In the print dialog pick “Save as PDF” to keep it on your phone. A5 makes a pocket booklet; A4 suits a desk printer.
Voykit pocket guide · United States
Powell
Powell, Wyoming
Give Powell one night, not three: a farm town on US 14A between Cody and Lovell, best used as a bed for Bighorn Canyon and a Cody day.
Powell is a town of about 6,300 people in the Bighorn Basin, home to Northwest College and a working cattle and sugar-beet economy. There is no headline sight: the draw is cheaper beds between Cody and Bighorn Canyon, a small homestead museum, and open ranch country. You need a car for everything, and one night covers the town itself.
- Country
- United States
- Local name
- Powell, Wyoming
- Best months
- May–Sep
- Avoid
- Dec–Feb (cold, snow, some closures); Jul–Aug afternoon heat
- Stay
- 1 night
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- USD
- Money
- Currency is the US dollar (USD, $). Cards and phone payments work almost everywhere; carry a little cash for tips and small vendors.
- Daily spend
- Budget $70–110 excl. bed · Mid $120–190 excl. bed · High $200+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile cover the country; prepaid SIMs at their stores and Walmart/Target (passport required), or an eSIM before you fly.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 911 · Powell Valley Healthcare +1 307 754-2267 · WYDOT road conditions 511
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 120 V · 60 Hz · Chargers are dual-voltage; hair dryers and straighteners from 230 V countries need a converter.
- Tipping
- Sit-down restaurant: 18–22% of the pre-tax bill.; Bar: US$1–2 per drink or 20% of the tab.; Taxi / ride-hailing: 15–20%, in the app.; Hotel housekeeping: US$3–5 a night.; Porter / valet: US$2–5 per bag or car.; Tour guide: US$10–20 per person for a day tour.; Counter service / tablet prompts: Optional; 0–15%.
- Water
- Tap water is drinkable nearly everywhere; boil or treat water from streams in parks.
- Toilets
- Free public toilets are scarce in big cities; use cafés, department stores, libraries, stations. Rest areas on highways are free.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | $3–6 |
| Breakfast burrito or diner plate | $10–18 |
| Mexican plate at a downtown restaurant | $14–22 |
| Draught beer at the brewery | $6–9 |
| Motel room, summer weekend | $110–200 |
| Gallon of fuel | $3.20–3.80 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- COD · Yellowstone Regional Airport, Cody
- About 25 mi west on US 14A; the nearest commercial airport. Rental cars at Cody, not in Powell.
- CPR · Casper-Natrona County International
- About 200 mi southeast; longer drive, more flights.
- BIL · Billings Logan International
- About 100 mi northeast via US 14A and US 310; often the cheapest Wyoming gateway.
Typical fares
- Powell → Cody by car
- 24 mi, about 30 min
- Powell → Lovell by car
- 24 mi, about 30 min
- Powell → Billings airport by car
- about 100 mi, 1 h 45 min (check)
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
A car is required: the town is spread along US 14A and the sights sit 7–24 mi out. Powell has no local bus service worth planning around. Fill up in Powell or Cody before heading to Bighorn Canyon — fuel and phone signal thin out fast.
See and do
Known for
- Northwest College
- Cattle and beet ranching on the Bighorn Basin floor
- Homesteader Museum
- Base for Bighorn Canyon and Cody
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area | US 14A east to Lovell, then the canyon road to the Devil Canyon overlook | About 1 h to the first overlook |
| Cody | US 14A west, about 24 mi | About 30 min |
| Thermopolis | US 20 southeast via Worland, about 90 mi | About 1 h 45 min |
| Worland | US 20 southeast, about 45 mi | About 50 min |
| Yellowstone (east entrance) | US 14A west to Cody, then US 14/16/20 over the pass to the East Entrance | About 2 h to the gate |
Sleep
- Downtown Powell (Bent St and 1st St)
- Walk to the restaurants, brewery and museum; the practical choice for one night.
- US 14A east strip
- Chain motels with parking, a short drive from the centre; best if you arrive late with a trailer.
- Ranch and cabin stays outside town
- A few working-ranch and cabin options in the surrounding valley; you need a car and usually a two-night minimum.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Where is the nearest gas station? | Where is the nearest gas station? |
| Is the canyon road open? | Is the canyon road open? |
| Table for two, please | Table for two, please |
| Can I pay by card? | Can I pay by card? |
| How far is Cody from here? | How far is Cody from here? |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake and 'hi, how are you?' — reply 'good, thanks'; avoid: Treating the question as a real health enquiry
- Restaurants: Tip 18–22% and wait for the check; avoid: Leaving without tipping
- Personal space: Keep an arm's length in queues; avoid: Standing close to strangers
- Politics and religion: Listen more than you speak; avoid: Opening with hot-button topics
- Smoking: Smoke only in marked areas; avoid: Smoking near doors or in parks where banned
Scams and watch-outs
- Distances are real: Cody is 24 mi west, Lovell 24 mi east, Bighorn Canyon beyond that. Nothing is walkable between towns.
- Winter storms close US 14A and the Bighorn Canyon access roads without much warning; check Wyoming 511 before driving.
- Cell signal is patchy in the canyon and on the basin back roads. Download offline maps.
- Wildlife on the road at dawn and dusk, especially deer and pronghorn.
- Summer afternoons reach the mid-30s °C; carry water for any canyon walk.
Powell is a low-crime small town; the real risks are driving distances, winter road closures, wildlife at dusk and heat in Bighorn Canyon. Lock the car and keep water with you.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Powell yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Northwest College
- Cattle and beet ranching on the Bighorn Basin floor
- Homesteader Museum
- Base for Bighorn Canyon and Cody
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Homesteader Museum: homesteadermuseum.com/
- Yellowstone Regional Airport, Cody: flyyra.com/
- Wikivoyage: Powell (Wyoming), revision 5217719 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5217719
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
PowellPowell, Wyoming
To this address, please
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police, fire, ambulance911
- Powell Valley Healthcare+1 307 754-2267
- WYDOT road conditions511
No embassies in Powell. Your country's embassy or consulate is in Denver or Washington, DC; the nearest US passport agency is in Denver (check).
Tipping is expected: 18–22% at sit-down restaurants, $1–2 a drink, 15–20% taxis.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/powell-wyoming). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.