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Route guide Route 20 Road Trip
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Road trip plan

Thermopolis to Cody Route 20 Weekend

Plan a one-night western Wyoming Route 20 trip from Thermopolis through the Bighorn Basin to Cody.

Bounded route plan Usable starting point

Thermopolis to Cody Route 20 Weekend

This is an attraction-rich one-night, two-day trip, not a long-distance endurance drive. The route connects Thermopolis, Worland, Greybull, and Cody across the Bighorn Basin, leaving enough time for one strong Thermopolis experience and a substantial Cody visit.

Yellowstone is not part of this weekend. Cody is the finish and overnight base; the East Entrance and park interior require a separate continuation with current road, entrance, weather, and lodging planning.

Uses these segments

The honest trip shape

  • Best version: two days with one night in Cody
  • Shorter version: drive directly to Cody with one brief basin stop; save Thermopolis attractions for another trip
  • Slower version: add a Thermopolis night before departure or a second Cody night for museums and downtown

Day 1: Thermopolis through the Bighorn Basin

Start with one Thermopolis priority. Choose Hot Springs State Park for mineral terraces, river scenery, walking, and soaking, or the Wyoming Dinosaur Center for a focused paleontology visit. Doing both before continuing west can work, but it turns the day into a destination day rather than a simple morning departure.

Follow Thermopolis north into the agricultural Bighorn Basin. Use Worland for food, fuel, or a planned local stop. Greybull is the later junction and aviation-history option before Cody. Pick the intermediate stop that best matches the day instead of giving every town equal time.

Reach Cody in time for a downtown walk, dinner, and a settled overnight. Avoid adding the Yellowstone East Entrance merely because daylight remains; that road deserves a deliberate scenic drive.

Day 2: Make Cody the destination

Build the day around the Buffalo Bill Center of the West. Its five museums cover Western art, Plains Indian cultures, natural history, Buffalo Bill, and firearms, so it is better treated as a major visit than a quick pre-park stop.

If the museum is not the priority, choose a simpler Cody day built around downtown, local history, and the gateway landscape. One substantial attraction plus town time is enough. Seasonal performances, guided outings, and other scheduled experiences should be confirmed directly rather than assumed.

Fuel, food, and route decisions

Thermopolis, Worland, and Cody are the strongest places to handle practical needs. Services between anchors can be more limited, and weather or wind can change driving comfort quickly. Check Wyoming road conditions and attraction access before departure.

The trip ends in Cody. Continue only after giving the Cody to Yellowstone East Entrance Scenic Drive its own day and verifying current park conditions.

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