After our stay in Grand Teton National Park, we headed towards Devil's Tower National Monument in Northeast Wyoming. It was quite a long drive, so we decided to stop just short of the park and stay in the city of Gillette. As we came across the state, we had two different routes that we could have taken. Not knowing the territory and wanting to drive on back roads, we decided to take Route 20 instead of the interstate.
Our choice was rewarded with great scenery. As we approached the first mountain range, we expected to drive over the top, but instead, we found ourselves driving through a valley alongside a river that had train tracks on one side and the road on the other. This area is known as the Wind River Canyon and, as can be seen in this photo, the landscape is quite rugged. Quite the unexpected find.