McCullough Peaks Wild Horses: How to See Them Near Cody, Wyoming

There is something completely different about seeing a wild horse in the landscape where it actually lives.

No fences. No pasture. No barn. Just miles of open Wyoming country and horses roaming across it much as they have for generations.

During our time exploring the Cody, Wyoming area, one of our favorite wildlife experiences became visiting the McCullough Peaks Wild Horse Management Area. What started with a guided wild horse tour eventually turned into several return trips on our own, and every visit gave us another opportunity to watch and photograph these incredible animals.

We’ve made roughly four or five trips into McCullough Peaks, and we’ve been fortunate enough to find horses every time. On some visits, we encountered smaller groups. On others, we found what seemed like horses everywhere, with 100 or more spread across the landscape.

But finding them isn’t necessarily as simple as driving out of Cody and looking for horses along the side of the road.

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That’s one reason we’re glad our first experience was with a guide.

If you’re visiting Cody and want to see the McCullough Peaks wild horses for the first time, here’s what we’ve learned from both a guided tour and our later self-guided visits.

What Are the McCullough Peaks Wild Horses?

Just east of Cody, Wyoming, thousands of acres of rugged high-desert landscape are home to one of the West’s most fascinating wild horse herds.

The McCullough Peaks Wild Horse Management Area is managed by the Bureau of Land Management and consists of open sagebrush country, badlands, rolling hills, and distant mountain views.

It’s a beautiful country even before you find the horses. Once you do, though, the experience changes completely.

These aren’t horses living in a roadside enclosure or wildlife park. They’re free-roaming wild horses moving through an enormous natural landscape. That means every visit is different.

You may find a few horses relatively close to an access road, or you may have to search much farther into the area. Bands can be spread across the landscape, and their location changes.

That unpredictability is part of what makes seeing them so rewarding.

Our First Visit to the McCullough Peaks Wild Horses

When we first decided to look for the McCullough Peaks wild horses, we didn’t really know where to begin. We knew the horses were outside Cody. That was about it.

Looking at a map is one thing. Actually getting into an enormous stretch of Wyoming backcountry and knowing where horses are likely to be is something entirely different.

So for our first visit, we booked a guided wild horse tour. In hindsight, we’re very glad we did. The tour wasn’t valuable simply because someone drove us out to see horses. It gave us our first introduction to McCullough Peaks and helped us understand the area.

We learned where to access the landscape, what we should be looking for, and how the horses use this enormous piece of country. More importantly, we were able to concentrate on the reason we’d come in the first place: seeing and photographing wild horses.

Instead of spending our first visit wondering whether we’d taken the right road or were even looking in the right area, we could enjoy the experience. That first tour also gave us enough familiarity with McCullough Peaks that we felt more comfortable returning on our own later.

Our Recommendation for First-Time Visitors

If you’ve never visited McCullough Peaks before, we’d recommend considering a guided wild horse tour for your first trip. That’s exactly how we started.

A local guide already knows the landscape and has experience looking for the herd. While nobody can guarantee where free-roaming wildlife will be on any particular day, having someone who knows the area can take a lot of the guesswork out of your first visit.

It’s particularly worthwhile if you only have a limited amount of time in Cody.

👉 Check McCullough Peaks Wild Horse Tour Availability on Viator →

Seeing the Wild Horses for the First Time

There’s a moment when you’re scanning an enormous Wyoming landscape and suddenly realize that those shapes in the distance aren’t rocks.

They’re horses. Then you spot another. And another. Before long, you start seeing entire bands scattered across the landscape.

That’s when McCullough Peaks becomes something special.

Watching wild horses isn’t the same as watching domestic horses in a pasture. You’re seeing social groups interacting naturally without fences separating you from the landscape they call home.

You may see horses grazing quietly, moving across the sagebrush, resting, interacting with one another, or traveling together as a band. Sometimes the action is subtle. Other times, everything seems to happen at once.

For us, simply being able to sit back and observe them was one of the best parts of the experience.

Returning to McCullough Peaks on Our Own

After our guided experience, we wanted to go back.

And then we went back again. Over time, we’ve made approximately four or five trips into the McCullough Peaks area. After learning the basics during our first guided visit, we felt much more confident exploring independently.

And we’ve been fortunate. We’ve found horses on every trip we’ve made into McCullough Peaks.

That doesn’t mean everyone will have the same experience. These are wild animals moving through a very large area, and there’s no guarantee they’ll be where you expect them to be. But our repeat visits gave us something we didn’t get from seeing the area only once.

We started experiencing McCullough Peaks under different conditions and seeing different groups of horses. Some days were relatively quiet. Other times, the landscape seemed filled with them.

The Days We Saw More Than 100 Wild Horses

Our most memorable visits were the days when we encountered huge numbers of horses spread across McCullough Peaks.

At times, we’ve seen 100 or more horses throughout the area. Not necessarily standing together in one giant herd, but scattered in bands across the landscape.

You’d watch one group for a while, continue exploring, and discover another group farther away. Then another.

For wildlife photographers, it’s difficult to ask for much more.

