Things to do in Buffalo

Buffalo packs more genuine Old West per block than anywhere in Wyoming: the 1880 Occidental Saloon (bluegrass every Thursday), the Gatchell Museum's frontier collection, the paved creekside Clear Creek Trail, and Crazy Woman Canyon's granite narrows twenty minutes out. Here's every Buffalo place we send guests to, with our notes.

Every Buffalo place we recommend

• Lake DeSmetLakes & Fishing

  Big, moody, trophy-trout water between Sheridan and Buffalo, wrapped in local legend. Bring a windbreaker — it earns its whitecaps.

• The Historic Occidental Hotel & SaloonCulture & History

  10 N Main St, Buffalo, WY 82834

  Founded 1880 and hosting ghosts of Butch Cassidy, Calamity Jane, and Teddy Roosevelt — bullet holes still in the ceiling. Tour the rooms, eat at the Virginian, and come back Thursday for the 7–9pm Bluegrass Jam. The soul of Buffalo.

• Clear Creek Trail SystemHiking & Biking

  A flat, paved creekside path connecting downtown Buffalo to the Bighorn foothills — herons, exercise stations, and the Old Power Plant Loop for a more rustic stretch. The perfect morning walk right out of Clear Creek Crossing's back door.

• Jim Gatchell Memorial MuseumCulture & History

  100 Fort St, Buffalo, WY 82834

  One of the finest frontier collections in the West — Native American artifacts, the Johnson County War, Fetterman Fight relics. Buffalo's history is wilder than fiction, and it's all here.

• Mountain Meadow Wool MillShops & Galleries

  22 Plains Dr, Buffalo, WY 82834

  The largest full-service wool mill in the West — take the self-guided tour, then buy yarn and blankets made right there. A only-in-Wyoming stop.

• Pie ZanosFood

  45 N Main St, Buffalo, WY 82834

  Wood-fired pizza and creative pasta that landed on Guy Fieri's Triple-D. The tremendous salads are the sleeper hit. Buffalo's crowd-pleaser.

• Bozeman Trail SteakhouseFood

  675 E Hart St, Buffalo, WY 82834

  Some of the best elk, beef, and bison in Wyoming, family-run and family-friendly. The steak dinner after a day in the Bighorns.

• The Virginian Restaurant (at the Occidental)Food

  10 N Main St, Buffalo, WY 82834

  White-tablecloth prime rib and steaks inside the historic Occidental. The special-occasion dinner in Buffalo — reserve ahead.

• The Busy Bee CafeFood

  2 N Main St, Buffalo, WY 82834

  Iconic little diner perched over Clear Creek since the 1920s. Get a booth, get the breakfast, watch the water go by.

• Tom's Main Street DinerFood

  41 N Main St, Buffalo, WY 82834

  Classic quick breakfast, made-to-order and out fast. No fuss, all fuel.

• Crazy Woman Cafe & CoffeeCoffee & Bakery

  51 N Main St, Buffalo, WY 82834

  Buffalo's morning ritual — good coffee, warm room, named for the Crazy Woman Creek that cuts through the county. Fuel up here before the mountains.

• Crazy Woman CanyonScenic Drives & Falls

  A narrow, jaw-dropping canyon road climbing off US-16 southwest of Buffalo — tight granite walls, a rushing creek, and one of the most thrilling short drives in the Bighorns. High-clearance vehicle and dry conditions recommended.

• The Sports LureShops & Galleries

  66 S Main St, Buffalo, WY 82834

  A Main Street fixture since 1968 and the outdoor brain of Buffalo — gear and rentals for fishing, hiking, biking, skiing, and camping, plus the honest local intel on where they're biting. Your first stop before the Bighorns.

• MISHAP! Brewing CompanyBars & Breweries

  145 S Main St, Buffalo, WY 82834

  Buffalo's own craft brewery in a historic downtown space, pouring their beers alongside other Wyoming favorites. The relaxed after-trail pint on the Johnson County side of the range.

• Margo's Pottery & Fine CraftsShops & Galleries

  1 N Main St, Buffalo, WY 82834

  Handmade pottery and fine crafts from regional artists — the kind of piece you'll actually use and remember. A lovely Main Street browse.

• Sagewood Gifts & CafeCoffee & Bakery

  15 N Main St, Buffalo, WY 82834

  Coffee, a light lunch, and a gift shop worth a loop, all in one warm downtown room. An easy, pleasant Buffalo morning.

• Lolly's Sugar ShackCoffee & Bakery

  Main St, Buffalo, WY 82834

  Baked goods, pastries, and coffee to sweeten a Buffalo stroll — the kids will make you stop, and you'll be glad they did.

