A Day On Top Of The World

Lookout Lake, Medicine Bow National Forest, 10/2015

That's right...this picture is completely unedited, this mountain range is picture perfect! The mountain range is in the Medicine Bow National Forest, but the locals call it the Snowy Range.

Looking at this picture you can understand why it is called the Snowy Range - the quartzite rock appears almost white, especially when the sun rays hit its' surface. In the winter this scenic byway is closed because of (you can probably guess) snow.

Medicine Bow Peak towers over the once glacier-filled valley at 12,014 ft. On this fine day, we took our time getting to the peak and we will take you on a guided tour along the Snowy Range Scenic Byway (Hwy 130).

If you are planning a trip, the byway is only open from around May - October depending on the weather that year. In the winter months there is plenty to do as well!

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Where To Start:

You can start at either end of the byway, but we are going to start our tour from Laramie, Wyoming. The scenic byway, Hwy 130, has its own exit off of Interstate-80 (Exit 311 in Laramie, to be exact) and you will reach the base of the mountain within 30 minutes.

Along the way you will see dude ranches, a bakery in the middle of nowhere, wide open spaces, and basically everything you'd want on a trip to Wyoming. You will also see off to the left a deep drop-off which happens to be the largest wind-carved valley in North America and the second largest in the world! And it keeps getting better! ​

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On The Scenic Byway:

You will be traveling towards the small towns of Albany and Centennial, Wyoming. Towards Albany (down Hwy 11, off of Hwy 130) you can visit the Deerwood Ranch Wild Horse EcoSanctuary. The ranch will not allow you to tour the grounds unless you call at least 48 hours in advance to set up an appointment.

To continue along the scenic byway, stay on Hwy 130 and you'll arrive at the town of Centennial. This little town is a great stop to take a break. They have a homemade ice cream shop, the Nici Self Museum, a gas station (if you forgot to fill up in Laramie), and multiple restaurants which usually have local musicians playing in the evenings. It's a fun little town!

Just beyond the little community, you will start to wind up the mountain towards the local ski area. There is a visitor center a mile or two outside of Centennial which will have hiking/biking/horseback-riding and camping maps and info on where to stop for the best views. If you are staying over night in the range, we recommend the Sugarloaf campsite - the morning view of the mountain range at this location is jaw-dropping to say the least.

Top 10 Places To Visit:

We could go on and on about our adventures and where the really impressive overlooks are, so to save you some reading time we will shorten the list down to our 10 favorite spots. Most of these are easily accessible off of the highway so don't worry about getting lost!

• Snowy Range Ski Area - The ski area is not the largest or the prettiest, but it is one of the easiest to learn on and one of the cheapest! Throughout the winter you will see boarders, skiers, snow-mobilers, and snow-shoers all along the highway. Since you are in national forest boundaries you can access any spot you want - all year-round (as long as you are not tresspassing). When the scenic byway is closed in the winter you can still access the ski area, but none of the following bullet points we've listed.
• St. Alban's Chapel - These may seem like a strange item to have on this list but it sure is worth the stop. You will have to drive about a mile on a dirt road to access this site, but you get a great view of where you just came from and it is the cutest open air church! The locals still have church services there on Sundays.
• Libby Flats Observation Point - This will be the highest point on the highway at 10,800 ft about sea level and you will see the peak of the mountain range coming into view. There is a large parking lot with a small rock structure 100 yards or so from the lot where you can overlook the wide-spreading valleys below.
• Trails from Libby Flats - There are a couple of trails starting at the parking lot which you can take if you'd like to walk along side small creeks and take in the wide open space. You are almost above the tree line now so it will most likely be windy up here. Hiking on these trails will put you in some tree cover.
• Medicine Bow Peak Overlook - This parking lot is almost immediately on the left-hand side of the road, right after leaving the Libby Flats Observation Point. It is easy to miss, but you will want to stop here to learn about the 1955 plane crash that happened here. To this day, you can find the remains of the crash while hiking on the Medicine Bow Trail.
• Mirror Lake - Here, there is a small parking lot right off the road which grants you access to the Medicine Bow Trail. The view of the peak reflecting off of the water is absolutely grand! If you are a photographer, amateur or professional, you will never want to leave.
• Lake Marie - This is probably the most well-known stopping point along the scenic byway. The parking lot is almost always full so that's why we first told you to stop at Mirror Lake. Both lakes beautiful and are situated along the Medicine Bow Trail. There is also a bathroom here if you need a break!
• Medicine Bow Trail - Just walking a portion of this trail will be worth your time. Starting at Lake Marie the path is paved for about a 1/2 mile as it winds around to the Mirror Lake access point, then it becomes a dirt trail. When we hiked to the top it took us about 3 hours and we gained 1,400 feet! If you are already struggling with the altitude, don't push yourself.
• Lake Marie Falls - At the opposite side of the highway from the parking lot is a trail which guides you along the "waterfall" which is really just the overflow from the lake. It does carve a small canyon through the mountain which gives you an awesome view!
• Ryan Park - Ryan Park was once a German and Italian solider P.O.W. camp during WWII. Since then a small community of people have started calling this location home. Cabin rentals are available as well as campsites. This area is located on the western side of the range and remains open even when the road has closed down for the winter months.

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The Other Side:

As you start to descend from the peak, the national forest will start to surround you again and the road drops off into rolling mountain valleys. If you pass by the local ranches and farms where you might even see small herds of bison and horses running along the hills. If you love to fish this is a prime location as the North Platte river starts here.

On this tour we are going to send you north, staying on Hwy 130 towards the town of Saratoga, Wyoming. If you have the time and want to continue on a national forest/mountain tour, head south towards the old mining towns of Riverside and Encampment (Hwy 230) which reside in the Sierra Madre range of the Medicine Bow National Forest.

Saratoga is a small town in Wyoming, but believe it or not, private jets from all over the world fly in to this little town to take in the Wyoming landscape and for the Saratoga golf course. Not only do they have spectacular views of the mountains, the town is also known for its natural hot springs. The Hobo Hot Pool is its name, it sits right next to the North Platte river, and it is free and open 24/7!

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Wrapping It Up:

Hwy 130 will take you back to Interstate-80 about 20 miles east of Rawlins, Wyoming and about 100 miles west of Laramie, Wyoming. Like we had stated earlier in this article, you can start at one end of the byway and make your way to Laramie or you can just wing it! There is so much to explore here y'all and what we have described to you is only 2 portions of the Medicine Bow National Forest. So get out there and explore!

​Just remember to take your time and enjoy the little things along the way! We wish we could tell you more, but we need to save some of the secrets for ourselves, right? :)