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THE STEPS AFIELD
Roadpath Journeys

The Snowy Range Scenic Byway, Wyoming Go Down Go Up
The Roadpath Information
The Snowy Range Road, Hwy 130 from Laramie to the Upper Platte River Valley near Saratoga, was designated the Second National Forest Scenic Byway in the United States. Construction began in 1920 and it took six years to complete and was called the Great Skyroad. This route is a popular recreation attraction with numerous picnic, camping, observation and interpretive locations. From the Libby Flatts ovservation location, the Colorado mountain ranges can be seen.
The vegetation associated with alpine zones including the bent, crooked and twisted trees (German: Krummholz) as well as abundant beautiful arrays of wildflowers seen from early June through July are present here. A self-guided tour is available at the Ryan Park Campground which was the site of a WWII Prisoner of War camp.
Medicine Bow Peak, at 12, 013 feet, the highest point within the Medicine Bow National Forest, is immediately adjacent to the Byway. There are several hiking trails accessible from the Byway, including a trail up to Medicine Bow Peak.
The Snowy Range Scenic Byway is by far one of the best and it is a must see whenever anyone gets even close to this area in southeastern Wyoming.
Description:
Roadpath Type: National Scenic Byway
Roadpath Total Length: 69 miles, 111 km
Roadpath Year Built:
Construction Began: 1920
Roadpath Complete: 1926
Roadpath Use: tourism
Roadpath Waymark: state highway signs
Roadpath Terminus Point (West):
Location: Junction of SH 130 and SH 230, near North Platte River
Coordinates: 41.3574485, -106.7420779
Elevation: 6994 feet
Roadpath Terminus Point (East):
Location: Interstate 80, exit 311 at Snowy Range Road in Laramie
Coordinates: 41.3574485, -106.7420779
Elevation: 7150 feet
Roadpath Highest Elevation: 10850 feet, at Libby Flat Observation Area
Roadpath Lowest Elevation: 6990 feet, at North Platte River
Roadpath History:
As the Snowy Range Scenic Byway is high in the mountains, there are large expanses of krummholz vegetation and alpine tundra to be explored along the way. Forest Service roads run off in all directions, beckoning you deeper into the forest. This scenic byway is not called the Snowy Range for no reason, as the route is usually closed by snow from mid-November to late May every year.
The Medicine Bow Mountains are also known for large herds of deer and elk and many alpine lakes and streams filled with trout and Rocky Mountain whitefish. Just do your research before you take a long hike in to the wilderness to find a fishing lake because some of them are too shallow for fish to survive in during the long, cold winters.
Near the high point on the scenic byway is the Libby Flats Observation Point where you can get out, take a short walk to the observation tower and see many of the mountain ranges in northern Colorado.
Ryan Park
Not too far west of Medicine Bow Peak on Wyoming SH 130 is Ryan Park Campground. This encampment was built during the days of the Civilian Conservation Corps and later used as a prisoner-of-war camp during World War II.
Since then, the campground has been updated and now has plenty of interpretive signage along a self-guided tour. These signs point out the locations of the various facilities that were used by the prisoners.
Geographical Region: Rocky Mountains
Ecoregion: Southern Rockies
The Roadpath Journeys
The Snow Range Scenic Byway, Wyoming
(m0-maps-snowyrange-map) Snow Range Scenic Byway Map

