Frostier weather and the holiday season are in the air throughout Park County, Wyoming! But the cold doesn’t mean we’re shuffling indoors for the next four or five months. Rather, it’s time to turn over our closets and break out winter sports gear to accommodate a change in scenery.
Skiing, snowmobiling, snowshoeing, ice climbing, and ice fishing are just a handful of the winter sports options that Western Wyoming has to offer winter athletes and outdoor enthusiasts. The season to enjoy them is just around the corner! It’s time to tune-up your gear so it’ll be ready to go as soon as Park County’s wealth of groomed trails are primed to enjoy.
If you haven’t had the time to research and invest in winter sports gear, or don’t know where to start, we have some great local recommendations. Shoshone Lodge and Sunset Sports can help advise or provide gear rentals for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. North Fork Anglers is the go-to stop in the area for outfitting your tackle box. If you’re looking to spend some time snowmobiling this year, Mountain Valley Motorsports can fix you up, and the Cody Country Snowmobile Association is a great community resource for first-time and long-time snow-machiners looking for camaraderie.
If you’re hoping to map out some plans, adventurers will find 15+ miles of groomed trails, backcountry trails, an overnight tent, and a warming hut at the Wood River Valley Ski Touring Park, just Southwest of Meeteetse. Keep in mind, the East entrance to Yellowstone National Park is open to winter use, and the Shoshone National Forest is an incomparable setting for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing.
The South Fork of the Shoshone River is a popular location for experienced ice climbers, and the best ice fishing in the Bighorn Basin can be found just outside of Cody, at Buffalo Bill Reservoir. Its likely ice on the lake won’t be thick enough for fishing until after the first of the year, but it’s better to prepare your gear (including your hut if you’ve got one) so you’ve got the best chance at drilling a hole in the ice at an ideal spot, with the very best view.
Here’s to winter and wishing you an enjoyable holiday season from all of us at 307 Real Estate! May fear of cold, and winter boredom remain far, far away – because the Park County area has more than enough outdoor entertainment to offer this season.