Last Updated: May 25, 2026
From Cody, Wyoming we looped back through the beautiful Bighorn Mountains to explore Story and Sheridan, Wyoming before heading north into Montana to visit the Little Bighorn Battlefield. The drive through the Bighorns was stunning in every direction, and each stop along the way added another layer to the history of this part of the American West.
Sheridan and Story, Wyoming
Sheridan is one of Wyoming’s most appealing small cities, with a well-preserved historic downtown, sculptures along the sidewalks, and more restaurants and shops than you might expect in a town of its size. If you are a meat eater looking for a serious meal at a reasonable price, the Rib & Chop House is not to be missed. We started with a fried green tomato appetizer topped with crabmeat and a balsamic drizzle, and the petite filet was cooked exactly as ordered. A genuinely satisfying stop.
Story Fish Hatchery
Address: 49 Fish Hatchery Rd, Story, WY 82842. Hours: Open daily, typically 8 a.m.–5 p.m.; self-guided tours available during open hours. Admission: Free. Phone: (307) 683-2234. Website: wgfd.wyo.gov.
Story is a small mountain town tucked into the Bighorns — quiet, scenic, and easy to love. The Wyoming Game & Fish Story Fish Hatchery is a surprisingly fascinating stop. We learned the complete life cycle of the golden trout, a species originally native to California’s Sierra Nevada that was transplanted to Wyoming and thrives in the cold mountain streams here. Watching the eggs, fingerlings, and fully grown fish at each stage of the process was genuinely interesting, and the setting alone is worth the detour.
Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument
Address: 756 Battlefield Tour Rd, Crow Agency, MT 59022. Hours: Open year-round; visitor center typically open 8 a.m.–6 p.m. Memorial Day through Labor Day, 8 a.m.–4:30 p.m. the rest of the year. Admission: $25 per vehicle (valid for seven days); the America the Beautiful annual pass is accepted. Phone: (406) 638-3224. Website: nps.gov/libi.
The Battle of the Little Bighorn was fought on June 25–26, 1876, between the 7th Cavalry Regiment of the United States Army and a combined force of Lakota, Northern Cheyenne, and Arapaho warriors along the Little Bighorn River in present-day Montana.
The roots of the conflict go back to the Fort Laramie Treaty of 1868, which established the Great Sioux Reservation across the western half of South Dakota and parts of Wyoming and Montana. The discovery of gold in the Black Hills drew floods of miners into this protected land, and the U.S. government — rather than enforcing the treaty — offered the tribes $25,000 to purchase the territory and relocate them to Oklahoma. The tribes refused, and the Great Sioux War of 1876 began.
Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer, commanding the 7th Cavalry, was ordered to the Little Bighorn region to locate and engage the hostile encampments. On June 25, 1876, he found a massive village on the west bank of the river — far larger than expected. He divided his force of roughly 700 men into several columns and attacked. The Native force, led by Sitting Bull, Crazy Horse, Chief Gall, and Low Dog, vastly outnumbered the soldiers and surrounded Custer’s battalion. In less than an hour, Custer and the 210 men under his direct command were dead. In the two-day battle altogether, 268 soldiers and attached personnel were killed.
The dead were not only stripped of their weapons and clothing; accounts from the time record that many soldiers were also mutilated — scalped, dismembered, and otherwise disfigured. It is sobering history, though worth putting in full context: mutilation of the enemy dead was practiced by multiple sides throughout the Indian Wars, and by soldiers and combatants in conflicts throughout human history. The battlefield reminds you of what these confrontations actually looked and felt like, and that is part of why visiting matters.
The site was first set aside as a national cemetery in 1879. It was designated the Custer Battlefield National Monument in 1946 and renamed the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument in 1991 — a change that acknowledged both sides of the conflict. Today, red granite markers identify the positions where Native American warriors fell alongside the white marble stones marking the cavalry dead. Walking among them across the open grassland is one of the most affecting experiences we have had at any historic site.
Practical Tips for Visiting Sheridan and Little Bighorn
Don’t skip Story. Most travelers pass through the Bighorns without stopping in Story, but the fish hatchery alone is worth the short detour off US-87. The town is genuinely charming, the drive in is beautiful, and admission is free.
Sheridan is worth a full afternoon. The historic downtown has well-preserved architecture, quality restaurants, and far more character than a typical highway town. The Rib & Chop House in particular is excellent — make a reservation if you can.
Allow at least two hours at Little Bighorn. Start at the visitor center to watch the orientation film and walk through the exhibits — the context they provide makes the battlefield walk far more meaningful. Then drive the 4.5-mile self-guided auto tour and stop at Last Stand Hill, where Custer and his immediate command fell.
Take a ranger program if one is offered. The National Park Service rangers at Little Bighorn are exceptionally well-informed and present both sides of the conflict without flinching. The battlefield looks deceptively peaceful today — rolling grass and distant ridges — and a ranger talk brings the scale and chaos of the battle into sharp relief.
Little Bighorn sits on the Crow Nation. The battlefield is surrounded by the Crow Indian Reservation. The Crow were actually U.S. allies in 1876 and supplied scouts to Custer’s column. Some tours are offered by Crow tribal members, and their perspective adds an important dimension to the history.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened at the Battle of the Little Bighorn?
On June 25–26, 1876, Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer led the 7th U.S. Cavalry against a large encampment of Lakota, Northern Cheyenne, and Arapaho warriors along the Little Bighorn River in Montana. Custer divided his force and attacked with about 210 men, who were surrounded and killed in less than an hour. In total, 268 soldiers and attached personnel died over the two-day engagement — one of the most decisive Native American victories in the Indian Wars.
Why did the Battle of the Little Bighorn happen?
The battle was a direct result of the U.S. government’s failure to honor the Fort Laramie Treaty of 1868. When gold was discovered in the Black Hills — land guaranteed to the Lakota — miners flooded in and the government tried to buy the territory for $25,000. The tribes refused to sell, and the U.S. Army was ordered to force compliance, triggering the Great Sioux War of 1876.
Who were the key leaders at the Battle of the Little Bighorn?
On the U.S. side, Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer commanded the 7th Cavalry. On the Native American side, the battle was led by Sitting Bull (the spiritual leader who organized the coalition), Crazy Horse (who led the flanking attack that overwhelmed Custer), Chief Gall, and Low Dog, among others.
Is Little Bighorn worth visiting?
Absolutely. Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument is one of the most significant and affecting historic sites in the American West. The visitor center is excellent, the self-guided auto tour brings the battlefield geography to life, and the grave markers scattered across the open grassland make the human cost of the battle viscerally real. It is sobering, essential history.
What is the Story Fish Hatchery?
The Wyoming Game & Fish Story Fish Hatchery in Story, Wyoming raises golden trout — a species native to California’s Sierra Nevada that has been successfully introduced into Wyoming’s high mountain streams. The hatchery offers free self-guided tours where visitors can see every stage of the process from eggs to fingerlings to adult fish. It is a surprisingly engaging stop, especially for families.
How far is Little Bighorn from Sheridan, Wyoming?
Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument is about 65 miles north of Sheridan, Wyoming, just across the Montana state line near Crow Agency. The drive takes roughly an hour via I-90 and makes for an easy and very worthwhile day trip from a Sheridan base.