The 2020 Journey, Snowy Range Scenic Byway Go Down Go Up
The Snowy Range, August 2020
Direction of Travel: South from Saratoga, the East on Byway
Monday, 17 August 2020, Rock Springs, WY.
(Day 727 TG) 51°F. 6:30 am, sunny
I drive south on SR 130, turn left where Wyoming SR 230 continues straight south and follow Wyoming SR 130 up into the Medicine Bow National Forest towards Snowy Pass.
Upon my reaching the borders of the NF, I see an interesting rocky outcrop and take a couple of photos. When I later crop the photos, methinks that it was the light from the near setting sun that made this foothills look better than they actually are.
The Rocky Mountains
The Medicine Bow Mountains
(m6fi-snowyrange-2020-0817.1839) Foothills to the Medicine Bow Mtns
As the sun continues to drop to the horizon, I continue upward onto the mountain, and soon come to NF 103 road where I turn north and stop at the first place I find to camp. Because it is fast turning dark, I grab my camera and take photos of the jammer in the fading light, the quickly fading sunglow and then the bright blueglow.
Tuesday, 18 August 2020, Mecicine Bow NF, WY.
(Day 728 TG) 50°F. 6:30 am, sunny
Upon arising, I prepare a cup of hot, my Daystart, and then go inside the jammer to enjoy my meal and pound keys on the computer. Later, I walk to the front sign to see if there was anything that I missed when I came in. Nope, all that applies to me is Camping Limit, 16 Days and upon returning to the jammer take a couple of photos. The temperature remains cool all morning and for a little of the afternoon, but at about one pm the temperature rises above 90 degrees. Then, by five pm, it drops back down to the low eighties making the day here not bad at all, especially with the night time temperatures dropping into the low forties.
I had no idea what this forest road has been used for, but when I see a seemingly endless procession of trucks pulling trailers loaded with off road vehicles, I begin to understand the type of people coming to this high elevation.
The large amounts of trucks and ORVs amazes me, I never knew that one mountain high place could hold as many as those ones I have seen come in here today.
Mostly of what I get from the truck procession is a lot of dust settling on the jammer, so I have to keep the window shades up hoping they will keep out most of it.
The Rocky Mountains
The Medicine Bow Mountains
(m6fi-snowyrange-2020-0818.0934) People with a Multitude of Possessions
Later, I walk to the front sign to see if there was anything that I missed when I came in. Nope, all that applies to me is Camping Limit, 16 Days because most of what is posted pertains to ORVs and upon returning to the jammer, I take a couple of photos of my campsite.
Directly behind the large horizontal log is the fire pit.
The Rocky Mountains
The Medicine Bow Mountains
(m6fi-snowyrange-2020-0818.1537) Jammer on Medicine Bow Mountains
The Rocky Mountains
The Medicine Bow Mountains
(m6fi-snowyrange-2020-0818.1538) Jammer on Medicine Bow Mountains
Thursday, 20 August 2020, Medicine Bow NF, WY.
(Day 730 TG) 35°F. 6:00 am, sunny
Awake to a second day of very cold temperature and this morning, while still wrapped in my blanket, turn on the jammer engine to warm the inside and in just about ten minutes the inside temperature reaches fifty degrees while the outside remains at thirty-five. I then dress in my fall blues and turn on the computer to begin today′s journal entry. When the inside rises to fifty-five, I turn off the heater and soon after the engine.
The Rocky Mountains
The Medicine Bow Mountains
The Snowy Range Pass, June 2020
Direction of Travel: Westward from Laramie
(Day 650 TG) 47°F. 6:30 am, sunny
Awake shortly before the d-mart opens. I can tell because there are people standing in line at the entrance, which because the pandemic quarantine is still in effect are standing one fathom apart from each other. I go inside to buy some groceries, then back out to the jammer and drive to the w-mart.
In the afternoon, I leave the w-mart, and then drive west out of town on SH 130 towards the Snowy Range pass and head west across a high plateau.
The Rocky Mountains
The Medicine Bow Mountains
(m6fi-snowyrange-2020-0601.1415) Medicine Bow Mtns from the East
The Rocky Mountains
The Medicine Bow Mountains
(m6fi-snowyrange-2020-0601.1433) Medicine Bow Mtns from the East
Soon, I begin the climb up into the mountains and the landscape quickly changes to a snow covered alpine forest.
The Rocky Mountains
The Medicine Bow Mountains
(m6fi-snowyrange-2020-0601.1512) Libby Flats Observation Tower
The Rocky Mountains
The Medicine Bow Mountains
(m6fi-snowyrange-2020-0601.1525) View from Observation Tower
The Rocky Mountains
The Medicine Bow Mountains
(m6fi-snowyrange-2020-0601.1531) View from Observation Tower
The Rocky Mountains
The Medicine Bow Mountains
(m6fi-snowyrange-2020-0601.1550) View from Snowy Range Pass
The Rocky Mountains
The Medicine Bow Mountains
(m6fi-snowyrange-2020-0601.1610) View from Snowy Range Pass
After spending quite some time at the Libby Flats Observation point, I continue west on SR 130 and come to a second view point.
Here, I see a man fishing in a near frozen lake, an ice wall higher than the jammer and a marmot sticking he head out of his hole to see who is here.
The Rocky Mountains
The Medicine Bow Mountains
(m6fi-snowyrange-2020-0601.1622) Man fishing in near frozen lake
The Rocky Mountains
The Medicine Bow Mountains
(m6fi-snowyrange-2020-0601.1624) Man fishing in near frozen lake
The Rocky Mountains
The Medicine Bow Mountains
(m6fi-snowyrange-2020-0601.1625) Ice wall along side the highway
The Rocky Mountains
The Medicine Bow Mountains The Rocky Mountains
The Medicine Bow Mountains
(m6fi-snowyrange-2020-0601.1632d) Medicine Bow Mountains to the South

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This Page Last Updated: 31 January 2025


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by Thom Buras
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