Medicine Lodge Creek Road

Medicine Lodge Creek Road cuts through some of Wyoming’s most sacred ground, where Crow, Cheyenne, and Sioux tribes gathered for centuries at natural hot springs and carved thousands of petroglyphs into red sandstone cliffs. The 15-mile route starts near Hyattville and follows Medicine Lodge Creek upstream through increasingly technical terrain, with multiple rock-slab creek crossings and a notorious wash section that claims undercarriages during spring runoff. You’ll pass the Medicine Lodge State Archaeological Site where ancient rock art spans 10,000 years of human history.

This is moderate to difficult depending on water levels—stock 4WD minimum, but a winch helps during high water. The creek crossings are the real challenge: smooth limestone that becomes ice-slick when wet. Best tackled late summer through fall when water’s low and rocks aren’t covered in algae. No permits needed but respect the sacred sites—this isn’t a playground. Dispersed camping along the creek puts you under some of the darkest skies in the lower 48, with the Milky Way reflecting off the sandstone walls.