Dubois, Wyoming 82513
Story by Nancy Debevoise
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Photos: Bob Woodall—FPI/ Triangle C Ranch
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The mountain-hemmed town of Dubois and the Upper Wind River Valley that surrounds it are only about an hour’s drive from Jackson Hole, but they’re a world away. Trade alpine for desert... The area is one of the most spectacularly scenic — and still relatively undiscovered — vacation destinations in the Northern Rockies.
Dubois is a small ranching community (population about 900) set on the Wind River between the Absaroka and Wind River mountain ranges. The town and its outlying hay meadows and cattle ranches are bordered by several million acres of National Forest, more than half of which are protected as wilderness areas.
Spectacular Wild Country
To the east of town are the dramatic redrock canyons and colorful rock formations of the Dubois Badlands. To the southwest loom the rugged peaks and glacial lakes of the Wind River Range. To the North rise the pine-clad slopes and alpine meadows of the Absaroka Range. And rolling away to the southeast are the sagebrush hills and high plains of the vast Wind River Indian Reservation, home to the Northern Arapahoe and Eastern Shoshone tribes.
The valley abounds with wildlife. Nearby Whiskey Mountain supports the largest herd of Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep in North America. Other big-game animals and rare species thrive in the wild country that surrounds Dubois: moose, elk, antelope, deer, mountain lion, bald and golden eagle, grizzly and black bear. Area streams and lakes teem with an impressive array of game fish, including rainbow, lake, brook, cutthroat, golden and brown trout, grayling and mountain whitefish.
Comfortable Lodgings
For such a small town, Dubois offers a variety of comfortable places to stay. Visitors can choose from nearly a dozen motels in or just outside town, ranging from rustic log-cabin lodgings to modern motor inns. Several motels provide RV hookups and horse corrals for their guests, and there are a number of campgrounds in the area. Four bed & breakfast inns are located in or near town, and the valley is also home to a number of excellent guest ranches.
Lots To Do in Town
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Although outdoor adventures are the area’s specialty, there’s lots to do in town as well.
The National Bighorn Sheep Interpretive Center, opened a few years back, has already become a major visitor attraction. The center houses a number of impressive exhibits on bighorn sheep biology and successful herd management methods used at Whiskey Mountain. Next door, the Dubois Museum’s exhibits link the valley’s ethnic, social, cultural, and work history with its archaeology, geology, and natural history.
Dubois shops sell everything from cowboy boots and fly-fishing gear to handsome coffee-table books and upscale gifts. A tour of town shops reveals fine silver jewelry, crafts by Native American tribes, high-quality Western-theme gifts, and crafts by local artists.
Off the Beaten Path
Dubois is a busy place in the summer, but the solitude and natural splendor of the badlands and mountains are only minutes away. Miles of scenic unpaved roads take visitors in vehicles or on mountain bikes deep into the backcountry, and dozens of trailheads lead to a network of well-maintained hiking and horse trails.
Southwest of Dubois is Union Pass, said to be the only place in the country where three river sources flow in different directions: streams born on the pass eventually join the Columbia, Mississippi, and Colorado rivers. Union Pass is accessible to four-wheel-drive vehicles during the summer months and early fall.
Southeast of town is Whiskey Mountain with its resident bighorn sheep herd and a major trailhead that serves as the jumping-off point for hikes and horsepack trips into the Fitzpatrick Wilderness. The bumpy dirt road that leads to the trailhead makes for slow going, but sharp-eyed travelers can spot ancient petroglyphs carved into rock faces along the way.
For those who really want to get away from it all, a number of local outfitters offer guided fishing and pack horse trips into nearby wilderness areas.
Summer Activities & Events
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Dubois bustles with activities and events nearly every night of the week in the summer. Lectures and demonstrations by the Dubois Museum, the National Forest Service, and the Bighorn Sheep Center will be given Monday through Thursday at 7:30 at the fire circle in the Dubois Town Park. Topics include: history, geology, camp cooking, fishing, wildlife, breaking wild horses, berry picking, and other general interest subjects. Gather beforehand at the Sheep Center and take the short walk to the park.
On Tuesday night promenade to the Rustic Pine Tavern at 8:00 p.m. for free square dance lessons. Beginners are encouraged to partake, so bring the kids and learn how to dosado and allemande left with the whole family.
The “Bad Boys of Bull Riding Rodeo” charge into the Clarence Allison Memorial Arena five weekends this summer (June 11-12, 25-26, July 3-4, 23-24, August 13-14, 20-21).
On June 25 the Swedish Smorgasbord, which harkens back to the Tie Hack tradition of the early 1900s, returns to the Headwaters Center and celebrates its 90th anniversary.
The Buffalo BBQ Weekend, August 13-15, is a longtime summer tradition and serves up a full plate of activities. Rodeo hits the arena on Friday and Saturday nights, the BBQ is Saturday afternoon, and chariot races charge down the track on Saturday and Sunday afternoons, and the entire weekend plays host to a quilt show at the Headwaters Center.
For more information about Dubois and the Upper Wind River Valley, contact the Dubois Chamber of Commerce, P.O. Box 632, Dubois, WY 82513, (307) 455-2556, or on-line at duboiswyoming.org.
Nancy Debevoise is a writer who lives in Dubois, Wyoming. Her articles about the Northern Rockies have appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Travel & Leisure, and Destination Discovery.
Copyright 2004 by FPI (Focus Productions, Inc)., P.O. Box 1930, Jackson, Wyoming 83001. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publishers.
Mountain Country is a free visitors’ guide published annually in May and distributed at hundreds of locations throughout Jackson Hole, Cody, and other regional communities. To receive a copy in the mail, send $5 to Mountain Country, P.O. Box 1930, Jackson, Wyoming 83001.
Publishers: Bob Woodall & Wade McKoy, dba Focus Productions, Inc. (FPI)
Editors: Mike Calabrese, Wade McKoy, Bob Woodall
Art Direction & Ad Design: Janet Melvin
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