Page 580 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - USA

578  THE ROCKIES

The Medicine Wheel on Medicine Mountain, the Bighorn Scenic Byway (US 14)
j Bighorn Wyoming’s northeastern corner, grew up around the 1860s
Mountains looming over the banks of Fort Caspar, now a historical
the Belle Fourche River. Set site and museum, known as
Bighorn National Forest: Tel (307) 674- aside as a national monument the Fort Caspar Museum.
2600. ∑ fs.usda.gov/bighorn
by President Theodore Many of the fort buildings
Standing at the western edge Roosevelt in 1906, Devil’s Tower have been reconstructed at
of the historic plains of the (also known as Bear’s Lodge) is the point where the historic
Powder River Basin, the Bighorn a sacred site of worship for Oregon Trail (see p446) crossed
Mountains were named for many Native Americans. The the North Platte River, west of
the bighorn sheep that were rolling hills of this 2-sq-mile downtown. The museum
once abundant here. Crowned (5-sq-km) park are covered features a variety of cultural
by the 13,175-ft (4,016-m) with pine forests, deciduous and natural history exhibits
Cloud Peak, the mountains are woodlands, and prairie grass- pertaining to central Wyoming.
crossed by a pair of very scenic lands, and abound in deer, North and west of Casper lie
highways, US 16 in the south prairie dogs, and other wildlife. miles of arid badlands, including
(the old Yellowstone Trail) and The site’s vertical rock walls such sites as the legendary
US 14 in the north, which divides and scenic trails are a magnet “Hole in the Wall,” where out-
into two forks. The north ernmost for rock climbers and hikers. laws such as Butch Cassidy had
section of US 14 climbs past hideouts. More accessible to
one of the country’s most visitors is the weirdly eroded
enigmatic archaeological sites, l Casper forest of figures known as “Hell’s
the Medicine Wheel, an 80-ft * 60,100. £ n 139 W 2nd St, Suite Half Acre,” located 35 miles
(24-m) diameter stone circle, 1B, (307) 234-5362. ∑ visitcasper.com (56 km) west of town on the
which is located 27 miles (43 km) south side of US 20.
east of Lovell. This ancient circle Located in the heart of
is held sacred by Native Sioux Wyoming, Casper has been E Fort Caspar Museum
and Cheyenne, and offers a vast the center of the state’s large 4001 Fort Caspar Rd. Tel (307) 235-
panorama from its 10,000-ft petroleum industry since 1890. 8462. Open 8am–5pm Tue–Sat;
(3,048-m) elevation. Surrounded by miles of broad, May & Sep: 8am–5pm daily. & 7
flat plains, this large, busy city ∑ fortcasparwyoming.com
k Devil’s Tower
National
Monument
n (307) 467-5283.  ∑ nps.
gov/deto
Rising over 1,200 ft (366 m)
above the surrounding plains,
Devil’s Tower is a flat-topped
volcanic plug that looks like
a giant tree stump. Featured
in the 1977 Steven Spielberg
movie Close Encounters of
the Third Kind, this geological
landmark is located in The exterior of Fort Caspar Museum, Casper
For hotels and restaurants in this region see pp592–3 and pp594–5

578-579_EW_USA.indd 578 11/2/16 3:54 PM
Eyewitness Travel LAYERS PRINTED:
Catalogue template “UK” LAYER
(Source v2.7)
Date 1st October 2013
Size 125mm x 217mm