Saddle Up for Summer in Cody, Wyoming: 20+ Fun Things to Do Near Yellowstone

Yellowstone will wait. If you’re heading to America’s first national park this summer, schedule time to explore Cody, Wyoming, a frontier town founded in 1896 by the legendary Wild West showman, Buffalo Bill. Go full pioneer by riding horseback through Shoshone National Forest, chow down on a chuckwagon dinner and cheer on rowdy rodeo performers.

Why Cody’s Worth the Detour:

• Known as the “Rodeo Capital of the World,” Cody hosts a nightly summer rodeo, featuring experts in roping, bull riding and barrel racing.
• Five world-class museums comprise the Buffalo Bill Center of the West and admission is valid for two days, so you can take your time exploring.
• Outdoor adventures include rafting, biking, horseback rides and UTV excursions to see wild mustangs, Native American petroglyphs or a Wild West ghost town.
• Yellowstone’s East Entrance is about an hour’s drive from Cody along the Buffalo Bill Scenic Byway; the trip has a free audio tour with information about the region’s history, people, wildlife and natural wonders.

Visiting Cody in Summer

Consider giving Cody at least two days before heading into Yellowstone. The town that Buffalo Bill built is an authentic Western destination, not someone’s kitschy representation of the Old West. And summer 2026 has extra special events planned to celebrate America’s 250th birthday.

• Frontier Festival and Chuckwagon Cookoff: Top chuckwagon chefs compete June 6 and 7 during a weekend festival with pack horse races, live music and more.
• Xtreme Bulls: Cody’s 4th of July celebration begins on June 30th with this awesome bull riding event at Stampede Park.
• America’s Potluck: You’re invited for dinner on July 5th when Cody gathers around a communal table to share food and stories.

Here are the top things to do when visiting Cody, Wyoming, in summer.

1. Whoop it Up at the Cody Nite Rodeo

The Cody Nite Rodeo claims to be the only rodeo in the country with regular nightly performances all summer long. One of the biggest events happens over the Fourth of July. The Cody Stampede starts on July 1 and culminates in a huge July 4th celebration. The locals say the July 4th celebration is so big that it takes four days to pack it all in.

SheBuysTravel Tip: If you plan to go to the rodeo with kids under 12, dress them in jeans and closed-toe shoes. They will be invited onto the field to chase a young steer to capture a ribbon attached to its tail. The little girls in their cute skirts and sandals were wading gingerly (and unhappily) through the dirt, mud and horse poop.

2. Tour the Buffalo Bill Center of the West

The Buffalo Bill Center of the West is, without a doubt, a must-do activity in Cody. You’ll need several hours to explore the complex. Your admission is valid for two days, so spread out your visit if you have the time. Be sure to check the Center’s events calendar to see what programming is scheduled during your visit.

Here are the five Smithsonian-affiliated museums at the Center of the West:

Draper Natural History Museum

This is the place to start when you visit with kids. It tells the story of the ecology and natural history of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Pick up an Adventure Passport and help the kids collect six National Park Junior Ranger-style stamps as you work your way through the museum’s Expedition Trailhead exhibit.

See, hear, touch and even smell the four different environments that make up the Yellowstone Ecosystem — Alpine, Mountain Forest, Mountain Meadow and Plains/Basin.

When you arrive, ask at the front desk when The Raptor Experience will be presented. It’s a daily live lecture about one of the museum’s injured birds of prey.

SheBuysTravel Tip: Be sure to go outside whenever you have a chance. There are cabins to explore, sculptures to see and a playground to play on.

Buffalo Bill Museum

This section of the Center of the West tells the story of the founder of this small town, the great western showman and the world’s first international superstar, William F. “Buffalo Bill” Cody, who got his nickname because he killed 4,000 buffalo.

This museum explores the life of Cody along with some other well-known characters from the American West, including sharpshooter Annie Oakley and Native American legend Sitting Bull. Don’t miss the scale model of the Wild West show backed by archival footage of the time, and the display of dime novels that helped make Buffalo Bill a household name.

Plains Indian Museum

As its name suggests, this museum tells the story of the Native American tribes that lived in the area. Exhibits include a beautiful buffalo hide teepee made from at least 13 buffalo hides sewn together by the women of the tribe. This is the place to learn about how Plains Indian people used almost every part of the buffalo for food, shelter, clothing or tools.

