Cloud Peak Scenic Skyway & Cloud Peak Wilderness Area

Cloud Peak Scenic Skyway - Highway 16 west of Buffalo takes you through some of the most unspoiled and un-crowded high country scenery left in America.  Most of the year (and sometimes even in the summer), the majestic high peaks of the Bighorn Mountains are white with snow, and abundant wildlife can be seen everywhere you look.  Keep your eyes peeled for groups of deer and elk, plentiful bird life, and the occasional giant moose that may come right down to the edge of the road. Along the route, you will see markers identifying the various rock formations, some of which are more than 3.5 billion years old -- among the oldest rock exposures in North America.  On the west side of the mountains, you will descend through Tensleep Canyon, with its spectacular limestone cliffs.

Cloud Peak Wilderness Area - Accessible only by hiking and horse trails, this high wilderness area of 189,000 acres at the core of the Bighorn range offers excellent opportunities for rock climbing and mountaineering.   It's highest point is Cloud Peak, which soars 13,175 above sea level, and most of the remaining wilderness area is above 9,000 feet.   The area was covered by 19 glaciers during the most recent ice age -- 6,000 to 9,000 years ago.  Remnants of the last of these glaciers can still be seen on the east side of Cloud Peak, in a classic glacial cirque.   Black bear and mountain lion are often seen here.  This is an area for experienced outdoors men and women, and special permission from the U.S. Forest Service is required to enter it.