Bighorn Mountains Pack Trips Wyoming USA Join our pack trips across northern Wyoming, riding across rolling meadows and streams carving through high alpine valleys. The landscape is characterized by the Paintrock Canyon, opening into the Paintrock basin at foot of Cloud Peak, the highest peak in the Bighorn range. The Canyon itself is shaped by steep limestone slopes that climb thousands of feet high above the trail. Red sandstone cliffs, whose color transforms from deep orange to burgundy red with the changing light, rise above the meadows surrounding the ranch. At the bottom of the canyon is Paintrock Creek, widely known to be one of the best fisheries in the region for rainbow, brown, brook and cutthroat trout. Wildlife is plenty– bobcat, elk, mule and whitetail deer, pronghorn and bears all roam freely. Camping Ride with pack horses Meeting: Hyattville Airport:   Cody Transfer: Trip Brochure (PDF)

Packages and Options

Click here for updated current rates.

Tax: 8 %  

 

Transfer and Other Charges:

Our Pack Trips give guests the opportunity to explore the Paintrock Canyon before heading into the backcountry of the Bighorn National Forest on horseback.

If you’re looking for a rugged and rewarding vacation that gets you as close to nature as possible, then a pack trip is for you. Seven days in the mountains is the best way to get to know your horse, learn about the surrounding country, and experience a diversity of wildlife. You’ll wake to horses grazing outside your tent and spend your days exploring the Bighorn’s alpine forests, meadows, and nearby canyons, before returning to base camp for dinner and drinks by the fire. 

Spend your first full day riding around the ranch to become familiar with your horse before riding into the mountains.
Day three will begin early to start the trip up the canyon with the pack horses, making our way to the mountain camp at the foot of Cloud Peak. The following days will be spent visiting surrounding lakes, hiking, riding miles of trails, and riding out to cow camp to spend the day with the ranch team.
Evenings will be spent around the fire with new friends under a carpet of stars.
The trip will end by packing back down the Canyon to cap the week with a farewell dinner and the historic Paintrock Inn for one last night sharing stories.

Sample Day Itinerary
8:00 a.m. Coffee and breakfast around the fire at basecamp
9:00 a.m. Collect your lunch for the day and ready your horse
10:00 a.m. Ride out from mountain camp to visit the Paint Rock cow camp and spend the day with the team, learning about the operation and how the cattle are run during the summer, all while prepping the next pasture
12:00 p.m. Break for lunch in the field
3:00 p.m. Head back to camp for the afternoon
4:00 p.m. Downtime to relax and take a nap, fish or read by the creek
6:30 p.m. Dinner, drinks, and storytelling around the fire

                                                Hyattville area

Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Average High Temperature (°F)	37	41	52	60	70	81	89	87	77	63	47	38
Average Low Temperature (°F)	15	19	28	35	44	52	59	57	47	36	25	16
Average High Temperature (°C)	3	5	11	16	21	27	32	31	25	17	9	3
Average Low Temperature (°C)	-10	-7	-2	2	6	11	15	14	8	2	-4	-9
Average Precipitation (days of rain)	3	3	4	6	7	5	3	2	4	5	3	3

Source: NOAA


Seasons
Wyoming has a dry, continental climate, with cold winters and warm summers.

Spring (March - May)
Chance of snow likely and temperatures tend to swing from below freezing to 50’s.

Summer (June - August)
Warm weather (can be high 90’s) and usually clear skies with occasional rain.

Autumn (September - November)
Seasonal short rain events but lot’s of sunshine. Temperatures cooling at night. There are beautiful fall colors on trees.
September is a beautiful time of year, with daytime temperatures averaging in the mid-70s and nighttime temperatures falling to the mid to low 40s.
The sun can be strong during the day but nights will cool off significantly, sometimes even leaving frost on your tent.

Winter (December - February)
Temperatures below freezing and snow likely.

Please make sure that all of your packed belongings weigh less than 25 pounds, in order to correctly balance the pack animals!

We recommend bringing the following items:
● Riding pants
● Boots with a heel
● Long-sleeve shirts
● Short-sleeve shirts
● Hiking shorts or pants
● Hiking or athletic shoes
● Cotton pants or sweatpants for camp
● Sandals or comfortable shoes for camp
● Long johns
● Beanie
● Puffer jacket or heavy fleece
● Rain jacket
● Baseball or wide-brimmed hat
● Sunscreen
● Bug repellent
● SPF chapstick
● Water bottle
● Small, lightweight daypack
● Heavyweight sleeping bag
● Sleeping pad
● Camping pillow (optional but recommended)
● Travel towel
● Swimsuit
● Sunglasses
● Headlamp
● Toiletries and all necessary medications (biodegradable shampoo, conditioner, and soap will be provided at camp)
● Notebook and pen, book, or kindle
● Powerbank (optional, but there will not be the opportunity to charge electronics once at the ranch!)

** No trip reports found with the tour ID you provided.

Accommodations
This Pack Trip involves 5 nights in tents and 2 nights camping at the main ranch.

Description
On the first 2 nights of the trip, guests will stay in a Creekside safari tent at the ranch.

Nights three through six will be spent in our Mountain camp, in the Bighorn Basin. The camp is simple but comfortable and is based out of backpacking tents complete with the comforts of a hot shower and meals prepared by a private chef over a campfire.
Tents will be provided, but you need to bring your own sleeping bag and sleeping pad.

Room Options
Each guest will have their own tent.



