---
id: "2466"
name: Big Spring Scenic Backway
distance: "68"
duration: 2 hours minimum, but plan for more time to stop and enjoy the backway's scenery and recreation.
description: Walk in the path of the pioneers along the Big Spring Scenic Backway. Through these creeks, more than 350,000 emigrants trekked to a better life in the west. Feel their adventurous spirit as you explore this western frontier.
path: otd~FlusaTy@fCu@^qOs@gDDmC^eDx@sF?aGQ}DYuPoGwCc@_DG}D^mEx@kJxBcE~AmB`A{ArA{BvCcAhB{@~BkMxe@cA~C{L~XiS~e@}HzRaBfCyC~CgCxBeBfAsAR_RVmO`CyWjBqLhA}EdCkAPkBSoCqBs@UsAQeA?mEd@eH`@mHRuH_@aABqARaBt@qHdHeWhX}@tAgVxs@wDvLUrASpB}@rm@U|CiNdm@aAzCyApDwEzJ_@nA{C~Oq@lBmB`DiCxCySvSyTzS_HhK}KbRkSzZaBrB_A`A{DzCuDrCs@^iC|@{IxBcCf@gAJeWNmDHwDXoB^cBf@qL~EaB^uMJeDQsCg@gBo@sHcEmDwAoAM}AA}@@uCf@gDpByAzAoA|BsDzI}B`EiA`BcCpCiRhPcCfC_@j@sElJeOl\wDpFwGzHwGtFg]bW}DfBsBj@qKtBqGjCwGdDiTxSgBpAcD|AyBf@aDXsYTiBGiDmAqCmBkMaMyVeWwEkEuB_AkBa@q@EwAEyCf@qCbB{@z@_NnSu@~@sBdBo@ZmDdAsDRmDA{d@e@{w@i@i@G}EDmHv@eMzBuBj@wSzHsCr@gBRkABsA?mDw@gFaBmJwDwBg@sF]gXm@cK_@_CSq@SmBkAyCoCkMsNy@gA}CsFc@k@oCaCsCs@_MFkb@~@qQVaN`DwFx@ov@e@qRaDaEJel@zDcIXqIG}BZmF~BiPrJeOzJoGhJkDxDcBjAaExB_DhDsEdGuG|K_Wp[s@p@gDfB{AX}@G{@e@wE{FuEgEeFyCmAWaEaBk@EcBjAiFrG_@Tg@FsD[yWgAwEEcB^gBhAe@pAe@jBy@zAuCrCgBd@kDXyBBwHKgKFwFUm@LWXOl@DjYI|@oBnIm@~@iEfD}@~@eJvVeElKeHdP_CdHmFfNgFhKUr@Iv@?xBU|Ec@dDEzBYdB_@v@iBxAgErBcBTm@\Qf@?j@Td@vFnKRd@V~AKlGNtF?~AE~Ai@hG?vAXzDI`AUbAwEpPe@~@mA~CsEpOmCjHeAlBaErEyCrEy@tAaClGuBdEcCjDYRiAXgC~A{Af@aJ`AeCd@m@VmGnFkKpDmAtBiAlDe@rBcAfCsC|D}ElI_AhByAvBwBbCgLrOaFnFuAvAeNrKiOhJgIfEiBr@}@FwHDqIsA_Bi@}D_DqL{HaA_AqAiBqDoGi@k@cCiA_DkCmF]{IuCmF{EmAi@mUiDcJe@_@KcBgAmH_GsAg@aBWiFgD_AE}@Pc@PeA`AmAJuEQmAQ_A[cAEu@FuDhA_CRsH@}BU_TbBwEbBsBRoAKiAPup@bZuItDiDjA}Bf@en@xByE@yBMyCa@mBq@_CgAgGaDk[eEkI{AeJ_CyRkBaQgCkCIqNbCyCt@uL~EcFzBoC|Akl@hVaDfAeBFiAa@s@m@cD}AqKwLsDwDmA_Au@YeDSeBHo@EmEkB_BSmAR_A?mD]i@Zi@@eKmDy@q@u@U_@@o@S}@eAcBQ_GmAqDoBu@hAg@hA{@`@[d@}@JwAYe@RoAlByDlHSPsEfAgCxAk@lAm@nD}C`XB~AXzE?~@G~@RhDHJ^S?mAXgAb@DJb@U~BO|F?`ARXd@DPk@RgCbAyF^gAlCgFTy@HkBTgAn@yAXW\JTjACrAHx@Z`BKrD[xAc@lAo@pAYlAOvACt@Hv@Rr@d@~@xArCbCzDZ~@F`AOj@YLqFdAyAp@KzBh@pD@rA{@zEwA~EcEn@}Ab@q@@uAa@qASsAE_@Dy@n@u@jGwDbM]dBnHwCrE[lB_AnCEd@j@l@RfFrE~@dArAtCnAxBrB`GlBxBbDxCh@dAPpAl@lAhAxAb@`BnAxBTdCXz@|ApBdBlA^z@|@xEz@`JhCxGv@lAb@lAz@jAJx@?xAGfAMh@eAnBEf@?jGOnEDp@PdAl@`Ah@h@^t@BdAGjDU|@u@h@o@t@y@b@OZIv@D`Ab@pBHx@?r@y@lBi@r@cBfDSp@?d@e@bD_@pBmArAk@|A]lBJxAjA`F`@`@f@lAYpDm@zAAb@N~A~A|E^~GEtBs@jN]tByBvDeChGuNGmAYo@o@cBaEcDuE_Be@oAEgJpAmAQ}DKyAYmBd@cCrBwBjEu@z@oBjA]fAoAtMe@xCJnEAp@i@~BIrBJ~@?l@KxAM^[^_Ar@oIxBeDrDYl@e@\oHrB_AH{Oi@}UbEgEbAqI`AiBr@yBb@]XUl@c@tBFpA~@jB?h@O^c@h@oAn@OTEn@Tx@`IxGDd@K`@WVuO`CmJ|@eM^qDFuCCaHm@wEEqGn@gEQiCJgGe@yD`@cCMYFq@l@sAbBm@RU?