• Crazy Woman Fine Art GalleryCulture & History

  Main St, Buffalo, WY 82834

  Regional fine art in downtown Buffalo — a quiet, free browse and a real sense of the artists working out here. Named, like everything good in this county, for Crazy Woman Creek.

• Potters' DepotShops & Galleries

  Main St, Buffalo, WY 82834

  Pottery, yarn, and handmade goods in a beloved old depot building — pairs naturally with a stop at the wool mill for the makers-and-crafts crowd.

• Healy ReservoirLakes & Fishing

  Buffalo's popular 215-acre reservoir with a boat ramp — tiger musky, perch, and bass. The go-to warm-water fishing just off Highway 16.

• Mosier Gulch Recreation AreaHiking & Biking

  BLM/city day-use area on Clear Creek at the foot of the Bighorns — trout fishing, easy trails, and wildlife (deer, eagles, the odd elk) minutes from Buffalo.

• Tie Hack ReservoirLakes & Fishing

  Pretty little reservoir up US-16 from Buffalo, named for the tie hacks who logged these mountains — quick trout fishing and a scenic picnic on the way to the pass.

• Circle Park TrailheadHiking & Biking

  A favorite Cloud Peak Wilderness gateway on the Buffalo side — a chain of alpine lakes within a day's walk.

• Hunter Corrals TrailheadHiking & Biking

  The classic stock-and-hiker trailhead into Cloud Peak from Buffalo — pack trips and long days into the high country start here.

• Middle Fork Campground / TrailHiking & Biking

  Shaded camp and trail along the Middle Fork of Clear Creek — good fishing and a gentle way into the mountains from Buffalo.

• Bud Love Wildlife Habitat AreaCulture & History

  Prime elk-and-deer country in the foothills northwest of Buffalo — a WGFD gem for wildlife watching and fall hunting.

• South Fork Campground (US-16)Recreation & Play

  Creekside campground on the South Fork of Clear Creek — good trout water and a quiet Buffalo-side basecamp.

• Lost Cabin / Doyle area (US-16)Recreation & Play

  Remote camps and trails on the southern Bighorns — the country for anglers and hunters who want distance from the road.

• Crazy Woman CampgroundRecreation & Play

  Camp at the top of the wild Crazy Woman Canyon drive — dramatic granite, a rushing creek, and one of the range's great short 4x4 roads.

• Clear Creek (Buffalo, in-town fishing)Lakes & Fishing

  Trout right through downtown Buffalo along the Clear Creek Trail — cast before breakfast, walk to the Busy Bee after. Wonderfully easy water.

• Dull Knife ReservoirLakes & Fishing

  A high, remote reservoir southwest of Buffalo named for the Northern Cheyenne chief — cutthroat and quiet at the edge of the wilderness.

• Muddy Guard ReservoirLakes & Fishing

  Easy-access little reservoir off US-16 — a relaxed, kid-friendly cast on the way up or down the mountain.

• Johnson County Library (Buffalo)Culture & History

  Buffalo's welcoming library — kids' corner, local history, and a dry warm stop on a stormy Johnson County afternoon.

• Doyle Campground (US-16 south)Recreation & Play

  Deep-south Bighorns campground for anglers and hunters chasing solitude off the beaten byway.

• Deer Park Campground (US-16)Recreation & Play

  A well-liked forest campground off US-16 — good creek fishing and easy access to the Cloud Peak trailheads.

• Fort McKinney (Wyoming Veterans' Home)Culture & History

  The 1870s cavalry fort west of Buffalo, now the Veterans' Home — historic buildings and grounds that anchored the Johnson County War era.

• Bighorn overnight areaRecreation & Play

  Public campground in the Buffalo area — an open-data find worth a look; confirm access and season locally.

• Canyon CampgroundRecreation & Play

  Public campground in the Buffalo area — an open-data find worth a look; confirm access and season locally.

• Fortification Creek Wilderness Study AreaCulture & History

  Nature/wildlife area in the Buffalo area — an open-data find worth a look; confirm access and season locally.

• Indian Campground & RV ParkRecreation & Play

  Public campground in the Buffalo area — an open-data find worth a look; confirm access and season locally.

• Mikesell-Potts Recreation Area CampgroundRecreation & Play

  Public campground in the Buffalo area — an open-data find worth a look; confirm access and season locally.

Buffalo events worth planning around

• Longmire Days

  annual, late July (verify)

  Buffalo is the real-life setting for Craig Johnson's Longmire novels, and each summer the town throws a multi-day festival with cast appearances, author talks, and Western events. Huge for Johnson County — a reason to book Clear Creek Crossing or the Buffalo cabins. Verify exact dates; they shift year to year.

• Occidental Bluegrass Jam

  weekly, Thursdays 7–9pm year-round

  Free live bluegrass every Thursday in the historic Occidental Saloon. Walkable from the Buffalo stays — the definitive Johnson County evening.