Town of Cody, Wyoming River Trips and Blackwater Creek Ranch Nominated for Awards; Vote Today to Show Your Support

CODY, Wyo., March 3, 2026 – The town of Cody and two popular tourism operations – Blackwater Creek Lodge & Guest Ranch and Wyoming River Trips – have been nominated for three different “best of” competitions launched by USA Today and Newsweek.

Cody was nominated for USA Today’s “Best Small Town in the West” contest, which runs through March 30; Blackwater Creek Lodge & Guest Ranch was nominated for the USA Today “Best Dude Ranch” award, which runs through March 9, and Wyoming River Trips was nominated for “Best Whitewater Rafting 2026” which runs through March 18.

The destination of Cody Yellowstone as well as local attractions are often included in “best of”-type contests. For example, in 2025 USA Today named Cody among the “Best Small Towns in the West,” “Best Summer Travel Destinations,” “Top Small Town Arts Scenes” and “Best Small Town Beer Scene.” Newsweek named the Whitney Western Art Museum the “Best Art Museum.” True West Magazine named Cody the “Best Western Town,” called the Irma Hotel the “Best ‘Who Slept Here’ Hotel” and named the Cody Trolley Tour the “Best Historic Town Tour.” Additionally, the American Bus Association’s Destinations Magazine awarded the Cody Cattle Company the “Best of the Best” Award.

“The destination of Cody Yellowstone and its many top-notch attractions work diligently to provide a robust and attractive destination for our visitors, and these nominations prove that diligence pays off,” said Katrina Southern, marketing manager for Cody Yellowstone, the marketing arm for the region that includes the towns of Cody, Powell and Meeteetse, a large swath of the Shoshone National Forest and about half of Yellowstone National Park. “We urge everyone who loves Cody to show their support and cast their votes.

Southern noted that supporters can cast online votes daily until the contests end.

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Home of the Great American Adventure, Cody Yellowstone is comprised of the northwestern Wyoming towns of Cody, Powell and Meeteetse as well as areas inside of Yellowstone National Park and the valley east of the entrance. The region is known for rodeos, authentic guest and dude ranches, world-class museums and recreational adventures that reflect the adventurous spirit of the visionaries and explorers who brought the remote region to the world’s attention.

Related hashtags:
#CodyYellowstone
#WildWatch
#CodyWyoming
#CenteroftheWest
#BuffaloBill
#Yellowstone
#ThatsWY
#OutsideYellowstone

Media contact:
Mesereau Travel Public Relations
720-284-1512
[email protected]
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