The Snowy Range Scenic Byway was originally a wagon road built in the 1870’s and in the 1920’s was widened and smoothed using horse-drawn equipment. The road was paved in the 1930’s and designated as the nation’s second Scenic Byway. After six years of working on the road, it was completed and known as the “Great Skyroad.” The Snowy Range Scenic Byway is the second highest mountain pass in Wyoming. Snow usually closes the highest section of the road about mid-November and snowplows traditionally open the road in May before Memorial Day weekend.

The land known as the Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest has a long history dating back to 8,000 year ago when ancestors of the Plains Indians inhabited the area. The Northern Arapaho, Oglala Sioux, Northern Cheyenne, Eastern Shoshone and the White River Utes all frequented the area. The region was used by these tribes who took advantage of its wildlife bounty. They frequented the forest to gather the prime “lodge pole pine” wood they liked to use for making bows, arrows and spears. The soothing mineral hot springs along the banks of the North Platte river provided a welcome place to “make medicine” to cure their ills and to hold ceremonial pow-wows. Truly a “land of many uses,” the Snowy Range today supports an active timber harvesting industry in addition to providing traditional livestock forage, watershed and outdoor recreation benefits. The Scenic Byway has numerous places to stop or pull off for visitors to take in the serenity of the Snowy Range. During your drive remember to be cautious of wildlife on or near the road, especially during early morning and late evening hours.

The Snowy Range offers numerous opportunities for camping, fishing, hiking, biking, climbing, wildlife viewing, cross-country skiing, snow shoeing, snowmobiling and lodging in resorts and cabins at the foot of the mountain. During your travels on the Scenic Byway, there will be many opportunities to view wildlife, foliage, high alpine lakes and their associated ecosystems. The region near Medicine Bow Peak is home to the Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep, yellow-bellied marmots, pikas and blue grouse. The many mountain lakes and streams in the area are home to rainbow trout, brook trout and Wyoming’s only native trout, the cutthroat. The Scenic Byway takes travelers from sagebrush prairies to a high-altitude alpine environment including all of the major life zones in the Rocky Mountains. Near the summit is an old growth of spruce-fir forest containing the unique krummholz (flagging) trees shaped by the blustering winds high atop the mountain. Here the abundance of large trees, an understory of young trees, an abundance of dead and dying snags and decaying logs furnish a home to the kinds of wildlife not found in younger forests. The pine marten, red-backed vole, ruby-crowned kinglet, northern three toed woodpecker and the boreal owl are but a few of the species that inhabit Wyoming’s oldest forest.

Centennial was founded in 1876; this quaint little town offers a surprising assortment of services and points of interest to the visitor. These include a museum, unique restaurants, lodging, rustic cabins, gas, gifts, groceries and several old west saloons. The Centennial Valley along the Little Laramie River is dotted with working cattle ranches and guest ranch facilities.

The Scenic Byway climbs into the Snowy Range Mountains and enters the Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest. Just out of Centennial is a Visitor Center that is open seven days a week during the summer and fall, and on a limited basis during the spring and winter. Visitors can obtain maps of nearby hiking trails and the entire forest, plus information about mountain wildflowers, wildlife, recreation and other things to see and do along the Scenic Byway.

Barber Lake offers a nice spot to picnic and is one of the few places where only children get to fish. The side road takes the visitor alongside noisy Libby Creek before it rejoins the Scenic Byway. Fall viewing is spectacular along this road, and during the winter it doubles as a cross-country ski trail.

Greenrock Picnic Area is just west of where Barber Lake Road intersects the Scenic Byway. Heading west, Highway 130 now follows the Little Laramie River where you might spot a yellow-bellied marmot sun bathing on the granite rocks. Wildflowers are abundant here, especially the Indian Paintbrush, Wyoming’s Official State Flower. This is also the point where the road closes in the winter and becomes a Mecca for snowmobilers.

Just west of Greenrock Picnic Area is the turnoff for the paved Brooklyn Lake Road. This side trip leads to several lakes accessible by automobile. Other lakes can be reached via a network of hiking trails from this point. St. Albin, a small outdoor Episcopal chapel near Little Brooklyn Lake, is the site of frequent weddings and other ceremonies in warmer months.

Due to the altitude, a definite ecological shift in the vegetation marks the turnoff for the Sugarloaf Recreation Area and nearby Libby and Lewis lakes and picnic grounds. The gravel road ends at a trailhead which leads to numerous glacial lakes (80 plus mountain lakes) and the summits of Sugarloaf Mountain (11,398 ft.) and Medicine Bow Peak (12,013 ft.), both popular destinations for hardy and adventurous hikers.

The highest point on the Snowy Range Scenic Byway is 10,000 feet above sea level at Libby Flats. From the scenic overlook at the summit, a breathtaking view of several mountain ranges unfolds to the Zirco Wilderness in Colorado, while the 12,013 foot Medicine Bow Peak towers overhead.

The Miner’s Cabin Trail is a short loop trail from the observation point that leads to the Red Mask Mine. Out of operation since the 1920’s, the trail passes old mining equipment and a nearby miner’s cabin. Interpretive signs describe these sites and identify the sparse trees and ground-hugging flowers present. At this place of high altitude strong winds are the norm and precipitation comes mostly in the form of snowfall. If the view hasn’t taken your breath away, use some caution, it may take some time to get used to the altitude.

There’s a bit more oxygen to be found down from the summit at Mirror Lake, or its sister, Lake Marie. Both lakes are glacier-fed and reflect the majesty of Medicine Bow Peak and are often visited by artists and photographers. During the early summer months, note the pink “watermelon” snow caused by bacteria that thrives on the year-round glacial snow. The quartzite peaks are estimated to be two billion years old, with even older rocks existing beneath them. Across from the Lake Marie parking area is a short walk to Lake Marie Falls.

After passing a few more highway turnoffs on the way down the mountain, Silver Lake is on the left. A pullout on the south offers a spectacular view of Silver Lake and the surrounding area. Trails lead to the lake and to Meadow Falls.

The Ralph Heston Viewing Platform features an accessible fishing pier over French Creek. Here the creek meanders slowly through willows and provides beavers with plenty of food and shelter. A nearby interpretive information site illustrates the beaver’s world in human terms. Keep an eye out for white-tail deer and mule deer, common inhabitants of the area. Occasional moose, elk, bears, bald eagles and Merriam turkey’s may also show themselves along the waterways in the area and in the lower lands outside the Scenic Byway.

Ryan Park Campground is one of the largest on the forest and was named after a historic internment camp, Ryan Park. The camp was built to house German prisoners of war during World War II and is now on the National Register of Historic Places.
On the western slope of the Snowy Range the Brush Creek Visitor Center offers maps, information about the ecology of the area and an explanation of how weather affects both sides of the mountain in distinct ways. This is a great place to pick up a variety of area information, visit a sheepherder’s wagon and stretch your legs. The forest boundary is the western boundary of the Snowy Range Scenic Byway.

To the north just a few miles is Saratoga, situated on the North Platte River. This pleasant community is home to a historic old west hotel, other lodging and restaurants, gift shops, art galleries, a golf course and a bustling airport. While there, relax in the natural hot springs free to the public and open 24 hours a day, year round.