Wyoming

National Parks

  • Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area –
    • Bighorn Scenic Byway follows US-14 beginning in Shell and moving through Shell Canyon into Bighorn National Forest. The road winds up the Big Horn Mountains, showcasing craggy limestone outcroppings, colorful stacks of granite, and sandstone filled with fossil shells. – Shell Falls,
    • Cloud Peak Skyway Scenic Byway – the southern-most route across the Bighorn Mountains. The designated 47-mile stretch of the Scenic Byway, or U.S. 16 can be reached via Ten Sleep from the West or Buffalo from the east. – Crazy Woman Canyon, Loaf Mountain Overlook, James T Saban Fire Lookout (0.6 mile hike).
    • Medicine Wheel Passage – Dayton to Lovell – take a small hike to see the Medicine Wheel/Medicine Mountain National Historic Landmark or Porcupine Falls (1 mile), Bucking Mule Falls Trail, North Tongue River,
  • Bridger-Teton National Forest – 3.4 million acres that is home to the headwaters of the Green River, some of the world’s largest glaciers, and Wyoming’s highest point, Gannett Peak.
  • Devils Tower National Monument
    • Close Encounters at Devils Tower – The Devils Tower KOA still shows Close Encounters of the Third Kind in the shadow of the tower as the sun goes down.
    • Prairie Dog Village – A long-time Devils Tower bonus attraction, stretching along the entry road just inside the park gate.
  • Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area – Named for the area’s striking red sandstone cliffs. The Red Canyon Vista and Visitor Center offer impressive views of the gorge. From the visitor center, the Canyon Rim Trail threads along the lip of the canyon, with lookouts along the way.
  • Fort Laramie National Historic Site – Originally established as a private fur trading fort in 1834, Fort Laramie evolved into the largest and best-known military post on the Northern Plains before its abandonment in 1890. This “grand old post” witnessed the entire sweeping saga of America’s western expansion and Indian resistance to encroachment on their territories.
  • Fossil Butte National Monument, Kemmerer, WY – Some of the world’s best preserved and most abundant fossils are found in the flat-topped ridges of southwestern Wyoming’s cold sagebrush desert.
  • Grand Tetons National Park – 12 peaks reaching heights of more than 12,000 feet. The highest of these, Grand Tetons, soars 13,770 feet above sea level.
    • Snake River Overlook – an iconic viewpoint originally made famous by the legendary landscape photographer Ansel Adams. Visitors can gaze out at the winding Snake River set against the majestic Teton mountains
  • Red Wall Country, an area of Johnson County characterized by an immense red wall. Particularly well known in this area is Hole in the Wall, an escarpment that Butch Cassidy and his gang usually used to transport horses and cattle in secret.
  • Thunder Basin National Grassland – 875 square miles of grassland. Third-largest national grassland in the US
  • Yellowstone National Park – Grand Canyon, Lamar Valley, Hayden Valley, Grand Prismatic Spring, Old Faithful, Artist Point, Jenny Lake, Mammoth Hot Springs, Norris Geyser Basin.
    • Lamar Valley – Located in the northeastern corner of the park, it is often called America’s Serengeti for its large and easy-to-see populations of large animals.

Other Natural Attractions

  • Intermittent Spring – Located at the foot of a mountain just outside of Afton on the Wyoming/Idaho border, is one of only three springs in the world that start and stop their water flow every few minutes. The reasons for this strange phenomenon are still unknown.
  • Red Desert – In the southwestern part of the state, in the tectonic trench of the Great Basin Divide, you’ll find one of the world’s few high-altitude deserts, featuring sandstone towers, constantly shifting dunes (Killpecker Dunes) labyrinthine canyons, hoodoos and fossil remains.
  • The Wind River Range – 2.25 million acres of alpine scenery that encompasses seven of the largest glaciers in the Lower 48 states.

Attractions

  • Afton
    • World’s Largest Elkhorn Arch
  • Alcova
    • Mormon Handcart Visitors’ Center – A visitor’s center displays detail the sad story of the Martin Company.
    • Independence Rock State Historic Site – the site contains a footpath that goes around the base of the rock, interpretive exhibits that tell the trail story, visible trail ruts (a deep wagon swale passes beneath the path’s footbridge), and emigrant inscriptions on the rock.
