Some of the best things in life are free and that is certainly true in Wyoming. You can spend days taking in the history and nature of the area without spending a penny at any of these sites. Here are some fun, educational, and free things to do in Wyoming that are worthy of a day trip.
- Visit the Castle Gardens Petroglyphs
Flickr/Alliance For Historic Wyoming The Castle Gardens Petroglyph Site is located east of Riverton in Central Wyoming. The name comes from the wind that has eroded the sandstone into castle-like shapes. In the sandstone, you can find rock art created by Indigenous people that lived here long ago.Learn more about it right here.
- Climb to the top of Independence Rock
Flickr/J. Stephen Conn Independence Rock is located southwest of Casper and is known as the “Register of the Desert.” Pioneers carved their names into the hard stone. This was a key landmark that assured travelers that if they arrived at this rock by July 4th, they would make it through the Sawtooths before winter. Learn more about it right here.
- See the White Mountain Petroglyphs
Flickr/James St. John Native Americans have carved figures into the sandstone cliffs at the White Mountain Petroglyphs site. This site is located in Southwestern Wyoming in Wyoming’s Red Desert near Rock Springs. At the site, you will find bison and elk hunt carvings and handprints that are 200 to 1,000 years old. This sacred site is delicate, so be sure to leave no trace of your visit. Learn more about it right here.
- Medicine Wheel
Flickr/carfull… Medicine Wheel is located in Northern Wyoming in the Big Horn Mountains near Lovell. Throughout the centuries, this sacred site has been used as a location to offer up prayers for healing and atonement. Do take the trail up to see for yourself, but as this is an active cultural site, be respectful, stay on the trail, and pack out what you bring in. Learn more about it right here.
- Oregon Trail Ruts
Flickr/Phil Konstantin The Oregon Trail Ruts is a National Landmark located in Central Wyoming near Guernsey. The Oregon Trail was a primary trail used by emigrants heading westward in the 1840s. You can still see the gouges cut by the wheels of wagons!
Learn more about it right here.
- Historic Governor’s Mansion
Flickr/Jimmy Emerson, DVM The Historic Governor’s Mansion is a state historic site located in Cheyenne. The mansion has been home to Wyoming Governors from 1905 to 1976 and today offers a glimpse of life in Wyoming during those early years.Learn more about it right here.
- Pilot Butte Wild Horse Scenic Loop Tour
Flickr/Erin Kinney The Pilot Butte Wild Horse Scenic Loop Tour provides a great opportunity to see wild horses of the west. This drive along a gravel road takes around an hour and a half, with plenty of places to stop for photos. The loop runs between Rock Springs and Green River.Learn more about it right here.
- Wyoming State Museum
Flickr/Mark Goebel The Wyoming State Museum is located in Cheyenne. Some of the exhibits include dinosaurs, regional wildlife, coal mining, Native Americans, pioneers, and much more. This is the only museum that depicts the entire history of Wyoming, and it’s worth taking the time to see.
Learn more about it right here.
- Intermittent Spring
Flickr/James St. John Take a short hike to the famous Intermittent Spring, which is located in the Star Valley town of Afton. The periodic spring runs for 18 minutes and then stops completely for a bit before starting up all over again. There are only three springs like this in the world! Aren’t we lucky to live in a state packed with natural wonder? Learn more about it right here.
- National Elk Refuge
Flickr/USFWS Mountain-Prairie The National Elk Refuge is located in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. It was developed in 1912 and provides a winter refuge for the state’s enormous elk population. It’s best to visit in the wintertime! Learn more about it right here.
- Hobo Pool
Flickr/vicki watkins Hobo Pool is a historic pool located along the banks of the Platte River in Saratoga. This is a natural hot spring used by locals and indigenous people for centuries, because of the natural healing powers of hot mineral water. The pool ranges from 108 to 119 degrees. There is also a picnic area behind the pool, so you can make this a whole day trip. Learn more about it right here.
You can make some great memories in Wyoming without even opening your wallet.
Flickr/Alliance For Historic Wyoming
The Castle Gardens Petroglyph Site is located east of Riverton in Central Wyoming. The name comes from the wind that has eroded the sandstone into castle-like shapes. In the sandstone, you can find rock art created by Indigenous people that lived here long ago.Learn more about it right here.
Flickr/J. Stephen Conn
Independence Rock is located southwest of Casper and is known as the “Register of the Desert.” Pioneers carved their names into the hard stone. This was a key landmark that assured travelers that if they arrived at this rock by July 4th, they would make it through the Sawtooths before winter. Learn more about it right here.
