Tourists and residents alike treasure Wyoming’s small towns. The opportunity for adventure stokes a population into churning a vibrant culture that cannot be replicated. Escape to the Cowboy State, where desert paintbrush flowers blowing in the wind, make the perfect crimson companion to the prettiest sunsets in the Union. From Yellowstone and the North’s mountain ranges to the Great Divide Basin in the South, Wyoming’s welcoming spirit makes it home to many cozy small towns.
Rock Springs
Over 23,000 people live in beautiful Rock Springs. Trek out toward Green River on the Pilot Butte Wild Horse Scenic Tour to spot wild horses. Get to know the area’s history at the Rock Springs Historical Museum. The building, completed in 1894, used to house City Hall.
The Rock Springs Community Fine Arts Center is a performance space and an art gallery that houses works by Norman Rockwell and Grandma Moses in its permanent collection. The collection started in 1939 when Rock Springs purchased a painting for the local High School. Rock Springs’ vibrant art scene was truly built from the grassroots. After filling the body with adrenaline at Sweetwater Speedway, let it all ooze from the pores at Escape Day Spa.
Green River
Stop and stay at the other end of the Pilot Butte Wild Horse Scenic Tour in the town of Green River. The expansive horizon and natural gifts may have drawn people to Green River in the first place, but the vibrant culture settlers have left in their wake have made Green River a no-brainer, cozy, small-town destination. The Green River Clock Tower is a nexus point of culture; town-wide concerts are held there, with room to expand in the nearby mall parking lot.
Check in with the Sweetwater County Museum to learn about the area’s history of harboring cowboy outlaws. Head just north of town to visit the Seedskadee National Wildlife Refuge and discover the over 300 migratory species fed by the very Green River the town is named for.
Jackson
Wyoming’s Jackson Hole Valley has no less than three ski resorts, and snuggled in and amongst the tourist draws of the Teton Mountains is the town of Jackson itself. Stroll through the gardens and take in the architectural beauty of Jackson Town Square. Each corner features handmade arches composed of recycled elk antlers supplied by the nearby National Elk Refuge. The elk are visible within the refuge roughly from December to April.
Do not leave the Refuge area without getting inspired by the National Museum of Wildlife Art featuring works by John James Audubon, Georgia O’Keeffe, and Andy Warhol in its permanent collection. Just blocks from Town Square is the Jackson Center for the Arts, known locally as The Center. The Center has year-round programming, including plays, dance classes, and special guests.
Sheridan
The town of Sheridan sits in the embrace of the Bighorn Mountains. Between Koltishka Distillery, Weston Wineries, and the Blacktooth Craft Brewery, it is safe to say that the tastes of Sheridan, Wyoming, are unlike anywhere else in the US. Try to blink at the extraordinary visage of the Flemish-Revival-style Trail’s End State Historic Site. The well-preserved 13,748-square-foot mansion gives visitors a taste of the early 20th-century life of Senator John B. Kendrick.
Sheridan’s downtown has one-of-a-kind shops peppered within and around the town’s 46 entries to the National Registry of Historic Places. The WYO Theater’s light-up sign pierces through Sheridan’s nightscape with its pulsing red vertical letters. The 1923-built landmark is the oldest operating vaudeville-style theater in Wyoming.
Lander
Lander’s slogan for prospective visitors is: “Where the rails end and the trails begin.” The adorable town prides itself on its outdoor assets at the foothills of the Wind River Mountains and next to the Shoshone National Forest. The town has also created a vibrant scene completely separate from its rock-climbing and trail-hiking that had it ranked as one of America’s Best Adventure Towns by National Geographic.
Hop freely between bars and microbreweries: certain establishments in downtown Lander let customers take their pint glass from spot to spot. The locally raised beef from Cowfish Restaurant has visitors from all over discovering the difference that meticulous care makes in food preparation. Get lost in the artifacts of Lander’s Museum of the American West. The experience beats staying inside to watch a Sam Peckinpah film any day of the week.
Cody
Cody’s Buffalo Bill Center of the West has no less than five wonderful museums inside. Just to the West, Old Trail Town is a collection of log cabins and other historical buildings in the very spot that Buffalo Bill Cody had chosen for “Cody City” to be laid out in 1895. Arrive early at Cody’s Night Rodeo to get a photo taken with star bull “Norman.” The rodeo features adorable, family-friendly events such as the Calf Scramble.
Stop by Buffalo Bill’s Irma Hotel, named after the man’s daughter. The iconic cherrywood bar was a gift from Queen Victoria. The original part of the hotel was built in 1902, with additions constructed in 1929 and 1976. Cody residents cure their hangovers with breakfast at Granny’s Restaurant, open early to late seven days a week.
Wyoming is beautiful because dedicated Wyomingites work hard to keep it that way. Please remember to leave no trace of visits to state and town parks. Also, remember that the state has been inhabited for thousands of years before the arrival of European settlers. The Arapaho, Arikara, Bannock, Blackfeet, Cheyenne, Crow, Gros Ventre, Kiowa, Nez Perce, Sioux, Shoshone, and Ute have all called the Big Wyoming home. Help Wyoming realize its ambition of being the Equality State by supporting Native American-owned businesses whenever possible.
