A one-nighter in Rock Springs, Wyoming, and it was time to shuffle off to Buffalo…Buffalo, Wyoming, that is. We stumbled on this small, western town several years back and it remains on our radar today whenever we roll through the windy State of Wyoming.
Full disclosure…I am not a big fan of KOA campgrounds, however, the KOA in Buffalo has cinched our hearts. Family-run and meticulously cared for, this KOA is at the top of its game with a welcoming attitude, friendly smiles, clean sites, and a well-stocked store. The campground has a shaded, vintage section and a posh, newer section which opened five years ago. While there is minimal shade in this section, the sites are extra sweet as some come with a BBQ, Adirondack chairs and Solo Stoves. If you’re an Airstreamer, you know how sweet this is!
With every return visit to an area I pull back layers to discover something new and this year didn’t disappoint. Running through the Big Horn Mountains, just 20 miles south of our campground, is a canyon which caught my eye, Crazy Woman Canyon. After a little bit of online investigation, I hopped into the Sexy Beast, our Ford F250, and headed to the canyon bordered by a creek of the same name.
This is an unusual canyon name with neither of the two legends heartwarming. The first legend has it that a woman was left alone in the canyon for some time and therefore went insane; the other is a woman who witnessed the capture and murder of her husband and three children. She remained in the canyon and eventually died from starvation. Over the years, Crazy Woman Canyon has been used by Native Americans and, rumor has it, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance kid as there are many places to hideout in the canyon.
Only 13 miles in length the ride was easy with no need for a 4-wheel drive. It is best to not travel the canyon when still packed with springtime snow, nor following a rain storm. There are several places to park and hike along the canyon so pack a lunch and brings the dawgs! I drove east to west and could have easily turned around and drove back the same way which would have offered a completely different viewing experience.
The town of Buffalo is quaint with an ice cream shop, tea room, a couple of restaurants and two fun shops to browse. The first, the Bucking Buffalo Supply Company which is owned by the Sheriff Longmire author and local, Craig Johnson. Here you can pick up the entire Longmire series in hard cover book, signed; and western wear that’s absolutely gorgeous! And right next door is Sports Lure, a variety store where you could spend some time shopping for everything from hiking boots to fishing lure, clothing to Lodge cast iron cookware.
A walking tour of the town reveals various murals, which I always enjoy; and numerous sculptures which share the history of the West. ‘After the Dust Settles’ was a poignant tribute and unlike the genesis for the name of Crazy Woman Canyon, this one touched my heart, my soul.
Camp Dawg 