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31-654: The Buffalo Bill Cody Scenic Byway starts in Cody and follows US 14/US 16/US 20 along the Shoshone River. The route is known for its abundant wildlife, astonishing rock formations, and recreational opportunities. Approximately 6 miles (9.7 km) west of Cody the highway skirts the Buffalo Bill Reservoir, a source of excellent trout fishing, and location of Buffalo Bill State Park. The Park has facilities for camping, picnicking, boating, and windsurfing. Beyond

62-745: A commission as brevet second lieutenant of light artillery. In his early career, he served at posts in New England , Mississippi , and at Fort Smith in the Arkansas Territory . In 1824, he was taken to Fort Gibson in the Indian Territory and promoted to captain . While traveling to France, he was a guest of General Lafayette . After returning from France, he was transferred in 1828 to Jefferson Barracks in Missouri . While in Missouri, Bonneville

93-600: A fur trading post, which it named Fort Bonneville . The mountain men called it "Fort Nonsense" and it was never used for trading. In the spring of 1833, Bonneville explored along the Snake River in present-day Idaho , drifting into the head of the Salmon River and eventually into Fort Nez Perce . During this trip he engaged a guide, John Enos (Enos), a 10-year-old Shoshone nephew of Gourd Rattler ( Washakie ) and Pahdasherwahundah (Iron Wristbands); Enos later served as

124-529: A principal chief of the Crow people , who camped with his tribe at the thermal area in 1840. Meek had seen geyser basin in Yellowstone and described Colter's Hell in similar terms, implying that there were active geysers at his visit. Today, the area consists of hot springs and steam vents. Several extinct geyser or hot spring cones stand up to 30 feet (9.1 m) high on the riverbank. Other hot springs were located near

155-681: A scout for the Fremont expedition. He also sent a party of men under Walker to explore the Great Salt Lake and find an overland route to California . Walker discovered a route along the Humboldt River across present-day Nevada , as well as Walker Pass across the Sierra Nevada . The path later became known as the California Trail , the primary route for immigrants to the gold fields during

186-648: A sheltering cliff. This building is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Wapiti Valley is home to fourteen historic lodges offering accommodation. At the head of the Wapiti Valley the highway enters Yellowstone National Park. and here the Byway ends, giving travelers an excellent route to the wonders of Yellowstone National Park. Points of interest along the road include Colter's Hell , Buffalo Bill Dam , Mummy Cave and Pahaska Tepee , all listed on

217-562: Is an area of fumaroles and hot springs on the Shoshone River near Cody in the U.S. state of Wyoming . The thermal area covers about one square mile (2.6 km ) at the mouth of the Shoshone's canyon. Its thermal activity has declined since its description by mountain man John Colter , who parted from the Lewis and Clark Expedition prior to its conclusion, and passed through the region in

248-644: The Blue Mountains , where he met Nathaniel Wyeth once again and camped along the Grande Ronde River . By this time he and his men had become desperate for food and supplies. At Fort Nez Perces, they found the same rejection from Pambrun. Instead of returning immediately east, Bonneville and men journeyed down the Columbia towards Fort Vancouver. Along the river, he attempted to trade with Sahaptins but without success. He came to realize that he would probably receive

279-783: The California Gold Rush . Much speculation has surrounded Bonneville's motivation for sending Walker to California. Some historians have speculated that he was attempting to lay the groundwork for an eventual invasion of California, then part of Mexico , by the United States Army . John McLoughlin , the director of the Columbia operations of the Hudson's Bay Company at Fort Vancouver on the Columbia River , heard of Bonneville's mission. He forbade his traders from doing business with Bonneville and his men. Bonneville reported that many of

310-830: The Columbia River and parts of the Southwest before his return. After spending the early winter at Fort Bonneville , he set out westward in January 1834 with the goal of reaching the Willamette Valley . He and his men traveled down the Snake River, through Hells Canyon , and into the Wallowa Mountains , where they found a hospitable welcome by the Nez Perces along the Imnaha River . On March 4, 1834, they reached Fort Nez Perces ,