The most intriguing thing in this museum: the statues are all colorless. Because the tribes varied widely in skin tone and hair color, the museum curators didn’t want to choose one skin color over another.

Whitney Western Art Museum

The museum’s permanent exhibits focus on the Northern Plains and Rocky Mountains and include dramatically different depictions of American Indian life, as created by Native and non-Native artists.

I particularly enjoyed the section of the Whitney dedicated to the work of illustrator, painter and sculptor Frederic Remington. I was surprised to learn that this artist, whose familiar work is synonymous with the Wild West, was born, lived and worked in New York, my home state. He traveled extensively throughout the West and brought its spirit home to his New Rochelle studio which is recreated in the museum.

Cody Firearms Museum

This museum showcases a truly mind-boggling number of firearms dating back to the 1400s and follows the evolution of guns through the millennia. I didn't have time to tour it during my visit, but SheBuysTravel Editor-in-Chief Cindy Richards visited and was impressed by the exhibits. "Guns are a huge part of Western American culture and this museum displays more than 4,000 of them," Richards observed.

"As someone who is not a gun fan, I was pleased to see that the museum doesn’t simply glorify guns. The exhibits include one that talks about the costs of war (an ongoing oral history project is open to veterans who want to share their own experience) and another aimed at CSI fans discusses the science of ballistics."

The special exhibit, “Arms of the Revolution: America at 250,” featuring firearms carried on Revolutionary War battlegrounds, will be on display at the museum through Fall 2027.

3. Ride the Cody Trolley

A trolley tour is a fun and easy way to get your bearings in a new town and find attractions and restaurants you want to revisit and explore in depth. Usually, the informative commentary is interspersed with corny, groan-worthy jokes.

The Cody Trolley tour features an old-fashioned trolley with narrow seats, big windows and a tour leader and driver who trade silly banter. It's just an hour long, so it's doable for families with fidgety littles. Tours depart at 11 am and 3 pm from the porch of the Irma Hotel. Additional tours may be added during the summer; reservations are highly recommended for this very popular attraction.

4. Swagger Through Old Trail Town

This recreation of the Old West of the 1890s was voted "Best Tourist Attraction and Historical Site" by True West Magazine. The buildings sit on the site of the original Cody, the place where Buffalo Bill first laid out the town.

The authentic structures and furnishings were found in remote locations in Wyoming and Montana, carefully disassembled, moved and reassembled at Old Trail Town by Western historian Bob Edgar and his friends.

Among the structures is the cabin used by Old West outlaws Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, a Wyoming saloon frequented by Cassidy's Hole-in-the-Wall Gang and the log cabin home of Curley, a Crow Indian army scout who helped guide Lt Col. George A. Custer to the battle of the Little Big Horn in 1876.

Channel your inner cowboy/cowgirl and try to rope a wooden calf-like post. Nobody gave this city slicker a chance, but I nailed it on the first try.

5. Go Horseback Riding

Cody's surrounding area is gorgeous, especially the Shoshone National Forest. A lovely way to take in the spectacular views is to go horseback riding. I’ve done several trail rides in the past, but never one that included water crossings. Feeling my horse test his footing on each step across a swiftly flowing creek was an unforgettable moment.

Daily trail rides, including all-day cookouts and pony rides, are available at the Bill Cody Ranch in East Yellowstone.

6. Raft the Shoshone River

The 100-mile-long Shoshone River is a popular rafting spot. The stretch of the river that passes through Cody has rapids that range from Class 1 – Class III+, depending on water conditions. These conditions are determined not only by rainfall but also by releases from the Buffalo Bill Dam.

Wyoming River Trips is an outfitter with its own access point located a short shuttle ride from its base camp in Cody. This makes it super quick to get geared up and on the water. I hadn't rafted since I capsized on a cruise excursion in Belize several years ago, so I was nervous. However, our raft guide's confidence put me at ease, even when we needed to pull over and wait out a surprise lightning storm.

Trip lengths range from 1-hour to full-day excursions with lunch. Private excursions and packrafting trips are options too.

7. Go Wild on an Off-Road Adventure

Get off the beaten path with an adventure vehicle rental from Tread ‘N' Trails. The company's Cody location stocks Polaris Side-by-Side UTVs, Slingshots, e-bikes and e-scooters. They're equipped with pre-mapped GPS-navigated trails that crisscross over 25,000 acres of public lands, administered by the Bureau of Land Management.

