Medicine Wheel Passage

Wyoming

National Forest Scenic Byway

Map

Byway Details

Designation
National Forest Scenic Byway
Length
30 mi in Wyoming
Managed by
Forest Service

About Medicine Wheel Passage

Medicine Wheel Passage is a scenic drive in the Medicine Wheel Ranger District of Bighorn National Forest in Wyoming, managed by the Forest Service. The route passes through Burgess Junction, the only town along the way, and stretches about 30 miles. Summer is the most comfortable time to drive it. Typical averages from the nearby Shell weather station show July highs around 89°F with lows near 54°F, while September cools to highs around 76°F. Several stops sit right along the route. Bald Mountain Campground and Five Springs Falls Campground are each about 0.2 miles away, and the Hudson Creek hike starts about 0.3 miles off. Climbers can head to NFSR 121 (a.k.a. Phone Booth Boulders), also about 0.2 miles away.

Scenic byway data: U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration

Facts about this place

When to go

Best time to go: May–Jun. The mildest months here, with typical highs of 69–79°F and lows of 39–47°F.

Typical monthly averages (not a forecast) from the Shell, WY weather station, 20 mi away. High / low in °F.

  1. Jan33° high6° low
  2. Feb37° high11° low
  3. Mar50° high22° low
  4. Apr59° high29° low
  5. May69° high39° low
  6. Jun79° high47° low
  7. Jul89° high54° low
  8. Aug87° high51° low
  9. Sep76° high42° low
  10. Oct60° high30° low
  11. Nov45° high18° low
  12. Dec34° high8° low

Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020

Where it is

Towns along the route
Burgess Junction

Source: USFS EDW boundaries; USGS GNIS populated places

Conditions

Active alerts for Medicine Wheel Ranger District as of Oct 9, 2026:

Source: USFS forest alerts

Nearby

Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 2 miles of the route, PostGIS distance)

    Medicine Wheel Passage — Scenic drive in Wyoming | Roamze