Chapter Ten - Kayaking Stops In Wyoming

 

I-90 passes through the upper north eastern sectionof Wyoming and provides a few kayaking stops along the road to Montana. Along Interstate 90 in Sheridan and Johnson Counties lies a terrific history of the frontier. The Powder River War, the Battle of Tongue River, Connor Battlefield and Sawyer Battlefield are all along this route. The frontiersmen and the Native Americans battled frequently in the later 1800s.

 

Map of Route in Wyoming

 

Stop 1:  Keyhole Reservoir, Moorcroft, WY

Directions:  Exit 165 off Route 90, Eight miles north

 

Keyhole State Park

353 McKean Road

Moorcroft, WY 82721

Website: http://wyoparks.state.wy.us/KEslide.htm

 

The Keyhole area centers on the reservoir, approximately 14,720 acres of recreational water. The elevation at Keyhole is about 4,100 feet. Keyhole State Park has a privately run marina and motel that has gasoline, fishing supplies, groceries, propane and showers. The marina has 10 campsites with electric hookups and a motel. The marina also has showers. The Marina phone number is (307) 756-9529.

 

 

Photos coming from my August 2007 trip.

 

Stop 2:  Belle Fourche River, Sundance, WY

Directions:  Exit 185 off Route 90. Access to river in Devil's Tower National Monument. Travel northwest on US Hwy 14, and then north on Hwy 24.

 

Website: http://www.topozone.com/map.asp?lon=-102.303&lat=44.4347

 

The Belle Fourche River is 290 mi long, flows northeast and then east to the Cheyenne River in western South Dakota. It is part of the watershed of the Mississippi River.

 

 

Photos coming from my August 2007 trip.

 

Stop 3:  Powder River, WY

Directions:  Exit 88 off Route 90

 

 

The Powder River is a major river in northeastern Wyoming. It drains most of the land north of Casper, south of Sheridan, east of the Bighorn Mountains, and east of the Black Hills. The site has been the site of many historical skirmishes and battles.

 

 

Photos coming from my August 2007 trip.

 

Stop 4:  Tongue River, WY

Directions:  Exit 14 off Route 90

 

 

The Tongue River has several access points along the Tongue River Canyon.

 

 

Photos coming from my August 2007 trip.

 

Stop 5:  Sibley Lake, WY

Directions:  Exit 9 off Route 90, 21 miles west of Dayton, WY on Highway 14

 

Sibley Lake was originally constructed by the CCC in 1937 and was named for the leader of an Army scouting party which was attacked in the area in 1876. Sibley Lake campground offers a forest setting and electric hook-ups. A slightly more rustic, better suited to car and tent camping, but equally attractive campground, Prune Creek, stretches along the pretty stream of the same name. Sibley Lake provides potable water, restrooms and trash collection. Near the junction of US Highways 14A and 14, Bighorn National Forest has constructed the Burgess Junction Visitor Center. The center is a focal point for interpretive programs given in this portion of the Forest. Sibley Lake is located at an elevation of 7900 ft. Nearby attractions include Medicine Wheel National Historic Site & Bald Mountain City Historic Site. The adventurous can go caving in the Tongue River Cave system, with over a mile of underground tunnels.

 

Sibley Lake

 

 

Stop 6:  Lake DeSmet, WY

Directions:  Exit 51 off Route 90, 1 mile from exit

 

Lake DeSmet is about 7 miles long and 2 miles wide. It is a very deep, cold-water lake. In many places the depth exceeds 100 feet. Its clear waters are full of trout. Years ago the Indians believed this lake had no bottom and it became the basis of many legends. The lake is named for Father Pierre-Jean DeSmet, a Belgium priest who came to Wyoming in 1840 as a missionary to the Flathead Indians. He was the first recorded Catholic priest in the Bighorns area. Father DeSmet met Sitting Bull in June 1868. An army officer, James Burns, claimed that "no white man has ever come close to equaling his universal appeal to the Indian." The talks were very successful and representatives of the Sioux agreed to sign a peace treaty at Fort Laramie. Pierre-Jean DeSmet died on 23rd May, 1873. Lake DeSmet is located at the east end of the Big Horns and is the largest lake near Sheridan.