Enjoy the magnificent scenery of Wyoming's fall colors along the Snowy Range Scenic Byway. Be sure to stop and enjoy the many opportunities for unique shopping and quiet meals along the way.
Total travel time: Day trip to two days
Head west from Laramie on State Highway 130, which becomes the Snowy Range Scenic Byway across the Medicine Bow Mountains. This road, which tops out at nearly 11,000 feet features plenty of fall color and thrilling views of mountaintop vistas and alpine lakes.
Music in the Mountains: If you're in the area at the beginning of September, make room in your schedule for the Snowy Range Music Festival. Get uplifted by nationally renowned Blues singers before you move on to the next stop in your road trip.
If you pass through Centennial in August, be sure to stop at the Nici Self Museum. Exhibits interpret and celebrate the major sources of impact for the valley including mining, the railroad, ranching and timber harvesting. Your visit to the museum is free but donations are welcome. Unfortunately, this museum is only open in June, July and August so you may miss it if you're looking at the colors in late fall.
Southwest of the byway, State Highway 70 leads west out of Encampment to a stretch known whose showy autumn displays have earned it the name Aspen Alley.
North of the byway, find yourself soaking in the natural hot springs of Saratoga. Spend the night in historic comfort at the Wolf Hotel. Or, mosey up to Elk Mountain to stay at the historic Elk Mountain Hotel. For decades, this hotel was a happening place for jazz and big band musicians. It played host to the likes of Tommy Dorsey, Gene Krupa, Les Brown, Lawrence Welk and Louis Armstrong. If you really want to see some fall foilage, get to Elk Mountain via one of the dirt roads that lead there from the byway or Saratoga. Be sure to ask a local about the terrain and current condition of the road before you go. If you're partial to paved roads, take Highway 130 up to I-80 and then east to the Elk Mountain exit.
Culture and Commerce: Surrounded by all this nature, you may get the urge to stop a while and try out your fishing abilities. There is no better place to try than the North Platte in the fall. Stop by Hack's Tackle in Saratoga for guidance and gear.