Visit the city of Sheridan in the Cowboy State of Wyoming for a true experience of America’s Wild West.
It is the county seat and principal city of its namesake Sheridan County, wedged between Mount Rushmore and Yellowstone Park.
Farms and ranches thrived during the early settlement of Sheridan, nourished by the confluence of Big Goose and Little Goose creeks.
Also basking on the east slope of the Bighorn Mountains, Sheridan wove a colorful history of development following its foundation in 1882.
The Burlington and Missouri Railroad arrived in Sheridan in 1892, giving it a vital regional link and economic driver.
One of the railways’ major ripple effects locally was the Sheridan Inn which was built with the Wild West legend Buffalo Bill Cody as one of the financial partners.
There are many more landmarks and exciting places to visit in this city, as the following list of things to do in Sheridan will tell you.
Enjoy the Outdoors at the Big Horn National Forest
SandyShusterPhotography / Shutterstock.com
This mountain recreation area is best accessed from Tongue Ranger District and Forest Supervisor’s Office on East Side 2nd Street.
From here, you can set on the various adventure options over 1,500 miles of trails and many outdoor activities within the Bighorn Mountains’ glacially-carved valleys, rolling hills, and sheer mountain cliffs.
Hugo Brizard – YouGoPhoto / Shutterstock.com
The Bighorn National Forest boasts 189,000 acres of wilderness playground with three scenic byways, miles of streams, majestic alpine meadows, and multiple reservoirs.
Visitors have a choice on 30 campgrounds, another four for group campers, 10 picnic areas, and eight lodges.
No entrance fee is charged to visitors of the national forest, while the campground fees are very affordable.
Derek Oyen, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Pay a Visit to Thorne Rider Park
This county park of the Sheridan Recreation District is located on 14th Street, providing a range of amenities.
The facilities it offers include the Kendrick swimming pool, the Sheridan Community softball complex, picnic kits, and a dunk tank.
Other sports facilities are available, such as covered and outdoor tennis courts, a sand volleyball court, a basketball court, and football fields.
In addition, visitors can use a sledding hill, a pathway, a skate park, a playground, and picnic areas.
Tour the Trail End State Historic Site
IreneWyo, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Have a look at a historic Flemish Revival mansion that retains over 90% of its original 1900s furnishings.
Located on Clarendon Avenue, this mansion was the home of rancher-politician John B. Kendrick and his family.
This 13,748-square-foot mansion was listed in the US Register of National Historic Places in 1970 for good reasons.
Trail End State Historic Site not only displays well-preserved preserved artifacts elegantly telling different aspects of Wyoming’s rich and colorful history.
It also provides glimpses on the life of its owner, John B. Kendrick, a successful cattleman when he commissioned the construction of the mansion in 1908–1913.
The mansion is typical of the homes built by prosperous Wyoming cattlemen during Kendrick’s time.
Kendrick moved on to continue a career in politics and was elected governor in 1914, eventually becoming a senator three years later.
Visit the Museum at the Bighorns
This museum, located on Sibley Circle off East 5th Street, features a comprehensive look at Sheridan’s history, including its archaeological past.
The Museum at the Bighorns expounds on these via several permanent exhibits, each with a central theme.
These thematic displays tackle, among others, the Native American tribes, early settlement and rodeo, and the vital role played by the Bozeman Gold Rush Trail.
The museum likewise extols the Bighorns, Sheridan County agriculture, the influence of coal mining on the Sheridan community, and the rails and adventures through Sheridan County.
Check out also the open-air market with a unique mix of local vendors in this museum which hosts this even on the first Saturday of the month beginning each June.
Have Ice Cream at Kendrick Park
Summertime is the best time to visit this park, accessible from the corner of West Loucks Street and Badger Street.
At this time of the year, one of the main attractions in Kendrick Park is its ice cream parlor offering 32 different flavors as well as other snack items.
The other facilities that park visitors can enjoy include a waterpark with a slide, a swimming pool, and a playground.
Additionally, Kendrick Park is home to a charming herd of bison and elk, which can further liven up a visit here.
Big Goose Greek, which flows on the east side of the park, also offers opportunities for fishing.
Take the Family to Whitney Commons
Ems Images / Shutterstock.com
Located on West Alger Street, Whitney Commons is an interactive park named after a prominent Sheridan banker, Edward A. Whitney, who was elected as the town’s second mayor in 1888.
This family-oriented park, established in 2003, features the city’s popular water spray grounds, spacious turf areas, a playground, a pavilion, pedestrian walks, and bike paths.
Several bronze art pieces honoring and reflecting on Whitney’s life also add to the points of interest in this park.
Visits to Whitney Commons are also enjoyable at the park’s reflective flower garden created in honor of another prominent Sheridan resident, Dorothy King.
Watch a Rodeo at Sheridan County Fairgrounds
Well-informed first-time visitors of Sheridan would time their visit around mid-July in time for its hosting of the annual Sheridan Wyo Rodeo and County Fair.