  • Buford:
    • Ames Brothers Pyramid – 60 feet square and 60 feet tall. Memorial built by Union Pacific to the Ames Brothers.
    • Tree in the Rock – a little Limber Pine that seemed to be growing out of a granite boulder.
  • Casper
    • Museums:
      • National Historic Trails Interpretive Center – gain insight into its rich history and the role of famous trails across America. The museum’s many exhibits trace the history of three different mass migrations that shaped the development of the U.S. – the Oregon Trail, the Mormon Trail, and the California Trail – as well as the Pony Express.
      • Nicolaysen Art Museum: “The Nic” is a cultural center with multiple galleries featuring rotating exhibits from contemporary artists.
      • Fort Caspar Museum: An 1865 military post, Fort Caspar has been reconstructed and now serves as central Wyoming’s regional history museum.
      • Bishop House: Tours of the Bishop House (listed on the National Register of Historic Places) share the history of the area and the story of a local pioneer family.
      • Tate Geological Museum: Located on the campus of Casper College, “The Tate” is packed with earth science and paleontology exhibits – a must for dinosaur lovers. Free.
        • Life-Size T Rex Lit From Within – Outside is a 13-foot-tall lifelike outdoor bronze T. rex, titled “Essence of Rex.” One side is skeletal while the other is covered with skin. Its innards are illuminated by 1,500 LEDs, which turn on at dusk.
      • Werner Wildlife Museum: Also part of the college, the Werner Museum houses hundreds of wildlife exhibits, plus a bird-feeding station and an interactive kids area. Free.
      • Crimson Dawn Park and Museum: On Casper Mountain (30 minutes from town), the museum is housed in a cabin where writer and artist Elizabeth Neal Forsling once lived.
      • ART 321 – a non-profit arts incubator. It’s an art gallery, studio, market, and event space.
    • Restaurants
      • Casper locals rave about Eggington’s and the extensive menu of breakfast and brunch dishes
      • Sanford’s Grub and Pub – The food is secondary at this roadside restaurant, which goes overboard with goofy outdoor statues, crazy cars, etc. to attract customers
    • Breweries
      • Oil City Beer Company – cheap snacks, frequent events, and snacks
      • Frontier Brewing – in an old movie theater, pour your own beers
    • Farmers Market – There’s one at the Agricultural Resource and Learning Center on Saturday mornings and one at David Street Station on select Tuesday evenings.
    • Rafting Trips – https://307riversports.com/
    • Platte River Trails – an 11-mile River Trail hugging the North Platte River that passes by 10 local parks, as well as the Fort Caspar Museum. Start mid-way at Tate Pumphouse and walk the 3.5 miles to Morad Park or the 5.5 miles to Paradise Valley Park.
    • Nearby:
      • Hell’s Half Acre (45 miles West) – 300 acres featuring jutting rocks, pinnacles, caves, and bizarrely colored, layered valley. It has been fenced off from the public since 2005, you can still have a great view of the landscape from just outside the fence.
      • Lookout Point – Halfway up Casper Mountain Road is the perfect spot to pull off, park, and soak in views of the city of Casper sprawled out before you.
      • Gravity Hill – If you take Casper Mountain Road headed to Garden Creek Falls, a short distance after the turn-off you’ll reach a large tree to your left.
      • Ayres Natural Bridge Park (40 miles West) – 0.2-mile out-and-back trail. See one of only three natural bridges in the United States with water beneath. Free.
  • Cheyenne
    • Cheyenne Frontier Days Old West Museum, with rodeo exhibits and antique horse-drawn wagons.
    • Wyoming State Museum
    • Cheyenne Depot Museum
    • F.E. Warren Air Force Base – Warren ICBM & Heritage Museum
    • Giant Coffee Pot – Sapp Bros Fuel Stop
    • Big Indian Faces Big Mountain Man – A 13-foot-tall bronze Indian faces a 14-foot-tall bronze Mountain Man on either side of the overpass over I-25 at the High Plains Road exit.
