Crazy Woman Canyon, Buffalo, WY

We went to Crazy Woman Canyon yesterday per advice from the owners of the campground we are staying in. They told us it is gorgeous and, wow, was that an understatement! 😁

The canyon is part of the treacherous Bozeman Trail used in the mid 1800’s just outside of Bighorn National Forest. It served as a passageway for the Native Indians, Plains Indian Wars, and outlaws for centuries. The canyon is about 13 miles long has high stone cliffs on both sides and Crazy Woman Creek running through it. The single lane, narrow dirt road is rugged and uneven and the dogs and us got quite a bumpy ride. 😜😜 There were times we thought the Dually might scrape rock. 😳 Massive boulders have fallen off the cliffs you have to weave around them.

We researched and asked why it was called Crazy Woman Canyon. There are 2 stories. One is that an Indian woman was left behind in the canyon, to live alone in her teepee, and went insane. The second story is one of a woman settler that witnessed the capture, torture, and scalping of her husband and children by Indians, which drove her to insanity. A local found her alone, took pity, and built her a small cabin because she wouldn’t leave the sight. She is said to have frozen to death and died shortly after. Either of these stories are very sad and make this an eerie and beautiful place to visit.

We hope you are all well and staying cool! 💗