Wapiti Ranger Station, Ranger station in Shoshone National Forest, Wyoming, US

Wapiti Ranger Station is a single-story log building with a low-pitch gabled roof, standing on the north side of U.S. Route 14/16/20 about 30 miles west of Cody. Modern extensions to the rear give it a U shape, and a rail fence sets the 1903 structure apart from the newer Forest Service buildings around it. A visitor center in one of the outbuildings covers local wildlife and hiking, fishing, hunting and camping options.

The station was built in 1903 and became the first United States Forest Service ranger station funded with federal money. This milestone started a new chapter in how the nation managed and protected its forests at the federal level.

The name Wapiti comes from the Shawnee word for elk, the animal found around the North Fork Shoshone River. The original 1903 log cabin and the newer outbuildings still serve the Wapiti Ranger District: seasonal staff are housed there, along with the district's central equipment depot and pack-animal stables. A visitor center in one of the outbuildings covers local wildlife and gives information on hiking, fishing, hunting and camping.

The station sits roughly 30 miles west of Cody along US Route 14/16/20, accessible by car on a well-maintained road. Visitors should know the station operates year-round, though winter snowfall may occasionally affect access to the area.

The station appears as "Wapiti Station" in the 2016 video game Firewatch, set in Shoshone National Forest, though its depiction and location in the game do not match the real site. The original 1903 cabin is set apart from the newer Forest Service buildings by a rail fence.