Map for Steamboat Point.

Steamboat Point is a beloved Bighorn Mountains icon, and quite possibly the most frequently photographed natural attraction in the mountains. And, despite its imposing 700-foot terminal face, it is an easy climb that yields spectacular views over the whole of Sheridan County and the Cloud Peak Wilderness. The trailhead is located steps from the highway, which means that you should make a Steamboat climb a part of your next Wyoming road trip.

The faint road leads from the highway to the base of Steamboat, transforming into a single-track trail as the elevation increases; keep left when the trail forks to work your way through rock features and up onto the plateau, where spectacular mountain vistas – and, often, notorious Wyoming winds – await. If you’re lucky you’ll catch a glimpse of local fauna, which includes deer, moose, elk, black bear, and even mountain lions. Don’t feed the kitties.

This is a short (1.7-mile round-trip) hike that should take hikers of average physical fitness less than an hour – or more if you plan on catching the sundown from one of the most spectacular perches in Sheridan County.