Buffalo Bill Dam

The Buffalo Bill Dam sits at the entrance to the Wapiti Valley canyon, about nine miles west of Cody, where the Shoshone River cuts through a narrow gorge in the Absaroka Mountains. The dam is a concrete arch structure that impounds the Buffalo Bill Reservoir, and the sheer walls of the canyon on either side give it a dramatic setting out of proportion with its relatively modest dimensions by modern standards.

The visitor centre on the north rim of the canyon is free, well-produced, and explains the engineering as well as the political and agricultural history of the project. The walkway across the top of the dam is open and gives you the full view down into the gorge. It is a 20-minute stop if you are driving to Yellowstone; worth the pull-off.

things to do sight
A story
When the dam was completed in 1910, it was the tallest dam in the world at 99 metres, surpassing every previous record. It was also the first major project completed by the newly formed Bureau of Reclamation, setting the template for the federal irrigation programmes that transformed the American West over the following decades.

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