Preserving History in Stone on the Red Gulch/Alkali Byway

Drive along Wyoming’s Red Gulch/Alkali Back Country Byway when it's open and dry, between May and October, and you’ll encounter stunning showcases of area history as well as the colorful geography of the Bighorn Mountains.

Begin at the byway’s northern end on US Highway 14 and make your way south until you reach the Red Gulch Dinosaur Track Site, the largest dinosaur track site in Wyoming. Here you can see time-defying footprints left by our hulking reptilian predecessors imprinted in stone.

Red Gulch Dinosaur Track (WY) [1]

Continue south along the byway, taking in the rock formations unique to the Alkali area. As you near the byway’s southern end, just north of Hyattville, look for the intersection of Cold Springs Road and Alkali Road. Only 6 miles away lies the Medicine Lodge State Archeological Site. Here petroglyphs and pictographs linger on the walls, remnants of an ancient Native American culture. Take your time to enjoy the markings by camping at one of the site's 25 designated camping spots.

When you make the decision to drive this unpaved route, pack some water, gas up in Greybull or Shell, WY, and head out. Through the Alkali area and past Red Gulch along the western edge of the Bighorn National Forest, you’ll find the perfect meld of history and geography on the Red Gulch/Alkali National Back Country Byway.