The Snowy Range is half an hour west of Laramie on Wyoming 130, and the drive over Snowy Range Pass is one of the best scenic drives in the state. The road climbs from high plains through lodgepole pine forest into open subalpine terrain with lakes, meadows, and views of the high peaks before descending into the valley beyond. Beartooth Pass in Montana gets the fame; this one is almost as dramatic and far less crowded.
In summer, the pass area offers excellent hiking on trails that see a fraction of the traffic on Colorado's mountain paths. Medicine Bow Peak (12,013 feet) is reachable via a well-marked trail from the Lake Marie trailhead. The Snowy Range ski area operates in winter when the pass is open — a small, affordable, and genuinely snowy resort that locals use throughout the season. The pass typically opens in late May or early June and closes with the first heavy snowfall, often in October.