These twin events are held in 40-acre fairgrounds of the Sheridan County Fairgrounds Historic District between Victoria Street and 5th Street on the city’s western side.
The Sheridan rodeo started in 1931 and, together with the county fair, became two of the most anticipated annual events in Wyoming.
Activities during the fair include canning and baking demos at the fairgrounds’ vintage exhibit hall built in 1923.
Besides the rodeo, the outdoor shows during the fair include traditional livestock and other animal-centered events.
Have a Pint at the Black Tooth Brewing Company
This craft brewery, located on Broadway Street, was established in 2010 and named after the nearby Black Tooth Peak of the Big Horn Mountains.
Since its establishment, Black Tooth Brewing has won medals from the Great American Beer Festival and the World Beer Cup.
It boasts eight year-round beers, including Saddle Bronc Brown, Wagon Box Wheat, Caught Lookin’ (Blonde Ale), and Bomber Mountain Amber.
For Sheridan souvenirs, Black Tooth Brewing Company offers brewery-logoed shirts, sweatshirts, hats, and growlers.
Hike or Bike Hidden Hoot Trail
The city of Sheridan has an extensive network of trails and pathways, and you need not go deep into the wilderness for hiking or biking.
One new trail easily accessible within city limits is the Hidden Hoot Trail, with its trailhead and parking area near Black Tooth Park on West 5th Street.
This is a multi-use, 4.5-mile trail loop open not only to hikers and bikers but also dog walkers.
The Hidden Hoot Trail affords great views of the Big Horn Mountains as well as the well-manicured greens and fairways of the Kendrick Municipal Golf Course.
Catch a Polo Game at Flying H
Hedley Lamarr / Shutterstock.com
This polo club is located on Bird Farm Road and hosts games each Saturday during the whole summer, with preliminary jousts on Thursdays.
You can bring chairs or blankets for sitting on the grass to enjoy watching an afternoon of polo action.
Two Scottish brothers introduced polo in the Sheridan region in the 1890s together with their pony breeding operation in the area.
Hedley Lamarr / Shutterstock.com
The brothers taught the game to their cowhands, and polo in Sheridan gained popularity over the years.
The city now draws prominent polo players from all over the world for the entire summer season.
Similar excitement can be enjoyed at the Big Horn Equestrian Center 10 miles south of Sheridan city proper.
During summer, its Big Horn Polo Club, the oldest polo club west of the Mississippi, hosts polo games and practice matches every Sunday.
Hedley Lamarr / Shutterstock.com
Aim for the Bullseye at Sheridan Shooting Ranges
The Sheridan County Sportsmen’s Association (SCSA) in the city’s west side is home to a multi-faceted range complex.
This complex and the SCSA clubhouse are located on Keystone Road.
There are nine SCSA shooting ranges, including gun and archery ranges, indoor range, as well as grounds for trap and skeet.
Family-friendly, SCSA also holds firearms training classes and hosts events like the Wyoming State Trap Shoot.
Handicap-accessible and with RV parking, SCSA provides a full-service clubhouse with a kitchen.
Fish in Sheridan’s Ponds and Creeks
Many fine and convenient fishing spots can be found in a variety of lakes, streams, and rivers in and around the city limits of Sheridan.
Within the city proper, catching Eagle Lake rainbow trout is most promising at the Sam Mavrakis Pond on West 8thStreet and is also accessible via the Sheridan Pathway System.
This pond is being restocked with fish, just like the pond near the Sheridan Fairgrounds and Rotary Park on West 5thStreet.
The creeks Big Goose and Little Goose that wind through the city are also great fishing spots.
These creeks can be conveniently accessed respectively via Sheridan’s Kendrick Park off West Loucks Street and South Park on East Brundage Lane.
Book a Suite at the Sheridan Inn
Paul Hermans, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Staying in this inn on Broadway Street is one sure way of capturing the essence of Sheridan.
Western icon Buffalo Bill himself, as a part-owner of Sheridan Inn, conceptualized and developed this hotel.
Paul Hermans, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Each of the 22 rooms of the inn has its own theme based on Buffalo Bill and the 21 key characters that shaped his life.
These suites present the history and time of these Wild West characters through art, furnishings, and artifacts.
Paul Hermans, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Catch the Horse Drive on Downtown Sheridan
Planning a visit to Sheridan toward the end of May promises an extra perk of getting to witness the annual horse drive from nearby Eatons’ Ranch.
In this event that thrills thousands, you will see Eaton’s Ranch cowboys and their herd on a mid-morning ride into the Historic Downtown Sheridan.
They will parade via 5th Street, thundering past the Sheridan Information Center to the Historic Sheridan Inn.
Once the horsem*n exit back to Eatons’ Ranch, you can have lunch at Wyoming’s Rib & Chop House on North Main Street.
Here, your picks include seafood, aged steaks, and slow-cooked ribs.
Sharpen Your Swing at the Kendrick Golf Course
Sheridan boasts a municipal golf course offering superb, affordable play, with a resident PGA pro to help players sharpen their game.