_@Yo@_Bo@KWJgErFuDxCo@t@m@jBU~ACd@LfA^j@XPfLlEjIhGp@r@l@jAbPrFpBl@pBXvE`Bd@^|FbAhNvDvItBlF`ArAl@xCx@pAp@hFhAdCdB|Bx@|AR~Ad@x@^t@r@fAXrAVlFj@nEq@\?PFlCvBvExBxDdAl@l@Nd@N`Bd@vC|BzFbAlBp@z@vBbA~B`Bv@^n@DbA^hE`CbBAvEfBrAZ`GvDxCjAnAz@bDdBbBxAx@^|CfCt@d@bCrDhAnBvHvIXf@v@xBLlDbAzDb@jCHtDOjGFhA\bAj@fDf@tDr@~@bEdBhCd@|DD|DS|FIbDvAv@LzBKhA~@bBV|GLVRnBRpAAjB_@dADrDfAtEd@lIfF~Ar@fDj@zC?b@^R`@NdCXj@MnDBVRTTjBdBdB\j@n@^bCzBxBlGlAfBz@fCx@hBlBtGHfA^~@Hf@JXRdC`@lB`@xD^Yx@Sn@Fn@l@|AhDTRhBfA|e@zPxAZ~BVfCFtr@sCrARrIbCfBXrA?dAMxDiB|@OXWbEs@~@CzFjBnAVvHFv[~A`D`@lEpAbBx@lFtDtBh@hHDrL~@lDBrQYlHx@hBD|AKxF{@tD?~D\hARnBx@~NtK|Az@dCr@bBPteB?~AMjGqA`FuA~BQ~NxAhNVvJnBtRxBbB^bTzHfH|ApY|EhDh@dFb@fLh@bHLbBVhBf@xC~B~@jApAfArA`@bGp@bAl@|UzTrTjQlAj@hJd@vXvLpZnNjZxOzKrEpGzBvAv@|AlA|AfClYri@rE~FfFzFtLvNx@fBXjC?xl@D`BXzC`@xBtEnQd@pCTtAN|GE|A_@~C_@rBqGfSElEb@zCZbAbB`D|GnLrBxCbBrAh@PrAHnCApHYx@Dd@Pf@`@tA~AH`E?tD
websites:
  - url: https://www.thearmchairexplorer.com/wyoming/big-spring-scenic-backway.php
    name: The Armchair Explorer
  - url: https://travelwyoming.com/listings/big-spring-scenic-backway/
    name: Wyoming Travel Guide
attractions:
  - url: https://travelwyoming.com/itineraries/big-spring-scenic-backway/
    name: A Wild Mountain Drive
designations:
  - Wyoming State Scenic Backway
states:
  - WY
ll:
  - -110.53414199999992
  - 41.80824999999999
bounds:
  - - -110.94703700000002
    - 41.80824999999999
  - - -110.53340099999997
    - 42.299480000000074

---

### Witness for Yourself the Oregon Trail

Come cross the same creek through which the early pioneers waded! During the years of 1841-1868, more than 350,000 emigrants crossed Wyoming on their way to Utah, Oregon, and California. You can still see tracks and ruts left from their wagons.

### Enjoy Breathtaking Scenery

Drive this 68-mile Backway to see majestic mountains, colorful bright wildflowers, and willowed river valleys with sheep grazing in the prairies. It's not uncommon while driving this Backway to see moose, elk, eagles, and the enormous sandhill cranes.

### View the Rich Prehistoric History

Not far from Big Spring Backway, lies Fossil Butte National Monument. The fossils that come from this historic lake bed are among the most perfectly preserved in the world. Visitors can view complete fossils of mammals, reptiles, insects, fishes, and plants. This monument and surrounding fossil basin represent a series of three lakes. This ancient ecosystem was much like today's Florida Everglades.