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Bighorn Scenic Byway: US-14, Bighorn Mountains, Wyoming
Photo: mypubliclands

Drives Wyoming Cody, the Bighorns and Northern Wyoming

Bighorn Scenic Byway: US-14

US 14 · Dayton → Shell

Sweeping56 mi1 hr 40 min6,200 ft climbHigh point ≈ 9,000 ftOne way
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The drive

US 14 crosses the Bighorn Mountains from Dayton to Shell. It is the Bighorn Scenic Byway, a State Byway and Forest Service Byway designated in 1989, over the crest of the range between the Powder River Basin and the Big Horn Basin.

Heading west, the road climbs to Burgess Junction, where US 14 splits from US 14A about 20 to 25 miles from Dayton, with Sibley Lake nearby at 7,900 feet. Granite Pass, at 9,033 feet, comes just past Burgess Junction. The road then drops through Shell Canyon past the Shell Falls site, at 6,269 feet. The drive is 56.3 miles and takes about 1 hr 40 min.

Along the way

  1. Dayton
  2. Sibley Lake
  3. Shell Falls
  4. Shell
Elevation
6,200 ft of climbing · high point ≈ 9,000 ft
DaytonShell
Curves
Mostly gentle, with three twisty stretches
DaytonShell
GentleHairpins

Good to know

  • The Wyoming Highway Patrol says the grades are 8 to 10 percent in several sections, and the road is extremely narrow in places through Shell Canyon.
  • The Highway Patrol advises motor homes, RVs and trucks with trailers to use lower gears downhill, and says these mountain roads are not ideal for oversize or over-length loads.

Open all year, weather permitting. Roads close for snow, fire, storms and repairs: before you set off, check WYDOT road conditions and closures.

Questions about this drive

How long does the Bighorn Scenic Byway on US 14 take?

US 14 from Dayton to Shell is 56.3 miles and takes about 1 hr 40 min.

Is Shell Falls open on the Bighorn Scenic Byway?

The Forest Service has closed the Shell Falls Interpretive Site for construction before, so check its status first. The site is on US 14 about 11 miles east of Shell.

Is US 14 over the Bighorns steep?

The Wyoming Highway Patrol says grades run 8 to 10 percent in several sections and that Shell Canyon is extremely narrow in places.

What you get in the app

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Distance, time, elevation, curves and intensity are from Carve's route. Checked 2026-10-28.

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Map of Bighorn Scenic Byway: US-14, from Dayton to Shell