State: | WY |
Type: | WY |
Route: | 24 |
Alternate Name: | Bear Lodge Highway |
Map Custom: | yes |
Map Notes: | WYO 24 highlighted in red |
Length Mi: | 46.26 |
Length Round: | 2 |
Established: | 1961 |
Direction A: | West |
Terminus A: | at Carlile Junction |
Direction B: | East |
Terminus B: | at the South Dakota state line |
Counties: | Crook |
Previous Type: | WY |
Previous Route: | 22 |
Next Type: | I |
Next Route: | 25 |
Wyoming Highway 24 (WYO 24), also known as the Bear Lodge Highway, is a 46.72miles state highway in Crook County, Wyoming, United States. that connects U.S. Route 14 (US 14) in Carlile Junction with South Dakota Highway 34 (SD 34) at the South Dakota state line. The route passes through the northern portion of the Bear Lodge Mountains, part of the Black Hills National Forest. The highway also passes by Devils Tower National Monument.[1]
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WYO 24 is begins at US 14 in Carlile Junction (also known as Devils Tower Junction). From its western terminus, it travels in a north–south direction, although the route is signed east–west. It is mainly a two-lane highway from US 14 to near Devils Tower National Monument. When it gets to Devils Tower, it spawns a short spur, Wyoming Highway 110 (WYO 110). After passing by WYO 110, it curves northeast-southwest. The road reaches Hulett, where it intersects Wyoming Highway 112. In Hulett, WYO 24 is dubbed Main Street and A Street. Moving on, WYO 24 curves to the signed east–west orientation, but curves northwest-southeast. WYO 24 passes by some gulches, most notably Reservoir Gulch and Lucky Gulch. WYO 24 then turns south, then generally follows the east–west orientation. It then intersects Wyoming Highway 111 a short time later. There are no further major junctions and towns on the route, as WYO 24 crosses the state line and becomes SD 34.
WYO 24 was not in the original State Highway grid until 1961. The predecessor to this route was Wyoming Highway 514.
In 2018, the speed limit on WYO 24 near Devils Tower was reduced from 65mph to 45mph due to higher traffic volumes during peak travel seasons and the road's history of collisions.[2] The monument had its highest visitor count in 2021, which saw traffic jams from the entrance that slowed a section of WYO 24.[3]