Indulge your inner pioneer and let loose. Or drive granny-style. Or just tag along as a passenger, like me. This is a judgment-free zone. The sweeping views will blow you away, from broad, grass-filled basins with grazing cattle herds to desert badlands spotted with sagebrush and pronghorn antelope, North America's fastest land animal. Two of the area's highlights include the resident wild mustang horses and Native American petroglyphs. Rental durations include 4-hour, 8-hour and multi-day options.

8. Get Spooked in Kirwin

Love a good ghost town? Then a trip to Kirwin belongs on your Cody itinerary. Daylong adventures begin in Meeteetse (pronounced "may tay tay say"), a tiny town (population just over 300) that's home to a NY Times-profiled artisanal chocolatier.

Rent a vehicle from Kirwin Ghost Town Adventures and follow the one-way-in, one-way-out trail to the abandoned mining town. Along the way, you'll pass the site where aviator Amelia Earhart planned to construct a cabin before she mysteriously disappeared.

SheBuysTravel Tip: You'll climb from 5,000 feet to over 9,000 feet on this adventure, so bring layers to add as the temperatures drop.

9. Follow the Cody Sippin' Trail

If you've worked up a powerful thirst exploring Cody, quench it at one of the many bars and restaurants in town participating in the Sippin' Trail Drink Pass promotion. Download a free app and check in to earn points you redeem for prizes, including stickers, T-shirts, and pint glasses.

Sippin' Trail locations include:

• Cody Craft Brewing – Owned and operated by husband and wife team Jen and Brian Walker, Cody Craft Brewing offers a wide range of on-premises-brewed bevvies, including a special America’s 250th Pale Ale.
• Pat’s Brew House – Once a traditional Irish pub, Pat O'Hara's is infused with new energy thanks to passionate female owners experimenting with the food and brews. Menu favorites like the Irish eggrolls remain as new items debut. The chicken tacos are fire.
• Millstone Pizza Company – Bar bites and brews, arcade games and entertainment including trivia are what you'll find in Millstone's large Cody location.

10. Foot-Stompin' Fun at the Cody Cattle Company

This is a family-friendly, pre-rodeo dining/entertainment option. A hearty buffet with cowboy favorites like mac and cheese, baked beans, brisket and cornbread is open from 5-7pm. Ryan Martin and the Triple C Cowboys take the stage at 6:30, performing a set that includes traditional cowboy favorites, ‘50s doo-wop and rock classics with a country twist.

The Cody Cattle Company show wraps up in time for you to scoot on over to the rodeo. Ticket options include dinner and a show, show only and a combo dinner, show and rodeo package.

It's impossible not to hoot, holler and sing along. And don't bother asking for just one of the decadent chocolate brownies for dessert. You'll be served two and wish you'd taken a third. They're that good.

11. Shop Sheridan Avenue

I was expecting cookie-cutter souvenir gift shops in Cody. So I was pleasantly surprised by the wide range of stores and galleries in town. I could have lost myself for hours in Legends Bookstore.

Watch the artisans crafting custom drool-worthy boots, belts and saddles in Mercury Leather Works. Or find your cowboy hat or shirt at The Cowboy Palace. That's where I scored my must-have souvenir – a pair of turquoise toddler cowboy boots.

SheBuysTravel Tip: Wondering why Sheridan Avenue is super wide? Founder Buffalo Bill Cody had the town's architect lay out the streets so they’d be easy to turn around the wagons of his famous Wild West show.

12. Dine Pioneer-Style

If you're in Cody on a weekday, you're in luck, if you've made an advance reservation for a Dutch-oven dinner hosted by 2 Mules Chuckwagon. Husband and wife team Rich and Deb Herman welcome you to the Pow Wow field next to the Buffalo Bill Center of the West for an intimate, outdoor dining experience, Mondays-Fridays, all summer long.

Rich's "kitchen" is an authentic Old West chuck wagon, pots and pans are cast iron skillets and Dutch ovens and the cooking's done over an open flame. Wine, beer and soft beverages are served by Deb. They're gracious, loquacious hosts and the meal – steak, beans, coleslaw, sourdough biscuits and berry cobbler – was delish.

SheBuysTravel Tip: Group size is limited to 26 for the dinners. However, if you are traveling with a larger party, contact the Hermans who may be able to arrange for extra help to accommodate more folks.