The open landscape provides an incredible backdrop, and because the horses are moving naturally through the environment, every encounter can produce something different.

One horse standing alone against the Wyoming landscape can make just as memorable a photograph as an entire band moving together. And unlike visiting an attraction where you know exactly what you’re going to see, there’s always an element of discovery. You have to find them.

Photographing the McCullough Peaks Wild Horses

Photography has been a big part of why we’ve enjoyed returning to McCullough Peaks.

Wild horses give you opportunities for everything from environmental photographs showing the enormous Wyoming landscape to tighter images of individual horses and their interactions.

But patience matters. Rather than constantly moving from one group to another, sometimes the best thing you can do is stop, watch, and let the horses go about their normal behavior.

That’s when you begin noticing the interactions within the band. If you’re visiting specifically for photography, bring a telephoto lens if you have one.

A longer lens allows you to photograph the horses while maintaining a respectful distance and also helps create tighter compositions when they’re farther from the road.

But don’t forget the wider photographs. McCullough Peaks isn’t just about portraits of horses. The landscape is part of the story.

Sagebrush, badlands, enormous skies, and distant mountains help show exactly what makes seeing wild horses here so different from seeing horses anywhere else.

Can You Visit McCullough Peaks Without a Tour?

Yes. We’ve done it several times.

But there’s an important distinction: We explored McCullough Peaks independently after first visiting with a guide. That initial experience made our later visits considerably easier because we already had some understanding of the area.

If you’re comfortable exploring public lands, have plenty of time, and don’t mind the possibility of spending part of your day searching, a self-guided visit can be a fantastic adventure.

If you’re visiting Cody for the first time and have only one day available, we’d lean toward the tour. You came to see wild horses. Spending several hours figuring out where to go isn’t necessarily the best use of that limited time.

Guided Tour vs. Exploring on Your Own

A guided tour makes the most sense if:

• This is your first visit to McCullough Peaks.
• You have limited time in Cody.
• Your primary goal is seeing and photographing horses.
• You’re unfamiliar with the area’s backroads.
• You’d rather have someone experienced with the area handle the navigation.
• You want to learn more about the horses while you’re there.

A self-guided visit may be a better fit if:

• You’ve visited McCullough Peaks previously.
• You’re comfortable navigating backcountry roads.
• You have plenty of time to explore.
• Searching for the horses is part of the adventure for you.
• You’re prepared for road and weather conditions.
• You understand that you may have to cover a lot of ground.

We’ve enjoyed doing it both ways. But if we were starting over and visiting McCullough Peaks for the very first time? We’d still begin with the guided tour.

Why a Wild Horse Tour Can Be Worth It

There are plenty of activities where we think doing it yourself makes perfect sense. McCullough Peaks is a little different. The challenge isn’t simply getting into the Wild Horse Management Area. It’s finding the horses once you’re there.

McCullough Peaks covers a huge amount of open country, and wild horses don’t operate on a sightseeing schedule. A guide who regularly visits the area has an enormous advantage over someone arriving for the first time.

They know the landscape. They know where horses have historically been found. They understand how to navigate the area. And they can help you understand what you’re seeing once you find them.

That doesn’t eliminate the unpredictability of wildlife — and we wouldn’t want it to. These are wild horses. But it can improve your chances of spending your limited vacation time watching horses instead of searching for roads.

Want to See the McCullough Peaks Wild Horses?

If you’re planning a trip to Cody and seeing wild horses is high on your list, take a look at the available McCullough Peaks tours before your trip.

Tours can be especially useful during busy travel periods when you’re trying to fit several Cody and Yellowstone-area attractions into a limited number of days.

Where Are the McCullough Peaks Wild Horses?

The McCullough Peaks Wild Horse Management Area is located east of Cody, Wyoming.

That’s one reason it’s such a great addition to a Cody or Yellowstone itinerary. You don’t have to plan an entirely separate Wyoming vacation around seeing wild horses. You can incorporate McCullough Peaks into a larger trip through the region.

Cody itself makes an excellent base. From there, you can explore McCullough Peaks while also experiencing the many other attractions around town and continuing toward Yellowstone National Park.

Don’t Expect the Horses to Be Waiting Beside the Road

This is probably one of the most important things for first-time visitors to understand.

You are entering a large wild landscape. There isn’t a designated viewing area where the herd gathers every afternoon.

The horses move. Conditions change. Where someone found a large group yesterday doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll find them there today. That’s part of the experience, but it can also surprise visitors who arrive expecting an easy roadside wildlife stop.

Give yourself time. Bring water. Be prepared for changing conditions. And don’t assume that not seeing horses immediately means they’re not out there. Sometimes finding them requires patience.

Respecting the Wild Horses

As incredible as it is to see these horses, it’s important to remember that they are wild animals.

Give them space. Don’t approach them simply to get a closer photograph. Don’t feed them. Don’t attempt to touch them. And don’t position yourself in a way that interferes with their movement or separates members of a band.

A telephoto lens is one of the best tools you can bring because it lets you get the photograph without needing to get physically close.

