City of Buffalo, Wyoming

On Main Street in Buffalo, Wyoming, there are a number of locally owned and operated shops and restaurants that you can experience. You will find all sorts of interesting treasures along Main Street, including sporting goods, health foods, locally made arts and crafts, antiques, jewelry, and Western wear. You can also sample the local fare at the Busy Bee and Virginian restaurants attached to the historic Occidental Hotel, the oldest hotel in Wyoming.  Or, if your tastes are more exotic, you can sample the cuisines of Mexico, Italy, or Memphis at some of the other restaurants along the strip or elsewhere in town.

The Occidental Hotel

The Occidental Hotel, the Johnson County Courthouse, and the Carnegie Wing of the Jim Gatchell Museum of the West, and many of the other buildings on Main Street are listed in the National Registry of Historic Buildings. Owen Wister stated that, in writing his classic Western novel, “The Virginian,” he was inspired by the gunslingers and other characters he observed at the Occidental Hotel. Also, next to the Gatchell Museum and across Main Street from the Bank of Buffalo, you can see life-sized bronze statues that depict events from the infamous Johnson County cattle war. Those statues were sculpted and bronzed by local artist D. Michael Thomas. If you go to Willow Grove Cemetery, you can visit the graves of some of participants of that war.

Keep an eye out for the many events held on Main Street throughout the year, including parades, cookouts, living history days, and sidewalk sales.

The Buffalo City Public Swimming Pool is the largest in the region, and it is completely FREE. The kids will love the slides and other water-related attractions the pool has to offer. It is adjacent to the City Park and Concessions are available.

Buffalo City Public Swimming Pool

Buffalo Golf Course

The Buffalo Golf Course, which was rated #2 in Wyoming by Golf Digest, is an outstanding 18-hole course with inspiring views of the Big Horn Mountains.  Although the views may not improve your score, they will certainly add to your overall golfing experience. There is also a Certified Volkswalk Path just a hop, skip, and jump away.

Flora and Fauna

Regardless of the season, Buffalo and the surrounding Johnson County area contain diverse plant and animal species. The area is especially beautiful when the wildflowers bloom in spring and when the leaves begin to turn in the autumn. Crazy Woman Canyon is a must see in almost any season. In the late summer, you might even get lucky and beat the bears and the birds to the wild raspberries that grow along the roadside. The region is full of wildlife, including Pronghorn Antelope, Whitetail Deer, Mule Deer, Moose, and Elk. You will never tire of seeing them. Be sure to bring your camera!

Bull Moose

Hunting and Fishing

Johnson County Fair and Rodeo

Rodeos

The Annual Johnson County Fair and Rodeo is held early in August at the County Fairgrounds in Buffalo. A Fair and Rodeo Parade is held on Main Street in Buffalo the Saturday morning of Fair and Rodeo Week.

In addition to the Annual Johnson County Fair and Rodeo, there are other amateur, youth, and other rodeo events scheduled frequently all summer long at the Fairgrounds.

Clear Creek Centennial Trail

One example of those natural wonders is the Clear Creek Centennial Trail. It is a scenic, groomed walkway through town and along Clear Creek for several miles or a short walk – whichever suits your needs. Deer and other wildlife are often seen along the trail. The trail is approximately 10 miles long and extends all the way into the Big Horn Mountains.

If you enjoy Western history, you are in for a real treat as Indian Campground is located directly on the Historic Bozeman Trail.  If you drive within one half hour of our location, you can tour the sites of the Wagon Box and Fetterman Fights as well as Fort Phil Kearny.  At Fort Phil Kearny, you will learn about Portugee Philips’ epic 250-mile horseback ride through a raging blizzard.  He was sent to bring reinforcements to the Fort, which was under siege by hostile Native Americans.  There are many other Indian battle sites in this area as well.

Fort Phil Kearny

Gatchell Museum of the West

Feel free to ask us about these sites and local events or take a short trip downtown to the Gatchell Museum of the West. The museum houses over 10,000 artifacts of local Western and Native American history.