East of Cody, Hwy-120, a prettier alternative to US-20, angles south over the rugged foothill badlands of the Absaroka (ab-SOR-ka) Mountains, historic homeland of the Crow Indians but now equal parts cattle ranches and oil wells. Thirty miles along this lonely highway brings you to Meeteetse (pop. 375), one of the oldest settlements in central Wyoming and still much the same after 125 years. The broad Greybull River—and an occasional cattle drive—runs right through town, which still retains wooden boardwalks and hitching posts for cowboys’ horses.
Besides being wonderfully evocative of an earlier era, Meeteetse also has a great museum documenting diverse aspects of the region’s past: the Charles J. Belden Museum (daily 9 am–5 pm; free; 307/868-2264) at 1947 State Street, which holds an extraordinary collection of cowboy photography that includes the first “Marlboro Man” ads, shot on the nearby Pitchfork Ranch by Mr. Belden, a local rancher and commercial photographer. The Belden Museum also has the stuffed remains of an 8-foot-tall grizzly bear, one of the largest ever found in the area.
Along with an old but fully stocked general store, tiny Meeteetse has a few restaurants and the Oasis Motel ($35–50; 307/868-2551), at 1702 State Street, with camping and a Conestoga wagon.
