Riverton, WY Over the Bighorns to Sheridan, WY

221.77 Miles | 4:08 Riding Time

It’s Sunday, July 21, 2024, and it’s Day 102 of my cross country motorcycle trip.

Today was a relatively short ride to set myself up for a few days in the black hills. I wanted to cross the Bighorns on RT-14 through the Bighorn National Forest. I also wanted to visit the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument (Custer’s Last Stand). And, I wanted to visit the Devil’s Tower National Monument (Close Encounters of the Third Kind).

The catch was that if I went through the Bighorns, then went up to the Battlefield in the same day, and spend an hour at each place, it would make for a 6.5 hour ride. And, I’d be in the middle of the Crow reservation with no place to stay, which would make for an 7.5 - 8 hour day. Oh, and it was going to be 90+ degrees. So, I opted to head to Sheridan, WY and go from there.

The ride north started out pretty flat and uneventful, but the ride though Wind River Canyon, between Riverton and Thermopolis was beautiful. It got even nicer once I passed that RV. You can always count on a canyon ride along a river to be pretty, and twisty.

I went through Thermopolis, Worland and Basin. The ride got greener the closer I got to the forest. After making the right onto RT-14, I could see the Bighorns in front of me. Whenever I’m approaching a mountain pass, I find myself looking to see if I can pick out the road in the distance. I wonder what route through, over and around I’ll be taking.

Once in the forest, the road got twisty and steep, and there was a fair number of rocks on the road—all reasons to take it slower. (Side note: Some signs say “Watch for “Falling Rocks”, while other signs say “Watch for Fallen Rocks.” Don’t fallen rocks have to first be falling rocks? Some places solve the grammar problem by just saying “Watch for Rocks.” I like that approach.)

I stopped at Shell Falls, and took some pictures, and it started a light rain, which was a welcome relief from the heat. I kept climbing, first through rocky cliffs, then to beautiful, rolling meadows as I reached the summit at 9,062 feet. The way down the other side was also steep and twisty. The views of the eastern valley made for a great ride down. And, after some highway miles, I arrived in Sheridan, WY.

The Route