341-805: The National Register of Historic Places . The Wapiti Ranger Station is a National Historic Landmark . Historic dude ranches on the byway catered to the Yellowstone tourist trade and include the Elephant Head Lodge , Absaroka Mountain Lodge and the Red Star Lodge . The Buffalo Bill Cody Scenic Byway was designated as a National Forest Scenic Byway on May 14, 1991, and as a Wyoming State Scenic Byway in 1995. 44°30′39″N 109°13′47″W  /  44.5109°N 109.2298°W  / 44.5109; -109.2298 Colter%27s Hell Colter's Hell

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372-649: The Native Americans he encountered in the Snake River were also reluctant to displease the Hudson's Bay Company by trading with Americans. In the summer of 1833, Bonneville ventured into the Wind River Range in present-day Wyoming to trade with the Shoshone . By this time, he realized that he would not be able to return east by October as planned. He wrote a lengthy letter to General Macomb summarizing some of his findings and requesting more time, specifically to survey

403-475: The U.S. and Britain . It was largely controlled by the Hudson's Bay Company . Macomb granted his request, a 26-month leave running from August 1831 to October 1833, and instructed him to gather all information that might be useful to the government. In particular, he was to pose as a fur trader and find out the natural history of the region, its climates, soils, geography, topography, mineral production, geology, and

434-472: The bulk of his estate to Marguerite who had cared for him until he died in 1809. The inheritance included 100 acres (40.5 ha) of his New Rochelle , New York farm where they had been living, so she could maintain and educate her sons. In 1813 Bonneville received an appointment to the United States Military Academy at West Point , New York . He graduated after only two years, receiving

465-489: The character of the local tribes. Expenses for his exploration were paid by private donors, including Astorian Alfred Seton and possibly John Jacob Astor . Bonneville married and had a daughter with his wife. After both his first wife and daughter died, he did not remarry until after retiring from the military in 1866, when he settled in Fort Smith, Arkansas . There he married Sue Neis. The expedition that would be known as

496-535: The confluence of the north and south forks of the Shoshone, now drowned under the reservoir created by Buffalo Bill Dam . The notion that Colter's Hell referred to one of the geyser basins of Yellowstone first appeared in Hiram M. Chittenden 's 1895 book Yellowstone National Park. However, Chittenden went on to describe a "tar spring" on the Stinkingwater as well under the same name. Chittenden's speculation contradicts

527-464: The delay and eventual cancellation of the expedition, leaving Bonneville unrequited in his ambitions. To pursue his desire to explore the west, he petitioned General Alexander Macomb for a leave of absence from the military, arguing that he would be able to perform valuable reconnaissance among the Native Americans in the Oregon Country, which at the time was under a precarious joint occupation of

558-568: The earliest published description of the site, in Washington Irving 's account of Captain Benjamin L.E. Bonneville 's journals, of Bonneville's scouts' visit to the location in 1833, the same year that another of Bonneville's survey parties discovered the geyser basins of Yellowstone along the Firehole River . Colter's Hell is just to the north of US 14 - 16 - 20 on the west side of Cody. It

589-557: The end of the war he was breveted as a brigadier general in honor of his long and distinguished career. He retired a second time in 1866 and moved to Fort Smith , Arkansas , where he married Sue Neis. Bonneville died at age 82 in 1878. He is buried at Bellefontaine Cemetery in St. Louis, Missouri . Bonneville was eligible to join both the Aztec Club of 1847 and the Military Order of

620-689: The most notable accomplishment of his life began in May 1832, when Bonneville left Missouri with 110 men, with field lieutenants Michael Cerre and Joseph R. Walker . The voyage was financed by John Jacob Astor, a rival of the Hudson's Bay Company . The expedition proceeded from Fort Osage on the Missouri River , up to the Platte River , and across present-day Wyoming . It reached the Green River in August and built

651-605: The outpost of the Hudson's Bay Company at the confluence of the Walla Walla River with the Columbia. Pierre Pambrun , the HBC commander of the fort, welcomed him but refused to do business with him. Empty handed, Bonneville and men retraced their course back to southeast Idaho and made camp on the Portneuf River . In July he made a second trip west, determined to trade with the Hudson's Bay Company. He followed an easier route across