This 18-hole layout with undulating greens and fairways is accessible via Golf Course Road off Big Goose Road.
The course flaunts magnificent views, particularly its back nine, with the Big Horn Mountains as its backdrop.
Founded in 1935, Kendrick Golf Course is rated by Golf Digest magazine among Wyoming’s top 5 courses.
Regulation play is par 72 over 6,677 yards from the longest tees of this course, with a rating of 70.7 and a slope rating of 114.
The private lessons available in the Kendrick Golf Course are programmed as one-hour sessions covering full swing, chipping, and putting.
Non-golfers, even without a season pass, can access the restaurant Kendrick Bar & Grille on this Sheridan golfing destination.
Learn more about History at Don King Museum
Don King Museum has long been one of Sheridan’s most visited attractions.
It features it all, from horse-drawn hearses, taxidermied bears, moose, and elk, along with rifles and pistols, and provides a peek into existence in the Old West over the ages.
Look at the amazing Old West photographs, the oddly friendly dancing bear, and the amazing collection of saddles, firearms, and unique artwork.
The Don King Museum and the entirety of the King Family’s extraordinary artifacts are guaranteed to enthrall.
Whether you’ve chosen to imagine yourself in a couple of Wild West chaps, view some of the biggest antlers you’ve ever encountered, or purchase a bespoke saddle.
Tour King’s Ropes and Saddlery for a detailed peek inside this hidden gem!
Try and Taste the Drinks Featured at Koltiska Distillery
The Koltiska Distillery aims to increase awareness of its products worldwide and will strive to make that reality.
Comboy Coolaid, Sheridan Mule, Winter Mule, Moscow Mule, The Simpsons, and many more are just a few of their renowned beverages.
In addition to releasing two additional products—Vodka and Winter-Mint Liqueur—in 2016, Koltiska also offered the distillery for visits.
Owners Justin and Jason Koltiska are on hand to offer your Koltiska samplers of their superb production line.
Visit the distillery and learn how they create the western traditions that the community has long cherished.
Grab a Unique Ceramic at Red Bison Studio
Stephen Mullins created Red Bison Studio, a ceramic manufacturing company and clay center, at the foot of the Big Horn Mountains, located on Sheridan, Wyoming’s iconic main street, after spending many years teaching and working late into the night creating pots.
Modern American pottery company Red Bison Studio is committed to achieving excellence, great craftsmanship, and the next greatest pot.
They get their ideas from the nearby wilds of the West, where there is a wealth of animals, breathtaking views, and outdoor activities.
Every item that leaves their business is handcrafted from beginning to end.
Pay a Visit to Red Bison, a Wyoming-based small-batch ceramics studio.
Witness a Performance Held at WYO Performing Arts and Educational Center
The Lotus, a vaudeville theater, was the initial building that housed the WYO in 1923.
Before shutting its operations in 1982, the theater provided live entertainment and motion pictures for over 60 years in Sheridan residents.
The WYO has provided the larger Sheridan community numerous hours of live performance, cultural exchange, and education programs since it reopened as a roadhouse in 1989.
The WYO Performing Arts & Education Center’s goal is to inspire, instruct, and amuse people of all ages by providing a venue for the performing arts.
Their goal is to emerge as a frontrunner in the cultural economy by giving people of all ages engaging chances to make experiences, participate in world-class music, dance, and theater, and love it.
Admire the Works of Famous Artists at Expressions Art Gallery & Framing LLC
In Sheridan, Wyoming, Expressions Art Gallery & Framing LLC designs and constructs frames utilizing UV protection and acid-free components.
They enjoy working with clients to design the ideal frame for each item.
You can count on them to pay the kind of attention to detail available exclusive to a custom frame shop while preserving and enhancing your artwork and memories.
For a wide range of collectors, the art gallery is brimming with fantastic established and emerging local artwork and artists.
Allen Jimmerson, Charlie Walter, Dean States, Tom Lockhart, Paulette Kucera, and many other great painters are just a few featured artists.
Other Things to Do Nearby
Stay at Eatons’ Ranch
Lodging is available in this family-oriented, working cattle ranch on Eaton Ranch Road in the unincorporated community of Wolf 17 miles west of Sheridan.
The ranch can accommodate a total of 125 guests in its 51 rustic suites and cabins designed for singles, couples, or families.
Eatons’ Ranch, which sprawls over 7,000 acres, provides an outdoor pool, a hot tub, a bar, and free meals.
The ranch guests can also enjoy fishing and riding a horse unescorted on its spread of grassy meadows, hidden valleys, and rolling hills.
Final Thoughts
Visiting Sheridan unlocks many exciting outdoor activities, given its proximity to the wilderness areas of the Big Horn Mountains.
Nevertheless, visits to Sheridan can be just as filled with outdoor delights just by staying within city limits.
Sheridan’s parks, trails, ponds, and creeks, plus the city’s landmarks and events themed on the Wild West, combine for a wonderful outdoor experience in this city.
