Snowy Range Highway 130 reopens, restoring key Albany County access

The Snowy Range is back on the map for Albany County travelers. Wyoming Highway 130 reopened through the 12-mile seasonally closed stretch after crews from Laramie and Saratoga spent mid-April clearing deep drifts with rotary plows and other heavy equipment.

That reopening matters because this is the main mountain crossing on the Snowy Range Scenic Byway, a route that tops out at 10,800 feet and had been shut for winter since Nov. 26. For anyone heading west out of Laramie toward the high country, the opening restores access to one of the county’s most recognizable recreation corridors.

The road is more than a scenic drive. The Snowy Range area supports year-round recreation that includes hiking, fishing, hunting, snowmobiling, skiing, OHV riding, camping and biking, and primary access across the range is by Highway 130. The byway also serves as a key connection between Laramie and Saratoga, with the Medicine Bow-Routt National Forests & Thunder Basin National Grassland and the Medicine Bow National Forest drawing much of the summer traffic once the route is clear.

Travel Wyoming describes the Snowy Range Scenic Byway as crossing the Medicine Bow Mountains and including 29 miles of the Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest portion of Wyoming Highway 130. That makes the reopening a practical green light for weekend trips, trail access and the steady flow of visitors who fuel summer business in and around the mountain corridor.

Drivers should still expect mountain conditions to change quickly. Even after a successful reopening, late spring can bring heavy, wet snowstorms at altitude, and the Snowy Range’s 10,800-foot crest can turn a sunny start in Albany County into a difficult drive by afternoon.

The timing also shows how much spring snowpack can move the schedule. WYDOT’s 2025 reopening notice said crews began work in mid-May with a Memorial Day target, while older reopening records show the road has not always opened until May 18 or May 21. This year’s clearing put the route back in service early enough to open the season for hikers, campers and sightseers looking to reach the Snowy Range without waiting for summer to arrive.