  • Cody
    • The Buffalo Bill Center of the West – Buffalo Bill Museum, Cody Firearms Museum, Draper Museum of Natural History, Plains Indian Museum, Whitney Gallery of Western Art, Raptor Experience shows
    • Old Trail Town – 28 original cabins that have been relocated from homesteads within 100 miles
      • Statue and Grave of Liver-Eating Johnson
    • Buffalo Bill Dam – Buffalo Bill Dam Visitor Center offers views into the gorge and information about its architectural wonder.
    • Daily Street Gunfights – starts at 6 PM, six nights a week during the summer.
    • Cody Dug Up Gun Museum – a serious collection of discarded vintage firearms, salvaged from battlefield dirt, farm junk piles, and anywhere a gun might have been dropped or buried. The Cody Dug Up Gun Museum is free, relying on donations by visitors. Note: No photography permitted.
  • Douglas
    • Former World’s Largest Jackalope – concrete Jackalope statue in the heart of downtown, eight feet tall.
    • World’s Largest Jackalope – Douglas Railroad Interpretive Center
    • Jackalope Hilltop Silhouette – Ranch hilltop features a large (metal?) cutout of the mythical jackalope. North of exit 140 on I-25. Look at the hill to the north.
  • Dubois:
    • Ride the Jackalope – World’s Largest Jackalope Exhibit Country Store, 404 W. Rams Horn St.
    • Giant Buffalo Skull Doorway – car wash and laundromat, 408 W. Ramshorn St
    • Giant Fishing Pole and Trout – High Altitude Tees and Tackle, 1428 Warm Springs Drive
    • Giant Black Bear Statue – Black Bear Inn, 505 W Rams Horn St
    • Tie Hack Monument – In 1946, the Wyoming Tie & Timber Company paid tribute to generations of woods and river workers with the Tie Hack Memorial. 8 miles west of downtown Dubois on US Hwy 26/287.
    • National Museum of Military Vehicles – 500 military vehicles, the largest private collection in the world. Wheeled vehicles, tracked vehicles, floating vehicles, flying vehicles.
  • Encampment
    • Grand Encampment Museum – mini-town of old buildings including a two-story outhouse.
  • Fort Bridger
    • Fort Bridger State Historic Site –
  • Fort Washakie
    • Grave and Statue of Sacajawea – Indian guide that helped lead Lewis and Clark’s expedition to the Pacific Ocean.
    • Grave and 14-foot Statue of Chief Washakie – When he died in 1900 he was given a full U.S. military funeral, supposedly the only Native American leader so honored.
  • Greybull
    • Museum of Flight and Aerial Firefighting – It’s really a slowly aging assemblage of retired aircraft appended to a working local airfield.
  • Guernsey
    • Register Cliff Monument is a natural sandstone cliff and was a key navigational landmark on the California, Oregon, and Mormon Trails. Many emigrants chiseled the names of their families into the soft stone of the rock face.
  • Hulett
    • Bob Coronato Antiques – A gallery run by an Old West artist offers a substantial museum of cowboy and Indian artifacts.
  • Jackson
    • Gateway to the Tetons
    • National Museum of Wildlife Art – more than 4,000 paintings and many rotating exhibits.
    • National Elk Refuge protects the largest herd of wintering elk in the world.
    • Scenic float trips down the Snake River, chuck wagon cookouts, the popular summer rodeo,
    • Jackson Hole Mountain Resort – winter and summer sports
    • Jackson Hole Ariel Tram –
    • Town Square with Arch of Antlers
  • Fort Laramie
    • Fort Laramie National Historic Site
  • Kemmerer:
    • JC Penney Museum and Mother Store – The very spot where James Cash Penney began what would eventually become a mall anchor store empire. It says “Mother Store” right on the outside wall. His tiny home is also a museum.
  • Laramie
    • University of Wyoming Geological Museum – a collection of 50,000 fossils and geological facts.
      • Big Brown T. Rex Made of Copper – Retired college professor Samuel H. “Doc” Knight spent over 4,000 hours hand-hammering copper plates onto this 45-foot-long T. Rex. 
    • Breakin’ Through statue – it portrays a cow girl horse-rider smashing through a sandstone brick wall, symbol of barriers that women overcome.
    • Giant Head of Abraham Lincoln – I-80, exit 323. Located at at Sherman Summit east of Laramie, the highest point on the old coast-to-coast Lincoln Highway, 8,878 feet above sea level. 