13. Have a Cocktail at the Chamberlin Inn

The Chamberlin Inn is a must-see when visiting Cody. This historic boutique hotel dates back to 1900 and has been lovingly restored. Peek into unoccupied guest rooms, which are all decorated with different period-appropriate furnishings. Be prepared to explain to the kids what the old-time telephone is. Ernest Hemingway was one of the Chamberlin's most famous guests. His signature in the guest book is on display in the lobby; his suite's Room #18.

Spirits is the Inn's bar and lounge and a great place for a nightcap. Choose the gin-based Death in the Afternoon to channel Hemingway, then head to the courtyard, conservatory or second-floor sunroom to sip away the evening. Live music is a summer season highlight.

14. Listen to a Free Audio Guide

A new audio guide to accompany your drive on the Chief Joseph Scenic Byway has launched from the free app Travelstorys, a Wyoming-based, woman-owned company.

Once you launch the app, lively narrated segments broadcast as you approach areas of interest, like Heart Mountain, providing context to your journey. The GPS-based guide works without cell service or wifi, both of which are unreliable throughout the Yellowstone area.

It joins other Cody content including tours of downtown Cody, Hemingway in Wyoming and the Buffalo Bill Scenic Byway.

15. Tour Heart Mountain World War II Interpretive Center

This museum tells the troubling story of Japanese families who were rounded up and sent to 10 different internment camps after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. This sad spot was home to 14,000 Japanese – half of them children and two-thirds of them American citizens — during World War II.

Wyoming agreed to allow a camp to be built at Heart Mountain –- it was the fourth largest of the 10 camps — on the condition that once the war ended, the Japanese would not be allowed to stay in Wyoming.

This disturbing chapter in our nation’s history is handled with sensitivity at the museum. However, it’s definitely an experience for older children who can better appreciate what it must have been like to be taken from their homes with only one suitcase and crammed into a communal living space.

SheBuysTravel Tip: Download the Heart Mountain AR app and point your phone at the QR codes to see a virtual reality representation of what life would have looked like in the camps.

16. Fire Away at the Cody Firearms Experience

This is the place to go to fire 70 varieties of guns, from a Civil War-era Gatling gun to a Glock just like you see in the movies.

Kids ages 8 and up can shoot here, but pregnant women can't. That's because "the fetus can't wear hearing protectors," as one shop worker told SheBuysTravel Editor-in-Chief Cindy Richards.

Richards, who is not a gun enthusiast, was reluctant to shoot but ended up having a – pardon the pun – blast. She shot an 1873 single-action Colt pistol and an 1861 Springfield flintlock rifle that jammed her shoulder. It made her feel really sorry for the Civil War soldiers who had to use it in the heat of battle.

But the definite highlight for Richards was getting a turn cranking the 1862 replica Gatling gun. There's no kick, just a crank that shoots two rounds per clockwise rotation on 6 and 12. What a hoot! No surprise it's a popular choice among the 70 gun options. The place goes through 1,000 rounds a day in the Gatling gun alone.

If you are visiting during the summer, call to make a reservation to ensure you can shoot on the day you want to visit. This is an exceedingly popular thing to do in Cody.

SheBuysTravel Tip: If you're hard of hearing, ask for electronic ear protectors. It can be really hard to hear the instructions with regular hearing protectors. After all, they're designed to mute sound!

17. Take the Free Tour of the Buffalo Bill Dam and Visitor Center

Visiting the Buffalo Bill Dam is one of the fun, free things to do in Cody with kids. Park and take the free golf cart shuttle (tip the driver) to the dam. Walk out and hold on to the kids as they look straight down the 350 feet of the concrete dam.

After you take a family photo, head inside to the dam museum and watch the movie about the extreme hazards of building the dam so you can walk away feeling grateful that you did not have to build it.

Construction of the dam on the Shoshone River began in 1905. Workers toiled in subzero temperatures and working conditions that were so harsh that it led to the first labor strike in Wyoming history. When the dam was completed in 1910 at a cost of $1.4 million, it was the tallest concrete dam in the world at 325 feet. Another 25 feet was added later.

18. Check Out The Irma Hotel

Bill Cody built this hotel to be the most luxurious hotel in the Rocky Mountains, with rooms that rented for the steep sum of $3 per night. Named for his youngest daughter, it's still an operating hotel, complete with ghost stories and haunted rooms. It sits on Sheridan Avenue and is the centerpiece of downtown Cody.