Part of keeping places like McCullough Peaks special is making sure the horses are allowed to remain wild. The goal shouldn’t be to make the animals react to you.

The best encounters happen when you can watch their natural behavior without becoming part of it.

What to Bring to McCullough Peaks

McCullough Peaks is remote, open country, so come prepared. For our visits, we’d recommend bringing:

• Plenty of drinking water — we always bring our reusable water bottles and snacks
• Sunscreen and sun protection
• Binoculars
• A camera with a telephoto lens, if you have one
• Extra camera batteries and memory cards
• Appropriate footwear
• Offline maps or another reliable navigation option

Weather and road conditions can change, so check current conditions before heading into the area.

And don’t underestimate Wyoming’s sun, wind, or rapidly changing weather.

Binoculars Make a Huge Difference

Even if photography isn’t your main goal, bring binoculars.

The landscape at McCullough Peaks is enormous. Sometimes you’ll first locate horses far in the distance, and binoculars make it much easier to determine whether you’re looking at a horse, another animal or simply a dark rock on the hillside.

Once you begin spotting them, you’ll probably find yourself scanning constantly. You spot one group and immediately start wondering whether there’s another band over the next ridge.

If you’re looking for a good pair for wildlife watching, we’ve put together the binoculars we recommend based on what we use during our travels.

See Our Favorite Binoculars

Is McCullough Peaks Worth Visiting?

For us, absolutely. We wouldn’t have returned four or five times if it weren’t. And that’s probably the strongest recommendation we can give it.

There are attractions we visit once, enjoy, and check off the list. McCullough Peaks wasn’t one of those. We wanted to go back. Part of that was photography. Part of it was wildlife.

But a lot of it was simply the experience of being out in that landscape and never knowing exactly what we’d find. One visit might give you a handful of horses. Another might put you in an area with bands scattered in every direction. You don’t know until you go looking.

McCullough Peaks as Part of a Cody, Wyoming Trip

If you’re already planning to visit Cody, we’d put McCullough Peaks high on the list of things to consider adding to your itinerary.

Cody attracts plenty of travelers because of its connection to Yellowstone and its Western history, but McCullough Peaks provides a completely different experience.

It’s quieter. Wilder. And much less predictable. You aren’t watching a scheduled performance or walking through a museum. You’re heading into Wyoming’s open country looking for wild horses. That makes it particularly appealing for wildlife lovers and photographers. It also works well as part of a longer Yellowstone trip.

If you’re already spending several days around Cody, dedicating part of one of those days to McCullough Peaks allows you to see another side of Wyoming.

Where We Stayed in Cody: Cody Cowboy Village

We’ve stayed at Cody Cowboy Village three different times, and we’ve had a wonderful stay every time.

The individual cabins are very nice, the beds have always been comfortable, and our rooms have been clean. We’ve also been impressed with how well the entire property is maintained.

The location is another reason we keep going back. Cody Cowboy Village is convenient to everything we enjoy doing around Cody, including the Cody Nite Rodeo and Cody Cattle Company, while also making a great home base for heading out to McCullough Peaks in search of the wild horses.

After three great stays, this isn’t somewhere we’d hesitate to book again. Cody Cowboy Village is where we’d stay whenever we’re visiting Cody.

👉 Check Rates & Availability at Cody Cowboy Village

Should You Book a McCullough Peaks Wild Horse Tour?

After visiting both ways, here’s how we’d make the decision. If this is your first visit, book the tour. That’s what we did, and we’re glad we did.

It allowed us to enjoy our first McCullough Peaks experience without worrying about where we were going or whether we were searching the right area. More importantly, what we learned during that first trip helped give us the confidence to return independently.

If you’ve already been to McCullough Peaks, know the area, and enjoy searching for wildlife on your own, then a self-guided return trip can be fantastic. That’s what we eventually did. And then we did it again. And again.

Book a McCullough Peaks Wild Horse Experience

If seeing Wyoming’s wild horses is one of the reasons you’re visiting Cody, you can compare available guided experiences, prices, and schedules before your trip.

👉 View McCullough Peaks Wild Horse Tours on Viator →

Final Thoughts: Seeing the McCullough Peaks Wild Horses

Of all the wildlife experiences we’ve had while traveling, there’s something about wild horses that feels different. Maybe it’s the setting. Maybe it’s watching them interact naturally in such an enormous landscape.

Or maybe it’s simply the fact that you have to go looking for them. Our first trip to McCullough Peaks taught us how to explore the area. Our return trips allowed us to experience it on our own.

And the days when we found huge numbers of horses scattered across the Wyoming landscape are memories — and photographs — we’re not going to forget.

Ready to See the McCullough Peaks Wild Horses?

If you’re planning your first visit, we recommend starting the same way we did—with a guided wild horse tour. Let someone who knows the area handle the searching and navigation while you concentrate on watching, photographing, and enjoying these incredible horses in the wild.

👉 Start with a guided wild horse tour.

Learn about the area. Let someone familiar with McCullough Peaks help you find the horses. Take plenty of photographs.

And don’t be surprised if, like us, one visit isn’t enough.