people-watching is free, and visitors can download a Sippin’Trail pass that allows them to accumulate points for prizes.
- Find “Snoopy the Dog” or “Laughing Pig Rock.” The Buffalo Bill Scenic Byway between Cody and the east entrance to Yellowstone National Park has abundant and very weird rock formations and lava flows that have been imaginatively named by locals.
- Watch the wacky gunfight. The place to be on summer evenings is outside the Irma Hotel to watch this supremely entertaining group of actors engage in Western skits that always end up in a gunfight. Want a guaranteed seat? Buy a reserved seat for $3 through Cody Trolley Tours, which departs from the same location. Shows performed through Sept. 22.
- See Buffalo Bill Cody’s hunting lodge, Pahaska Tepee. This is where Buffalo Bill went to relax with friends such as Teddy Roosevelt and the Prince of Monaco. Built in 1904, this hunting lodge sits just outside the East Gate of Yellowstone National Park.
- If there’s someone in the group who likes to see how things work, stop at the Buffalo Bill Dam Visitor Center, located six miles west of Cody. Water was as much a concern in the days of Buffalo Bill Cody as it is in the West today. Cody foresaw that and convinced the U.S. government to build a dam to help conserve that precious resource. Visitor Center open through Sept. 30.
- View fine Western art created by local artists at the Cody Country Art League, which shares a historic building – the original Buffalo Bill Museum – with the Cody Visitor Center. Artists with ties to the community display photography, oil and watercolor paintings, sculptures and more.
- Stroll through history while viewing hundreds of relic guns and other weapons at the Cody Dug Up Gun Museum. This fun and funky museum presents weapons from many periods in American history. Open through September.
- Meeteetse Museums is comprised of the Meeteetse Museum, Charles Belden Museum of Western Photography and Bank Museum. The museums house an extensive collection of historic items and host a variety of free tours such as the Legend Rock Tour, which explores hundreds of ancient petroglyphs.
- Strap on your walking shoes and hike, stroll and explore downtown Cody and some of the many hiking trails that surround the town. Cody features a variety of shops and artists galleries that welcome window shopping visitors.
- See a bison, bear, eagle, bighorn sheep, river otter, fox, coyote, elk or wolf in the wild. Spotting wildlife is free, and visitors typically don’t have to go far to see an array of species. Tip: bring binoculars wherever you go and practice safe viewing by leaving plenty of distance from the animal.
- Enjoy a free concert in Cody’s City Park. Every Thursday evening in July and August the City of Cody sponsors a concert at the band shell in the centrally located park. Picnic baskets, chairs and blankets are encouraged.
- The recently renovated Historic Cody Mural and Museum depicts scenes of early history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Painted by Edward T. Grigware, the elaborate mural stretches to the visitor center rotunda. The museum includes items brought to Wyoming by Mormon pioneers.
- The Homesteader Museum in nearby Powell is a collection of exhibits showing the world of pioneers, including renovated homesteader cabins, tools, photographs and other artifacts depicting the rugged life of a Wyoming homesteader.
Moderately priced experiences:
- Cody is home to the world-renowned Buffalo Bill Center of the West. Plan plenty of time to explore the five museums – Whitney Western Art Museum, Cody Firearms Museum, Draper Natural History Museum, Plains Indians Museum and Buffalo Bill Museum. Admission for two days at the museum is $23 for adults.
- Visit Heart Mountain WW II Interpretive Center, where 14,000 Japanese-American citizens were incarcerated following Japan’s bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941. The Interpretive Center includes thoughtfully presented exhibits that explore that difficult period of the country’s history, and it is a must-see stop for students of American history, young and old. Admission is $14 for adults.
- Western history buffs will appreciate a visit to Old Trail Town/Museum of the Old West, an enclave of 27 authentic frontier buildings (one used by Butch Cassidy and his gang) and several gravesites, including that of the infamous Jeremiah “Liver Eating” Johnston – portrayed by actor Robert Redford in the 1972 self-titled film. Admission is $12 for adults. Open through Sept. 30.
- The Cody Nite Rodeo is a classic must-see experience for summer-season visitors. Open nightly from June 1 through August 31, the rodeo features riders, ropers, bull riders and bronc busters from all over the country. Admission for adults is $24.
- Shoot a Gatling Gun. Visitors to the indoor shooting range at the Cody Firearms Experience can shoot replicas of a variety of guns through history under the close supervision of dedicated instructors. Starting price for adults is $49.
- Learn the history and geography of Cody during an hour-long Cody Trolley Tour. Guides entertainingly spin the tales of Cody’s evolution, from wild frontier town to authentic Western vacation destination. Tickets for adults are priced at $28. Tours offered through Oct. 5.
Splurge-worthy Adventures:
- Enjoy dinner and a show at the Cody Cattle Company. This acclaimed nightly event features a terrific buffet dinner plus an hour-long performance by Ryan Martin and the enthusiastic members of the Triple C Cowboys. Dinner and show tickets are $43. Visitors can also by a Trifecta Ticket that includes the Cody Nite Rodeo, dinner and the show for $65. Shows performed through Sept. 20.
- Enjoy a chuckwagon dinner. Located at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West, the 2 Mules chuckwagon features traditional cowboy cuisine prepared at an actual chuckwagon. Tickets for adults are $50. Dinners available through Aug. 31.
- Take a guided tour of Yellowstone National Park. With 2.2 million acres, five entrances, abundant free-roaming wildlife and geothermal features unlike any other place on Earth, a visit to Yellowstone National Park is best explored with guides who share details about the park’s furry residents, hot spots and other natural wonders. Pricing varies.
- Go fishing with a guide. Cody Yellowstone Country is home to hundreds of fishing spots, and the region is known for its blue-ribbon trout fishing. Pricing varies.
- Explore Cody Yellowstone the way the early explorers did – on horseback. Numerous stables and dude and guest ranches offer equestrian experiences ranging from authentic week-long adventures to trail rides. Pricing varies. Trail rides available through mid-September.
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Home of the Great American Adventure, Cody Yellowstone is comprised of the northwestern Wyoming towns of Cody, Powell and Meeteetse as well as the valley east of Yellowstone National Park. The region is known for rodeos, authentic guest and dude ranches, world-class museums and recreational adventures that reflect the adventurous spirit of the visionaries and explorers who brought the remote region to the world’s attention.
Related hashtags:
#YellowstoneCountry
#CodyWyoming
#CenteroftheWest
#BuffaloBill
#Yellowstone
Media contact:
Mesereau Travel Public Relations
720-284-1512
