
Enter Yellowstone
It’s an ideal place to enter Yellowstone. You can head north to Cody, or west towards Dubois. Togwotee Pass is by far my favorite entry point to Yellowstone, which can be found heading west from Dubois, one hour from Riverton. As you meander over the pass, you’ll see the Tetons rise like daggers into the sky – it’s breathtaking.
Accommodation near Yellowstone and great places to eat
Accommodation-wise, the Wind River Hotel & Casino offers comfortable, spacious rooms, and an array of great dining options, all reasonably priced. The Buffalo Restaurant caters dishes from Italy, Mexico, Mongolia and more. It’s a great place to have lunch before traveling into the reservation.

Native American Art
The hotel honors its ancestry with an abundance of artworks, some of which are murals, and all produced by local talent. Nearby to one beautiful work of art by Eugene Ridgely Jr (AKA: Snowball) is the Experience Room. The Experience Room, opened just over seven years ago, highlights the Arapahoe people’s practical and artistic flare. You’ll also see that at the many authentic crafts shows hosted in the hotel throughout the year, where purchasing of reservation goods is made possible by the locals. The gift shops are open year around so you can take home a touch of this great people.
Deep history to match lively culture
There’s intriguing history behind the reservation and within the Arapahoe culture. I loved the Experience Room because I had the opportunity to have it all explained to me, in detail, by elders of the tribe. It’s unique and incredibly insightful. I spoke with Gary – a hardy elder who’s lived in Riverton all his life. Timelessness was a major talking point, likewise a feeling of connectedness because of the land, of the past and present. “We’ve been here forever – more than 10,000 years. That means a lot to me. We’ve been here since the beginning of time. We carry on, persevere.”
My father’s native family are from Riverton and I am looking for leads to see his home. He spoke of the reservation and the beautiful countryside. He and his family left to move to Michigan and Ohio where they worked for Ford Motor Co after serving in the US Air Force. Any information I can get to help me plan my trip will help. Thank you.
Randy
Hi Randy, sounds like a lovely plan! Well, tell us what exactly you would be interested to see and which direction you’d come from or would like to go towards, so we could give you according recommendations.