American Indians

The Plains Indians - the proud first residents of the Rocky Mountain West - still make the region their home. In recent years, a new sense of vision and cultural awareness has grown between whites and Native Americans. The region is home to sixteen Indian nations.

To find more information on the American Indians in our region, please visit the official websites of Idaho, Montana, South Dakota and Wyoming. You can also view our American Indian sample itinerary or review annual festivals and events here.

The Big Sheep Creek Back Country Byway is a scenic drive through the backcountry of southwestern Montana. The 50 mile two-lane gravel road with a short stretch of one-lane dirt surface can be safely driven from May through early October. Once past the canyons of the Tendoy Mountains, the traveler may pass only two or three cars along the entire route. Passing beneath the high rock cliffs of Big Sheep Canyon, one can look down into clear, deep pools of spring-fed Big Sheep Creek. Perhaps nowhere else in America can one see so many trout without leaving the car.

As Wyoming’s gateway to the Black Hills, the entire area is rich with historic and cultural sites along with scenic natural vistas, archeological interests, and recreational outlets. The proposed 78 mile Wyoming Black Hills Scenic Byway embodies each of the six nominating categories: history, culture, scenic, natural, recreation, and archeology.

The Byway area was, for a century, a crossroads for the California/Oregon Trail, the Mormon Trail, the Pony Express Route, the Transcontinental Railroad and the Lincoln Highway. Incorporating the towns of Fort Bridger, Urie, Mountain View and Lyman, which were bypassed when Interstate 80 was built, Bridger Valley Historic Byway is an approximately 20 mile loop showcasing some of Wyoming's most treasured historical sites. The route runs from I-80 Exit 34 and rejoins the interstate at Exit 48.