Exploring the outlaw trails
Difficulty: 3
Time to Complete: 2.5 hours
Distance: 5.9 miles
Seasonality: Spring, Summer, Fall
Fees/Permit: No
Dog Friendly: On Leash Only
Destination Highlights: Adventurous trails, Close to town
Just to the northwest of Cody, the Outlaw Trail network includes 17 miles of trails that wind through sandstone formations, junipers, and hidden valleys. The climb up is rocky, but after the turnaround, the trail swoops downhill through grasses, sage, and wildflowers to a shady creek bed.
The view from Anarchy
Intro
After climbing the ladder stile over the fence, a fun six-mile loop starts on the middle path. At the first hill’s crest, the trail enters a forest of junipers and sandstone rock formations. It’s easy to lose the trail for a moment, but rock cairns mark the trail through this spot. If you can’t see the next rock cairn, don’t worry. Just continue uphill and the trail will reappear along the ridge line. Near the highest point on the route at 5,930 feet (mile 3), look for an arch in the sandstone rock formations. Peek over the edge of the ridge for excellent views down to Trail Creek and across to Red Butte. Pat O’Hara Peak looms in the north, and Heart Mountain looks close enough to touch to the east. Soon after the high point, a trail junction gives hikers the option to return via Twisted Sister Trail at mile 3.2. This section of the trail is smooth, straight, and wreathed by grass and wildflowers. The route descends gently down to the banks of the seasonal Dry Creek. Canine companions can take a drink and cool off in the shady cottonwoods on its banks.
Outlaw Map, courtesy of Natural Atlas
What Makes It Great
The Outlaw Trails are close to town, but feel like an adventure as soon as you climb over the stile. There are so many options with varying terrain that it feels like a choose-your-own-adventure story. At each junction, choose the most interesting path to a village of sandstone boulders or a grove of junipers.
Who is Going to Love It
Sure-footed hikers looking for an adventurous outing will enjoy these trails. Families with children can tackle the climb early in the hike and enjoy the downhill on the way back. These mixed-use trails are shared by runners, hikers, bikers, and equestrians but are never busy.
Directions, Parking & Regulations
From Cody, take WY-120 north, crossing the Belfry Bridge. After three miles, turn left on Road 7WC (the access road to Newton Lakes and the Cody Shooting Complex). Continue 1.4 miles to the Outlaw Trails parking area on the right. Park in the gravel parking area and walk the dirt road ⅓ mile to the ladder stile at the head of the trail complex. The Outlaw Trails are on mixed-use Bureau of Reclamation and BLM lands. Dogs are allowed on leash and hikers must yield to equestrians and should yield to mountain bikers. There are no fees to use the trails and cell service is good here. The trails are accessible most of the year, but after a snowfall, ice lingers in the troughs of the trails, making them impassable. It’s best to wait for dry conditions to help maintain these beautiful community trails.
This hike is an excerpt from Sunlit Trails, our locally written guidebook to hiking in Northwest Wyoming and Yellowstone. If you’re looking for more trail inspiration, maps, and local insight, you can pick up a copy in-store, online, or at Legends Bookstore in Cody.