Ponderosa Campground

The Great Outdoors

Cody sits just east of the Rocky Mountains, which provide endless opportunities for outdoor recreation when you’re renting an RV there. The Shoshone National Forest just outside of town is one of the most convenient places to experience nature; its photogenic bluffs and barren hills are quite charming, and there are several trails that are easy enough for even the most inexperienced hiker.Renting a camper near Ponderosa Campground is also a great way to see Yellowstone National Park, which is only about an hour's drive away. Cody is a gateway to the tranquil eastern entrance which has far fewer visitors and easy access to the picturesque Yellowstone Lake. While there’s an abundance of great hiking trails surrounding its azure waters, one of the best ways to enjoy the lake is to rent a kayak in Cody to paddle around the many coves and fjords.Another natural wonder not too far from Cody is Bighorn Canyon outside the town of Kane. The lake that’s formed inside the canyon stretches for a mind-boggling 70 miles, making it one of the larger reservoirs in the region. The canyon is an angling hotspot thanks to all the little nooks and crannies in the rock walls which also help you to avoid the treacherous summer sun. You can rent a kayak in one of the nearby towns too, which then allows you to paddle to some of the remote (only accessible by water) campsites.

Exploring the City

If there’s one thing you’ll notice about Cody, it’s how much they love Buffalo Bill. The famed cowboy founded Cody in the 1890s and opened up the Irma Hotel hoping to capitalize on tourists visiting the newly formed Yellowstone National Park. Today, Buffalo Bill and all his exploits are commemorated at the Old Trail Museum in downtown Cody and at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West. The former is set up to look like a turn-of-the-century western town complete with saloon, general store, and schoolroom – all populated with authentic artifacts collected from the towns around Cody. The Buffalo Bill Center of the West is actually a complex of five museums: the Buffalo Bill Museum, the Whitney Western Art Museum, the Plains Indians Museums, the Cody Firearms Museum, and the Draper Natural History Museum. You could easily spend a whole day going through all of them, and you’d walk out knowing a fair bit more about America’s frontier history.A completely different facet of history is on display a short distance to the northeast of Cody too; at the Heart Mountain Interpretive Center in Powell. While many are aware of the Japanese Internment camps along the west coast during World War II, few realize that one of the largest of the camps was actually located in northern Wyoming. The interpretive center is filled with fascinating exhibits about the experience of those imprisoned here and the anti-Japanese sentiments that led to such a horrific experience.But not everyone comes to Cody to learn their history; some just want to enjoy a quaint little town on the edge of the Wyoming prairie. Visitors of that persuasion should check out some of the many antique shops that populate Cody; you’re sure to find a treasure worth taking home as a souvenir of your motorhome camping experience. Book an RV in Park County, and you can also enjoy the many amazing dining options in Cody. Being as it’s a relatively small town, you might not expect the wide range of cuisines on offer here: Thai, Chinese, Mexican, BBQ, and classic American, and all of it high quality. Most of the restaurants can be found on Highway 14 or as its called in Cody, Sheridan Ave. Should you need to fuel up your motorhome rental, try the service station on the east and west ends of town along Highway 14. These will have the most amenities and larger fueling bays, which can make maneuvering a bit easier if you’ve rented a longer vehicle.