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682-643: The reservoir, the highway enters the Shoshone National Forest. The Shoshone was set aside in 1891 as part of the Yellowstone Timberland Reserve. One of the oldest Forest Service ranger stations is situated in the Wapiti Valley. As the Indian name implies, The Wapiti Valley is home for the wapiti, or elk as well as the grizzly bear, bighorn sheep, moose, deer, and other wildlife. Buffalo Bill Cody built his hunting lodge, Pahaska Teepee, here beneath

713-541: The same rejection from McLoughlin at Fort Vancouver and decided to turn back east. He spent the winter of 1834–35 with the Shoshone along the upper Bear River , and in April 1835 began the voyage back to Missouri. He reached Independence by August and discovered that although his letter requesting an extension had arrived, it had not been delivered to Macomb. In the meantime, his commission had been revoked. Bonneville journeyed east hoping to be able to recover his commission. On

744-454: The way to Washington, D.C. , he stopped in New York City where he was received by his patron John Jacob Astor . While staying with Astor, Bonneville met Washington Irving . Bonneville regaled Irving with tales of his adventures, tales that Bonneville planned to include in a book he was working on. A month or two later, Irving visited Bonneville again, at the D.C. barracks where the latter

775-542: The winter of 1807–1808. Colter's account of the features on what was then called the Stinkingwater River has subsequently been confused with the much more extensive and powerful geysers in Yellowstone National Park , which Colter may not have actually visited. Other early descriptions of Colter's Hell date back to the trapper Joseph Meek in the year of 1830, as well as to Plenty Coups (Alaxchíia Ahú),

806-521: Was inspired by the writing of Hall J. Kelley , as well as editorials in the St. Louis Enquirer (edited at the time by Thomas Hart Benton ) to join in the exploration of the American West. Bonneville met with Kelley, who was impressed by him and appointed him to lead one of the expeditions to the Oregon Country ; it was scheduled to leave in early 1832. The lack of volunteers for the expedition forced

837-687: Was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. Benjamin Bonneville Benjamin Louis Eulalie de Bonneville (April 14, 1796 – June 12, 1878) was an American officer in the United States Army , fur trapper , and explorer in the American West . He is noted for his expeditions to the Oregon Country and the Great Basin , and in particular for blazing portions of the Oregon Trail . During his lifetime, Bonneville

868-734: Was made famous by an account of his explorations in the West written by Washington Irving . Benjamin was born in or near Paris , France , the son of the French publisher Nicholas Bonneville and his wife Marguerite Brazier . When he was seven, his family moved to the United States ; their passage was paid by Thomas Paine . Paine had lodged with the Bonnevilles in France and was godfather to Benjamin and his two brothers, Louis and Thomas. In his will, Paine left

899-563: Was part of the occupation of Mexico City . He was promoted to colonel of the 3rd Infantry Regiment in 1855, and twice commanded the Department of New Mexico . Bonneville retired from active service in 1861 but was soon recalled to duty during the Civil War . From 1861 to 1863 he served as superintendent of recruiting in Missouri, and from 1862 to 1865 as commander of Benton Barracks in St. Louis. At

930-534: Was staying. Bonneville was having difficulties writing his adventures. The two of them agreed that for the sum of $ 1000 ($ 27,745 in 2023 dollars ), Bonneville would turn over his maps and notes so that Irving could use them as the basis for his third "Western" book. The result was The Adventures of Captain Bonneville , published in 1837 . In Washington, Bonneville petitioned tirelessly to Secretary of War Lewis Cass to have his commission reinstated. In early 1836 he

961-654: Was successful. In subsequent years, he was given assignments on the western frontier at Fort Kearny in the Nebraska Territory and in the New Mexico Territory at Fort Fillmore , where he became the commander of the third infantry regiment on February 3, 1855, after the death of Colonel Thomas Staniford. He also served in the Mexican–American War , taking part in the Veracruz campaign of Winfield Scott . He

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