Cody is the eastern gateway to Yellowstone National Park and one of the most characterful small towns in Wyoming. It was founded by William F. "Buffalo Bill" Cody in 1896, and the western heritage is not just a marketing gimmick — the Buffalo Bill Center of the West is a genuinely outstanding museum complex, with five museums covering western art, natural history, Plains Indians culture, firearms, and Buffalo Bill himself. Plan at least half a day.
In summer, the Cody Nite Rodeo runs every evening from June through August — a real working rodeo, not a tourist show, with local cowboys and cowgirls competing. The drive from Cody to Yellowstone through the Wapiti Valley along the North Fork of the Shoshone River is spectacular, and Teddy Roosevelt called it "the most scenic fifty miles in the world."
The town has a walkable main street anchored by the historic Irma Hotel, western-themed shops, steakhouses, and saloons. The surrounding Big Horn Basin is wide-open ranch country, and the Absaroka Range to the west provides a dramatic backdrop. Don't miss Old Trail Town or Colter's Hell on the road toward Yellowstone.