Situated just east of Yellowstone National Park, Cody fully embraces its moniker of “Gateway to Yellowstone”. The town is named after the infamous Buffalo Bill and also claims the title of “Rodeo Capital of the World”. It’s no surprise that nature reigns in this Montana enclave, with plenty of hiking trails, adventure companies and historical museums.

Things to do

The Buffalo Bill Center of the West honours the life and achievements of the town’s renowned founder, William Frederick Cody, aka “Buffalo Bill”. You can explore five museums inside the huge complex focusing on Buffalo Bill, the Plains Indians, western art, natural history and American firearms.

For dinner, head over to the landmark Irma House Hotel and Restaurant, where you’ll see gunfight re-enactments in the street, then eat prime rib in the historic Old West saloon. Afterward, watch thrilling competitions at the Cody Night Rodeo, featuring barrel racing, bareback competitions, steer wrestling and saddle bronc riding.

Join skilled guides for white-water rafting through the North Fork of Shoshone River and go horseback riding up Cedar Mountain. Take a self-guided tour through Old Trail Town, a living-history museum that re-creates a 19th-century cowboy town, where you’ll find log cabins used on the movie set of “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid”.

The stretch from Cody to Yellowstone National Park is often called “the 50 most beautiful miles in America”. Inside the park is a geothermal wonderland with gushing geyser eruptions, bubbling hot springs, unspoiled wilderness and crystal-clear mountain lakes. Don’t miss the rainbow prisms of the Grand Prismatic Spring.

Getting around

Public buses, shuttles, limos and taxis abound in Cody. You can also rent a car at Yellowstone Regional Airport, located about 20 minutes from the downtown centre.