But the way most visitors experience The Irma is via the nightly buffet dinner that features perfectly cooked and sliced-to-order prime rib. For the kids, there are mashed potatoes and chicken drumsticks.

And don’t miss the bread pudding for dessert. Adults should try the whiskey sauce. It’s strong. Be prepared. For kids, you might want to stick with the vanilla sauce.

Pay special attention to the gorgeous carved wood bar. It was a gift to Buffalo Bill from Victoria, the Queen of England, a huge fan of the Western showman.

In the summer, the hotel does a fun and campy Wild West show in the street outside its front door. The show is free as long as you are willing to stand and watch. Get there by 5:50 pm for the 6 pm start. Want a seat? Cody Trolley Tours lets you reserve a folding chair for $3.

SheBuysTravel Tip: The walls of The Irma’s restaurant are filled with mounted heads of buffalo and other animals. Plan ahead if you're traveling with someone who would be offended by the taxidermy.

19. Go Biking

There’s a trail for every type of cyclist in and around Cody. Families looking for an easy loop can find one at Homesteader Park. Those seeking backcountry biking can explore Shoshone National Forest. And Beck Lake Bike Path has over 10 miles of mountain biking trails for a wide range of skill levels.

SheBuysTravel Tip: Trailforks offers interactive trail maps based on your biking preference for locations in Cody, the Outlaw Trails, Beck Lake and Slick Rock.

20. Explore Buffalo Bill State Park

The Buffalo Bill Reservoir is the centerpiece of this park. The huge lake created by the dam is filled with ice-cold water and is a beacon for boating, fishing, canoeing, kayaking and swimming. The 3,000 acres of parkland are dotted with biking and hiking trails.

In addition, there are two camping areas. Lake Shore Bay Campground has 37 sites, an active day-use area and a boat ramp. North Fork Campground has 62 campsites, a playground and shower facility with flush toilets.

And it’s all surrounded by the stunning views of the Absaroka Range, especially Rattlesnake Mountain and Sheep Mountain.

SheBuysTravel Tip: If you want to fish, non-residents over the age of 14 need a license.

21. See the Cody Dug Up Gun Museum

This is just what its name implies: a museum full of guns that have been found or dug up. The proprietor, Hans Kurth, is a carpenter who started the whole thing 40 years ago after finding guns when, for example, he would take down a wall. Now he adds to his fascinating collection when people give or sell him rusted carcasses of guns they find or dig up.

The museum is another of the free things to do in Cody, although Hans does accept donations.

SheBuysTravel Tip: No photos are allowed here. Hans wants people who are curious to come into the museum to see his collection, not be able to see them online.

22. Make a Stop at the Pahaska Tepee

When driving between Cody and Yellowstone’s East Entrance, you can’t help but notice the sign for the Pahaska Tepee, Bill Cody’s original lodge. You still can stay at Pahaska in one of the modern cabins. Or you can just stop in at the Lodgepole Dining Room for a buffalo burger and some Rocky Mountain oysters (chopped, breaded and fried bull testicles) on your way into the park.

Either way, don’t miss a visit to Buffalo Bill’s original 1904 hunting lodge. It’s open for free and is filled with artifacts including a soda machine from the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair.

Getting to Cody

Summer is the prime season for family travel to Cody and Yellowstone. You’ll need to make your plans well in advance to secure lodging. And be prepared for the crowds. Ten thousand people live in Cody, but the population swells by more than half a million during the summer season

Although most visitors to Cody arrive by car, there’s a regional airport with daily service to and from Denver on United Express. The airport’s a 5-minute drive from town. Literally.

SheBuysTravel Tip: Most visitors stay just one night in Cody. They use the town as a launching point for their real destination: the wonders of Yellowstone National Park. But Cody really is worth a visit all on its own. At the very least, carve out time to see the Buffalo Bill Center of the West.

FAQ: Things to Do in Cody, Wyoming

Read More:

• Rustic Charm in the Wild West: Buffalo Bill Cabins Cody Wyoming Review
• The Complete and Printable Yellowstone Packing List
• Complete Guide to Yellowstone National Park for Families
• Best Places to Stay in Yellowstone for Families

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This story was originally published June 4, 2026 at 5:22 AM.