    • Big Twig Head – 13.5-foot-high head is made from cottonwood bark.
    • Wyoming Territorial Prison – 1872 prison, once home to Butch Cassidy and said to be haunted, is restored and open for tours.
    • Wyoming Women’s History House
      • Statue of First Woman to Vote – Louisa Ann Swain
  • Lovell
    • Bighorn Medicine Wheel – constructed in the mid-1800s.
  • Medicine Bow
    • Como Bluff Fossil Cabin Museum – The walls of this starter home were built out of 5,796 mortared-together dinosaur bones, which were dug out of a nearby ridge known as Como Bluff.
  • Moorcroft
    • West Texas Trail Museum – Western history museum with taxidermy Siamese twin calves conjoined at the hip.
  • Pine Bluffs
    • Our Lady of Peace Shrine – 30-foot-tall concrete Mary
  • Pinedale
    • Museum of the Mountain Man – Tools, artifacts, and replica buildings tell the history of the fur trade, and of the furry men who made it possible. Site of the Green River Rendezvous every second weekend of July, includes contests and reenactments.
  • Powder River
    • Hells Half Acre – a craggy horseshoe-shaped gorge that drops away from an otherwise flat plain where Highway 20 runs east. The 150-foot-deep gorge — covering 320 acres total is filled in one section with jagged rock spires, naturally sculpted into nightmarish chaos by an ancient offshoot of the Powder River. Might be fenced off.
  • Rawlins
    • Wyoming Frontier Prison Museum –
    • Carbon County Museum – There’s a concrete road marker from the old Lincoln Highway. There’s an exhibit labeled “Probably The First Bath.tub In Rawlins,” carved from a block of sandstone for a man who couldn’t wait to take a bath. And there’s an entire room devoted to the vacation that Thomas Edison took in Rawlins, the one in which he invented the light bulb. Also a a pair of shoes made from the skin of Big Nose George.
    • Restored 1920s Texaco station. 421 E. Cedar St.
  • Riverton
    • Wind River Heritage Center – wax museum and taxidermy collection.
  • Rock Springs
    • The nine-foot-tall cowpoke, made of propane tanks is lit by ropes of LEDs at night. He has, at times, held a six-shooter and a guitar, and stands atop a real bulldozer driven by a cow skull man with a cowgirl on his lap. I-80 exit 130.
  • Saratoga
    • Saratoga Swimming Pool and Hot Springs – Historic Indian hot springs with special healing powers is maintained 24/7 for public access. Temperatures are high in parts. The concrete pool is to the right of the building; the natural pool is to the left.
  • Sundance
    • Visit the museum in the basement of the courthouse. Where the Sundance Kid is from and served 18 months in jail for stealing a slow horse. Look at the original court papers.
  • Thermopolis
    • Hot Springs State Park – the world’s largest single mineral hot spring. You can soak in the warm waters indoors at the State Bath House or in the two outdoor pools. Also nearby are petroglyphs; summer flower gardens; and the Rainbow Terrace, where water from another stream tumbles into the Bighorn River. Look for the herd of bison grazing in the hills. A natural, steamy attraction of 127 F degree water containing healthful minerals. Park includes the state bath house, Rainbow Terraces, dinosaur statues, and a swinging bridge.
    • Wyoming Dinosaur Center – 200 eye-catching displays.
    • Days Inn, Hot Springs State Park. E Park and Pioneer St. – Mounted animals cover the halls, walls and every surface of the restaurant and bar. The free postcards are captioned: “For a truly unique and enjoyable experience, dine and drink among our collection of big game trophies. This private collection contains trophies from Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Alaska, and the United States.” A giant bear menaces at the restaurant entrance. Over the bar, a mountain lion leaps onto the back of an unsuspecting elk.
  • Upton
    • Red Onion Museum – two-headed calf, homesteader household items, and other pioneer detritus.
  • Vore
    • Vore Buffalo Jump – Thousands and thousands of buffalo bones. 20 layers of buffalo bones! For roughly 300 years, an estimated 10,000 to 20,000 buffalo were stampeded into this pit by various prehistoric tribes.
  • Wilson
    • Rendezvous Park – Giant wood troll, Mama Mimi.