Pine Bluffs, Wyoming Nature Trail

 One time on our way to Colorado, we decided to stop at the rest area in Pine Bluff, Wyoming and noticed that there is a nature trail that originates there. Today, Noelle wasn't feeling well and so I decided to let her rest while Sierra, Rosie and I got outside for a bit and headed to Pine Bluffs to explore the trail. We arrived at the rest area and Sierra was already hungry for a snack. She grabbed the bag of potato chips we had brought and climbed one of the bumpy, holey rocks in the rest area lawn.

After Sierra's snack, we set off on the trail. 

Almost immediately, Sierra found another rock to climb.

The trail then started to climb up to the top of the pine-clad ridge,

passing through a disc golf course and some scattered junipers.

Eventually we reached a grassy meadow near the top of the ridge. Here, the trail (really a 2 track road) split in two. We took a left and made a clockwise loop.

The road steeply climbed a gravelly ridge. We found a west facing overlook of distant, snow-covered peaks. The Snowy Range, I'm guessing. 

We continued along the ridge,

and eventually found a concrete and stone structure that may be some type of environmental education station. There were casts of different native animals and plants in the concrete.

Sierra found a rock chair to sit on here.

Rosie had to climb up on the wall to have a look around.

From the environmental education station we followed a spur road out to an overlook of Interstate 80 and the distant bluffs. 

Then, we started to make our way back through the meadow, 

then down to the parking area. 

We ate lunch in one of the shelters at the rest area, and then headed over to the large statue of Our Lady of Peace that you can see from the interstate. 

Sierra was not impressed. One the way home, we stopped at Laura Lee's Double L Country Store and Cafe for pie alamode.