Wyoming Pathfinders Offer Outdoor Recreation Help

Wyoming is the 10th largest state in the Union, and over half of its vast landscape is dedicated to public use. Wyoming has nearly 98,000 square miles, and has high mountains, wide, sandy desert regions, rivers and lakes for fishing, back country hikes, and many species of wildlife, from birds and marmots to elk, moose and bighorn sheep.

Outdoor recreation in Wyoming is growing each year. Recognizing the importance of promoting responsible use of Wyoming’s great out-of-doors, Wyoming’s Office of Outdoor Recreation launched a new ambassador program in 2021. The program is titled Wyoming Outdoor Recreation’s Pathfinder Program, and it assists people who want to enjoy what Wyoming has to offer.

Bruce Scigliano Sheridan, who is the northeast region’s pathfinder, talked about how the program started.

That’s what sparked the idea to have people available to assist others in finding their outdoor adventures. The office of outdoor recreation grew out of recommendations made in Govenor Mead’s task force on outdoor recreation in 2017, with the idea of beginning to diversity of Wyoming’s economy through continued development of the ever-growing outdoor recreation industry.

Scigliano talked about how the pathfinders fit into the equation,

While people can go on various websites to view promotional materials, Scigliano said about the Pathfinders. “We have a very innovative program with the pathfinders. We are a very personalized in our service.”

He said this experience had actually happen to him. He added that during the past summer of 2022, when Yellowstone was closed due to flooding, the Pathfinders set up a booth in Cody near the visitor’s center. There they offered fun, interesting alternatives to a Yellowstone trip, that would give adventurers the same type of experiences.

He said the Pathfinders assist outdoor adventurers and give them firsthand, insider tips that are personalize for each person’s needs. Sciliango said he has even recommended places to eat. In helping people, they also promote Wyoming’s economic development, and its communities. Helping small business helps us all, he added.

The Pathfinders can also point tourists towards the ‘path less traveled’. Scigliano said. He added that there is growth in outdoor recreation and a lot of people are coming to Wyoming, and Yellowstone visitation is a good indicator of the growth. “People don’t have to just go to Yellowstone.” Scigliano said. “We have all these wonderful things, out of the way, lesser-known places to go.”

Rather than crowding everybody into one place, the Pathfinders can show folks other places to go and, in that way, spread the pressure out and at the same time making sure the increased traffic does not impact those areas. He said they ask people, “What do you want to do?” For example, if they want to find a creek for fly fishing or a place to sink a worm, they will be directed to different fishing spots.

He talked about the different between the Tetons and the Bighorns, and one thing people are often concerned about it grizzly bears, and the Bighorns, as far as we know, do not have grizzly bears so they can experience the wilderness in the Bighorns without worrying about the grizzlies.

Scigliano spent 30 years as a game warden for the Wyoming Game and Fish Department in Gillette and Sheridan, before retiring in 2019. He has a love of wild things and wild places, and he was excited to embrace the Pathfinder role. He spends his free time hiking, fishing, horseback riding and writing/producing radio theater. He lives in Sheridan with his wife, Connie; canine companion, Zibethicus; two horses (Homer and Aristophanes) and The Cat.

He has a great deal of knowledge of Wyoming and the outdoors, and he can share that with others who want to explore the outdoors. Scigliano is the Pathfinder for the northeast district, stretching from the Bighorns to the Black Hills, and Linda Fittje is the Pathfinder out of Casper for the central and eastern district.

The Pathfinders have a Facebook page, and a podcast, Wyoming’s Pathway to Adventure, that has short interviews and how-to segments. Scigliano said they provide practical information in a light-hearted way.

He said the pathfinders make sure the information is helpful and up to date. They are currently working on the ‘fishing and boating layer’ on the Wonder Map. He said is adding in wilderness lakes as well as what fish are in what lakes. “The game and fish have a list of fish in each lake, so we took that information to add to our maps. We are combining and consolidating information from different sources so that it is here, in one place.”

He said that there are changes in the way that people are recreating in the outdoors. Kayaking has grown in Wyoming, as has mountain biking and ‘fat’ biking, and even bikes that can be used for disabled people. “We are seeing different ways for people to enjoy the outdoors, and pathfinder program wants to help people do that.” Scigliano said. He added.

For more information on the program go to wyo pathfinders@wyo.gov or contact the Wyoming Outdoor Recreation Office, 2301 Central Ave. Barrett Building, 4th floor Cheyenne, WY 82002 (307) 777-6323 or contact Bruce Scigliano at 307-777-7596 or go to: https://wyooutdoorrecreation.wyo.gov/index.php/pathfinders.

The Pathfinder Program, helping people of all skill sets to enjoy Wyoming’s Outdoors.