Wyoming's Shell Canyon is well known for its picturesque scenery, where rugged cliffs and peaks create a unique landscape in the western Bighorn Mountains. It was late in the day, and we decided to find a nice spot to watch the sunset beyond the towering stone walls of the canyon.
We arrived at Post Creek Picnic Ground (just off Highway 14) to find it deserted. As we prepared to watch this display of nature, it seemed almost selfish that we should be the only ones there to enjoy it.
We were tucked away from the rest of the world, surrounded by tall cliffs and steep ridges.
A small restroom sat on one side of the parking area. Near it was a small bubbling spring, which intrigued the dogs. They watched with great fascination as it gurgled at their paws. It was an interesting little aspect of the area.
The picnic ground was also home to the Bench Trail trailhead. This 10 mile path snaked its way through lovely Shell Canyon, making it popular with hikers and mountain bikers. On another occasion it would have been fun to explore part of the trail, but the sun was waning on our visit.
This was a great place for the girls to get out of the car and sniff around. Footpaths and game trails littered the area, creating a spiderweb of little paths spreading all around us in every direction.
We followed various mini trails around the picnic grounds. The girls let their noses lead the way. The plethora of new scents created a frenzy of little snouts working overtime. They greedily inhaled all the captivating smells this place had to offer, pausing occasionally to take in the scenery.
The sun continued to fall behind the canyon walls, creating a concentrated golden glow in the distance. The girls sniffed around, noses invested in adventure, but now and then they would look up to take in the mesmerizing sunset.
We were all taken in by the rare beauty around us. It felt like being in the right place at the right time.
The canyon was quiet except for the gentle gurgle of the spring behind us. Every moment that ticked by brought changes to the lighting, causing the shadows to transform the scenery before us. Colors in the strata would appear suddenly and then disappear just as quickly. We enjoyed every second of the impressive display unfolding in front of our eyes.
The waning autumn sun glimmered briefly upon the rock walls as light danced among the cliffs. Dusk began to envelop everything around us in a dim afterglow as time seemed to slow down.
This was an absolutely gorgeous place. We meandered back to the car as the light of day finally disappeared. The girls made a few more scent inspections before deciding they were ready to head out.
This had been an amazing place to stop and enjoy a Shell Canyon sunset, but it was time to move on to our next adventure as twilight fell on this truly special experience.
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