Rawlins, WY to Dubois, WY
You should be able to take a leisurely drive between these two points where there are campgrounds at both ends that are well worth staying in. The road is primarily US 287 which then merges with US 26. It is an incredibly pleasant drive with opportunities to stop along the way without any hassles.
The road winds through Muddy Gap, Jeffrey City, Sweetwater Station (a rest area essentially), Lander and the Wind River Reservation including Fort Washakie (where Sacajawea is buried nearby). Jeffrey City is interesting in that it is probably an actual ghost town. There were plenty of what appeared to be abandoned buildings and if you’re into that, this is well worth exploring. Fort Washakie isn’t quite a ghost town but it does have a rather vacant feel to it despite a slightly increasing population that is mostly all native American.
Lander is a lively little town along the route and is a logical place to stop as there are bars and restaurants as well as a little shopping and some sights. The ever present Purina grain tower is there and you can still see it in images of old post cards from the town which hasn’t changed much since the 1950s. There are over 7,000 residents and the population is actually growing. There is an arts center and a few museums, including the Pioneer Museum, that can easily take up some time and are interesting as well.
You’ll travel through the Wind River Reservation and the Trading Post is a great place to stop. There is a supermarket next door and RV parking is really easy and plentiful around here. There were lots of things to buy at the trading post and if you need to stock up in the food area for the RV the supermarket is perfect.
The scenery along this route is really quite special and the ease of which it is to stop and absorb it all is also convenient. If you’re looking for speed, you can fly along without any trouble between the very sparsely located and populated towns on this route. You’ll eventually end up in downtown Dubois, Wyoming which is a real cowboy town and hasn’t been commercialized like some others. This is its charm.
Nearby the downtown (with a rodeo on the way) there is an RV resort that we absolutely loved. The Longhorn Ranch Lodge and RV Resort is an excellent place to stay with a good little store, laundry facilities and the Wind River at its back. The sites are great and we really enjoyed our time here. It is a quick five minute drive into the downtown too and there is horseback riding on property though we didn’t get a chance to do it.
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