Meals
Your tour includes all meals beginning with dinner on the day of arrival and extending through breakfast on day of departure. All meals will be creatively prepared by a private chef.

Meals at the ranch will be seated, but casual and friendly and accompanied by cocktails, wine and beer.
Meals at basecamp and on the trail will be prepared and shared over open fire.

Dietary Restrictions
We are happy to accommodate all dietary preferences with advance notice.

This trip includes and can accommodate special dietary requests.

Tack:		Western
Horses:		A mixture of different breeds that are well-suited for the mountains and are hardy. This includes but is not limited to quarter horses, draft crosses, and mustangs
Pace:		Slow (going mainly at a walk) | Walk | Trot |
Level:		(3 to 5 out of 5)    Intermediate
Age:		Min 21
Weight:		Max 230 lbs / 105 kg
Riders:		Min 1	Max 8

The ride will be relatively slow-paced, as we will only walk when we have the pack string with us. When we go on day rides, there may be some opportunity to trot depending on the level of the riders in the group.
Riders should be confident in steering their horse, as well as mounting and dismounting on their own.

Due to the remote nature of this trip, riders must be in good physical condition with no pre-existing health conditions. The only way in and out of the mountain camp in case of emergency is by helicopter EMS.

Passports

Valid passport required by all nationals referred to in the chart ; validity varies - for most countries the passport must be valid for at least six months from the date on which the holder enters the USA. If not, the holder will be admitted until the expiration date on the passport; check with the embassy (see Contact Addresses).

Passport Note

(a) For nationals included in the Visa Waiver Program (see below), passports must be valid for at least 90 days from date of entry.

(b) All travellers entering the USA under the Visa Waiver Program require individual machine-readable passports. Children included on a parent's passport also now require their own machine-readable passport. Travellers not in possession of machine-readable passports will require a valid USA entry visa.

(c) Passports issued on or after 26 October 2005 will need to have a biometric identifier in order for the holder to travel visa free under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP). Machine-readable passports issued between 26 October 2005 and 25 October 2006 require a digital photograph printed on the data page or an integrated chip with information from the data page. Machine-readable passports issued on or after 26 October 2006 will require an integrated chip with information from the data page (e-passport).



The US has announced new measures that require all travellers to provide details online 72 hours prior to travel.

ESTA: The Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) came into force on 12 January 2009. It is a fully automated, electronic system for screening passengers before they begin travel to the United States under the Visa Waiver Program. ESTA applications must be submitted at least 72 hours before travel to the USA. Some websites may charge you for the service but you can apply online for free at www.dhs.gov. The granting of an ESTA does not guarantee entry to the USA.

 

New Requirements for Travellers: As of 23 January 2007 all persons, including US citizens, travelling by air between the USA and Canada, Central and South America, the Caribbean and Bermuda are required to present a valid passport, or other approved document, when entering or re-entering the USA. Similar requirements for those travelling by land or sea will be introduced on 1 June 2009.

For further details about the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, visit the website of the US Department of State: (website: http://travel.state.gov/travel/cbpmc/cbpmc_2223.html).

Visas

Not required by nationals referred to in the chart above for stays of up to 90 days except:

1. nationals of Bulgaria, Cyprus, Greece, Hungary, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Romania and Slovak Republic, who do require a visa.

Visa Note

(a) Landed Immigrants of Canada and British residents of Bermuda who are citizens of, and have valid passports from, Commonwealth countries or Ireland are not eligible to enter the USA without a visa. (b) All passengers using US airports for transit purposes are required to obtain a transit visa. This does not affect qualified travellers travelling visa free under the Visa Waiver Program. (d) To qualify for visa-free travel under the Visa Waiver Program, nationals must travel on a valid passport, for holiday, transit or business purposes only and for a stay not exceeding 90 days. (e) Passengers must have the full address and ZIP code of where they are staying in the USA to be able to fully complete the I-94W form. Note: Airlines are also required to collect passenger details, including the address of their first night's accommodation in the USA, before they board the aircraft. (f) 2. Holders of UK passports with the endorsement British Subject, British Dependent Territories Citizen, British Protected Person, British Overseas Citizen or British National (Overseas) Citizen do not qualify for the Visa Waiver Program. A passport which states holder has right of abode or indefinite leave to remain in the UK does not qualify for visa free travel. (g) A visa does not expire with the expiry of the holder’s passport. An unexpired, endorsed visa in an expired passport may be presented for entry into the USA, as long as the visa itself has not been cancelled, is undamaged, is less than 10 years old and is presented with a valid non-expired passport, provided that both passports are for the same nationality. (h) Nationals of countries not referred to in the chart above are advised to contact the embassy to check visa requirements (see Contact Addresses).

Types of Visa and Cost

Tourist, Business, Transit and Student: US$131.

Validity

Visas may be used for travel to the USA until the date it expires. Some visas are valid for multiple entries. The length of stay in the USA is determined by US immigration officials at the time of entry but is generally six months; there is, however, no set time.

Applications to:

Embassy or consulate (see Contact Addresses).

Working Days Required

Usually five after interview. Some cases may take up to 12 weeks – check with embassy/consulate.

Passport Required?
British	Yes
Australian	Yes
Canadian	Yes
USA	N/A
Other EU	Yes
Visa Required?
British	No/2
Australian	No
Canadian	No
USA	N/A
Other EU	1
Return Ticket Required?
British	Yes
Australian	Yes
Canadian	No
USA	N/A
Other EU	Yes