Today is Saturday, July 4, which means it’s our nation’s birthday. The semiquincentennial, to be exact, a ten-dollar word for 250 years (apparently, quartamillennium didn’t have the right ring after all that Y2K hubbub).

And what better way to celebrate than to declare your independence from the indoors? Thankfully, there’s no better place to make that declaration than right here in our beautiful Bighorns backyard!

Fortunately, Sheridan Community Land Trust has created as many ways as candles on the American birthday cake (a Fudgie the Whale from Carvel, please) for you and your family and friends to make good on that declaration and go from your front door to the outdoors more easily than ever before.

Red Grade Trails is at the top of the list for many, and for good reason. The system features more than 20 miles of trails and five trailheads that connect The Base to Bear Gulch. This spring, SCLT made improvements to help enjoyment, safety, and sustainability on Let ‘em Roll and Highlander trails.

If you visit now, the wildflowers have joined the festivities with a Star Spangled Spectacular of their own. You can take in the Indian Paintbrush reds, the Pasque Flower whites, and the Mountain Bluebells – along with a painter’s palette that comprises every color under the sunflower, of which there are many.

The top-of-mind question is what happens at Red Grade Trails when road construction begins. As of this writing on July 1, construction on Red Grade Road is anticipated to begin on Monday, July 6. Yes, that does mean some trail closures.

Here’s what to expect:

Closure Hours

  • Subject to updates, Red Grade Road will be temporarily closed during construction.
  • Closures are expected Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 12 noon and 1 p.m. to 6 p.m.
  • One-hour lunchtime opening daily from 12 noon to 1 pm.

What’s closed during work hours?

  • Base Trailhead, Springs Trailhead, and The Aspens Trailhead.
  • Red Grade Trails system between these trailheads on Red Grade Road.
  • Portions of the trailhead parking areas may be used for construction staging and not accessible to the public.

What remains open?

  • Access to trails on trailheads on weekends, holidays, and outside construction hours.
  • Trails outside the project limits (e.g., trails on USFS land or trails accessible by trailheads not listed in the closure) will remain open.

It is important to remember that details and closures may change throughout construction. All closure information comes courtesy of Sheridan County Public Works.

SCLT has created a trail closure updates page that is accessible directly from our website’s homepage. We will share current closure information there so you can know before you go.

Can’t use Red Grade Trails? There are plenty of other opportunities to have a great day declaring your independence from the indoors. The Green Room Trail is great for a quick off-pavement experience at Malcolm Wallop Park; the Hidden Hoot Trail is freshly smoothed and trimmed; and the Double Eagle Trail is a hidden gem where you can finish your adventure at the Kendrick Golf Course clubhouse.

Are you a history buff? You can get outdoors and learn about local history with SCLT’s self-guided history tours. “History Along the Soldier Ridge Trail” features seven stories that you can take while using the trail. Download the TravelStorys mobile app now or look for signs at the trailhead.

The Black Diamond Byway and Iron Riders Trails tours are also available on TravelStorys. The former tells the story of our Tongue Valley coal-mining communities through the relatives of those who lived there. The latter is an ode to the 25th Infantry Regiment Bicycle Corps Buffalo Soldiers, who, in 1897, accomplished an incredible military mission by riding their “Iron Horses” 1,900 miles from Fort Missoula, Mont., to St. Louis, Mo., in 41 days. You can also take in local history stories on signs at Tongue River Water Trail access sites and interpretive signs throughout SCLT’s terrestrial trails.

The Big Goose Natural Area also offers off-leash trails, which give you and your pet the perfect opportunity to stretch your paws. Please remember to keep your pet leashed until you are on the off-leash trails and pick up and dispose of its poop! You can also fish and float Big Goose Creek, see conservation and land stewardship projects in action, and, if you need a quick break indoors, visit the newly opened SCLT Welcome Center, where you can discover how history, conservation, and recreation come together through hands-on exhibits and interactive experiences for all ages.

Speaking of discovery, SCLT has a full slate of programs this summer. Here’s what’s happening:

  • July 11 – Discovery Session: Birding in the Bighorns with Bighorn Audubon Society
  • July 11 – Explore History: Ucross Foundation Guided Tour with The Hub on Smith, Tongue River Valley Community Center, and Ucross Foundation
  • July 16 – Discovery Session: Basic Water Safety & Paddlecraft Awareness with Sheridan Area Search and Rescue, made possible by the Homer A. and Mildred. S. Scott Foundation.
  • July 17 – Tracks Through Time: Celebrating Streetcar #115
  • July 18 and Aug. 15 – SCLT Explore History Saturday: Sheridan Railroad Historic District Walking Tour
  • July 21 – Unplug: A Bat Walk in the Park with Science Kids and University of Wyoming Biodiversity Institute
  • July 30 – Unplug: Mud Bugs and Fish with Science Kids, Sheridan County Conservation District, and Wyoming Game and Fish
  • 1 – Discovery Session: Yoga on the Creek with Amanda Baker of A Place of Wholeness and Austin Taylor
  • Aug 5 – Discovery Session: Nativescapes for Your Home with Piney Island Native Plants and Piney Island Conservation Services
  • 26 – SCLT Backyard BBQ presented by Eliason Financial and First Federal Bank and Trust with live music by Tris Munsick and Trout Goggles.
  • 29 – Discovery Sessions: Fort Mackenzie District Tour with The Hub on Smith, Tongue River Valley Community Center, and Sheridan VA

Best of all, these programs are free to attend and open to all!

If you’d like to get outside by helping wildlife movement and supporting local agriculture while caring for the landscape, please join us this Wednesday, July 8, for a volunteer day to remove an old perimeter fence at the Big Goose Natural Area, which will later be replaced to wildlife-friendly standards.

Learn more about and sign up for all these events at https://sheridanclt.org/events/. Be sure to get your trail maps and pocket nature guides at https://sheridanclt.org/explore/guides/.

So, here’s to the next quartamillennium…excuse me, semiquincentennial. Happy birthday, America! See you outside, I do declare.