Wide Open Days in the Wind River Range
We arrived Dubois, Wyoming with two wide open days. The Wind River Range didn’t need any help filling them.
August 13 - 15, 2025
Dubois, Wyoming
“I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." John 15:5
National Museum of Military Vehicles
One of the wacky parts of planning this trip has been finding out about places that weren’t previously on my radar, then figuring out how to squeeze them in. As I was researching Wyoming for our time in the Tetons, I kept reading travelers’ comments recommending the Wind River Range.
I looked into it and saw that the location was a reasonable driving distance for a stop before arriving in the Tetons. And it appeared like there were generally plenty of things to see. Feeling bold, I shaved off two days from our Tetons stay and added in two days in Dubois, Wyoming.
In the end, we could have spent a week here.
Before we even made it to our campsite, we saw a sign for the National Museum of Military Vehicles. A quick Google search informed me that the museum was part of the Blue Star Families Museum program (free for active duty). We assumed this would be a quick 30-minute, maybe hour-long stop to check out a few tanks. So we stopped.
Our assumptions were wrong. The museum is Smithsonian-level phenomenal. And it’s massive, winding from the Revolutionary War (including the actual musket that kicked off the war at the Battle of Bunker Hill, among numerous other highly historical firearms) through the world wars then to Korea and Vietnam. Though the name suggests a focus on military vehicles, the museum tells the story of the people in our country who have served and the impact these wars have had on our nation.
Patrol Boat, River (PBR) - Craft used by the brown water Navy in Vietnam to insert and extract SEALs from their missions
As we stumbled into the museum during Nick’s last two weeks of active duty service, he and I were deeply moved by the experience. At the end, we both paused to write down our reflections on note cards. As we stood to leave, we were wiping away tears.
If you are ever heading to the Jackson, Wyoming area, I hope you will carve out a day (or two!) for this museum. In fact, admission to the museum is good for two days because there is simply so much to see. Active duty military and their families are admitted for free during summer months. I can’t say enough how truly phenomenal the experience was. Kind of random that of all places it’s in Dubois, Wyoming (there’s a story there). It truly is an incredible experience we can’t recommend enough.
This particular morning, we got on the road extra early due to high wind warnings in the desert picking up in the afternoon. So it seemed Divine Providence arriving at this museum with extra hours to spend here. One of the many times on this trip we have felt like we were exactly where we were supposed to be.
The Dubois Badlands
When we finally rolled into our KOA campsite, we found it to be a perfect mix of amenities (pool! mini golf!) and nature (Wind River! mountains!).
Views of the Wind River Mountains from the park
Wind River shores along the campground
The next day, a short hike on the All Trails app caught my eye called the Dubois Badlands. We drove the 10 minutes to the trailhead and discovered a rocky desert area that looked similar to the Badlands in South Dakota. This arid landscape is on the other side of the river from the lush, green Wind River Mountains. No wonder people love this area—forested mountains beside a desert, with a river between them.
Kids intrigued by horned toads
Squeezing in a hike before thunderstorms roll in
Back at the campground, Nate did his signature move of swimming any chance he gets.
Floating along the Wind River
The last night there, a chainsaw artist came to the campground and demonstrated how he carves tree stumps into bear statues with a chainsaw. The kids’ favorite part was the offering of wood scraps for our campfires. They weren’t shy about scooping up the pieces (even running back for more… lol).
We had a roaring campfire that night before heading out the next day to start the long-awaited part of the trip: Tetons, Yellowstone, and Glacier National Parks.
As we leave Dubois, I leave you with a few quotes I found especially moving on the walls at the National Museum of Military Vehicles.
Roberts on the Road
For those just finding us, hello! Inspired by the Year of Jubilee in Leviticus 25, our family is on a yearlong RV road trip in 2025-2026 to celebrate my husband’s retirement after 20 years in Naval Special Warfare, as well as our 24 years together during the ups and downs of it all.
With our 12-year-old daughter and 9-year-old son in tow, this trip to explore America’s national parks and beautiful places is intended to help our family reflect and reset as civilian life begins.
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For background info on who we are and where we’re traveling, we’d love for you to read the intro post. The full list of road trip blog posts can be found here. Thanks for stopping by!
