The Complete Bighorn Mountains Loop: Highways 14, 14A and 16
July 21, 2026 · 6 min read read · Wyo Stays Journal
The best Bighorn Mountains loop drive links three scenic byways: US-14 over Granite Pass and down Shell Canyon, US-16 back over Powder River Pass through Ten Sleep Canyon, with US-14A's Medicine Wheel Passage as the high summer variant. From Sheridan, the full circle runs roughly 240 to 280 miles — one very full day, or a perfect two.
Most visitors drive one Bighorn highway and call the range done. The loop is the better idea: each crossing has its own personality — 14's forests and waterfall canyon, 14A's stark alpine top and ancient Medicine Wheel, 16's limestone gorge above Ten Sleep — and stitching them together turns a pretty drive into a full portrait of the mountains. We live at the foot of these roads: Wyo Stays is a licensed, insured Wyoming vacation rental brokerage at 151 W Brundage St in Sheridan, hosting guests since 2017, with homes scattered from Dayton to Story to Buffalo along the loop's eastern rim.
The Bighorn Mountains Loop, Segment by Segment
Run it counterclockwise from Sheridan for morning light on the climb. All mileages are approximate — the point of this day is not the odometer — and every high segment should be checked against wyoroad.info before you commit, in any season.
| Segment | Approx. miles | Highlights |
|---|---|---|
| Sheridan → Dayton → Burgess Junction (US-14, Bighorn Scenic Byway) | ~45 | Tongue River valley, Fallen City rockslide, Sibley Lake, the climb to the high meadows |
| Burgess Junction → Shell → Greybull (US-14) | ~50 | Granite Pass, Shell Falls interpretive site, red-walled Shell Canyon |
| Greybull → Worland → Ten Sleep (US-16/20 south, then east) | ~60 | Bighorn Basin ranch country; Ten Sleep's one-street charm |
| Ten Sleep → Powder River Pass → Buffalo (US-16, Cloud Peak Skyway) | ~65 | Ten Sleep Canyon's limestone walls, Meadowlark Lake, Powder River Pass (~9,666 ft), Cloud Peak views |
| Buffalo → Sheridan (I-90) | ~35 | Fast homeward leg beneath the mountain front you just crossed twice |
The 14A variant: at Burgess Junction, take the Medicine Wheel Passage west toward Lovell instead of dropping down Shell — the starkest, highest-feeling crossing of the three, home to the Medicine Wheel National Historic Landmark, and closed each winter, typically from about December 1 until late May. We give that road its own full treatment in our Highway 14A driving guide.
The Stops That Deserve Your Daylight
Shell Falls, mid-descent on 14, is a mandatory ten minutes — a torrent through pink granite with a paved overlook path. Burgess Junction's visitor center (seasonal) frames the range's natural history. On 16, Meadowlark Lake earns a picnic, and Ten Sleep Canyon rewards a slow window-down descent; climbers dot its walls all summer. The town of Ten Sleep itself is the loop's best lunch logic. And everywhere, the pull-outs are the point: moose in the willow flats at dawn, and some of the darkest night sky in the lower 48 if you're up top late.
Two optional spurs for the unhurried. Near Buffalo, the Crazy Woman Canyon road drops off US-16 into a narrow, boulder-walled gorge — a rough, slow gravel side trip best suited to higher-clearance vehicles and dry weather, and one of the range's genuine secrets when conditions allow. And from the 14A variant, the short access road toward the Medicine Wheel leads to a walk up to the ancient stone circle itself; treat it as the sacred site it remains, check current access at the forest's information sites, and give it quiet.
Locals argue 14 versus 16 the way other towns argue barbecue. The correct answer is the loop — order them however you like, but eat lunch in Ten Sleep. — a Wyo Stays local
One Day or Two? Timing and Seasons
As a single push, the loop is seven-plus hours of driving before stops — doable in summer's long light, but you'll ration the pull-outs. The two-day version breathes: cross on 14, poke around the basin or add the 14A spur, overnight, then come home over 16. US-14 and US-16 are maintained year-round (winter storms permitting); 14A closes seasonally, and high-country weather deserves respect from September onward — our Bighorn road closures guide covers what shuts when, and our Meadowlark Lake guide makes the case for the 16 corridor as its own destination.
Stay Nearby: Mountain Cabins Along the Loop
The loop's best-kept secret is sleeping on it. Our collection includes mountain-view homes and cabins in Dayton and Story — right at the foot of the 14 climb — plus Sheridan and Buffalo-area stays that bracket the eastern legs, many with hot tubs that turn a driving day into a proper mountain evening. Split the loop over two days from a cabin base and you'll never do it as a one-day sprint again. Find your spot at book.wyostays.com — Book Direct — No Channel Fees.
Practical Tips
- Check wyoroad.info the morning of — it's the live source for all three highways, in every season.
- Fuel at the corners: Sheridan or Dayton, Greybull or Worland, Ten Sleep or Buffalo. Nothing dependable up top.
- Downshift on the descents — Shell and Ten Sleep canyons cook brakes on long grades.
- Pack layers and water; you'll swing several thousand feet of elevation and 30 degrees of temperature between the basin floor and the passes.
- Start counterclockwise for morning light on the eastern face and evening light coming home over 16.
- Cabins along the loop book out summer weekends — reserve early at book.wyostays.com.
FAQ: Driving the Bighorn Loop
Q: What's the best Bighorn Mountains loop drive?
A: From Sheridan: US-14 over Granite Pass and down Shell Canyon, south through the basin to Ten Sleep, then US-16 back over Powder River Pass to Buffalo and I-90 home — roughly 240 to 280 miles depending on routing. In summer, substitute or add US-14A's Medicine Wheel Passage for the highest, starkest crossing.
Q: How long does the full loop take?
A: Plan seven-plus hours of pure driving, which becomes a ten-to-twelve-hour day once Shell Falls, Meadowlark Lake, and a Ten Sleep lunch get their due. Splitting it over two days with an overnight — in the basin or back at a cabin near Dayton or Story — is the more enjoyable shape for most travelers.
Q: Are the roads open year-round?
A: US-14 and US-16 are maintained through winter, though storms bring temporary closures and chain-law conditions on the passes. US-14A between Burgess Junction and Lovell closes seasonally — typically around December 1 through late May. Always check wyoroad.info before a mountain crossing, in any month; it's the authoritative live source.
Q: Which highway is best if we only have time for one?
A: For classic forest-and-waterfall scenery with the easiest grades, US-14 through Shell Canyon. For drama, US-16 through Ten Sleep Canyon runs a close second and pairs with Meadowlark Lake. For alpine starkness and the Medicine Wheel, summer's US-14A. Any of the three beats the interstate; the loop beats them all.
The Bighorns aren't on the way to anywhere — which is exactly why the loop feels like a discovery instead of a transfer. Give the range a full lap, sleep at the foot of it, and let the odometer lie to you about how far you went. Cabins, homes, and the rest of the plan live at wyostays.com.