Flickr/James St. John
Native Americans have carved figures into the sandstone cliffs at the White Mountain Petroglyphs site. This site is located in Southwestern Wyoming in Wyoming’s Red Desert near Rock Springs. At the site, you will find bison and elk hunt carvings and handprints that are 200 to 1,000 years old. This sacred site is delicate, so be sure to leave no trace of your visit. Learn more about it right here.
Flickr/carfull…
Medicine Wheel is located in Northern Wyoming in the Big Horn Mountains near Lovell. Throughout the centuries, this sacred site has been used as a location to offer up prayers for healing and atonement. Do take the trail up to see for yourself, but as this is an active cultural site, be respectful, stay on the trail, and pack out what you bring in. Learn more about it right here.
Flickr/Phil Konstantin
The Oregon Trail Ruts is a National Landmark located in Central Wyoming near Guernsey. The Oregon Trail was a primary trail used by emigrants heading westward in the 1840s. You can still see the gouges cut by the wheels of wagons!
Learn more about it right here.
Flickr/Jimmy Emerson, DVM
The Historic Governor’s Mansion is a state historic site located in Cheyenne. The mansion has been home to Wyoming Governors from 1905 to 1976 and today offers a glimpse of life in Wyoming during those early years.Learn more about it right here.
Flickr/Erin Kinney
The Pilot Butte Wild Horse Scenic Loop Tour provides a great opportunity to see wild horses of the west. This drive along a gravel road takes around an hour and a half, with plenty of places to stop for photos. The loop runs between Rock Springs and Green River.Learn more about it right here.
Flickr/Mark Goebel
The Wyoming State Museum is located in Cheyenne. Some of the exhibits include dinosaurs, regional wildlife, coal mining, Native Americans, pioneers, and much more. This is the only museum that depicts the entire history of Wyoming, and it’s worth taking the time to see.
Learn more about it right here.
Take a short hike to the famous Intermittent Spring, which is located in the Star Valley town of Afton. The periodic spring runs for 18 minutes and then stops completely for a bit before starting up all over again. There are only three springs like this in the world! Aren’t we lucky to live in a state packed with natural wonder? Learn more about it right here.
Flickr/USFWS Mountain-Prairie
The National Elk Refuge is located in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. It was developed in 1912 and provides a winter refuge for the state’s enormous elk population. It’s best to visit in the wintertime! Learn more about it right here.
Flickr/vicki watkins
Hobo Pool is a historic pool located along the banks of the Platte River in Saratoga. This is a natural hot spring used by locals and indigenous people for centuries, because of the natural healing powers of hot mineral water. The pool ranges from 108 to 119 degrees. There is also a picnic area behind the pool, so you can make this a whole day trip. Learn more about it right here.
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Address: Castle Gardens Petroglyphs, WY-136, Riverton, WY 82501, USAAddress: Independence Rock State Historic Site, WY-220, Alcova, WY 82620, USAAddress: White Mountain petroglyph site, Wyoming, USAAddress: Bighorn Medicine Wheel, Lovell, WY 82431, USAAddress: Guernsey Ruts, Guernsey, WY 82214, USAAddress: 300 E 21st St, Cheyenne, WY 82001, USAAddress: Pilot Butte Wild Horse Scenic Loop, Wild Horse Canyon Rd, Green River, WY 82935, USAAddress: Wyoming State Museum, 2301 Central Ave, Cheyenne, WY 82001, USAAddress: Periodic Spring Trail, Wyoming 83110, USAAddress: National Elk Refuge Road, National Elk Refuge Rd, Jackson, WY 83001, USAAddress: Saratoga Hobo Hot Springs, 300 E Walnut Ave, Saratoga, WY 82331, USA
The OIYS Visitor Center
free things to do in Wyoming March 01, 2021 Kim Magaraci Is Wyoming a great place to live? If you love the outdoors and a simple lifestyle sounds ideal to you, Wyoming may be a great option for your next home state. However, if you live in Wyoming, you need to be prepared for brutal winters, the occasional encounter with wildlife, and a general lack of high speech technology outside of town. If you can do without the crowds and prefer to spend your time exploring, though, you won’t find a better place to spend your time! What are the most beautiful places in Wyoming? While the obvious answers to this question include Yellowstone National Park and Grand Teton National Park, some other little-known spots showcase the beauty of Wyoming. The Cloud Peak Wilderness, for example, is packed with stunning scenes of alpine wilderness. The Wind River Range is home to some of the most picturesque (and difficult!) hiking trails on Earth. Where can I find more of the best photos of Wyoming? It’s hard to imagine a place in Wyoming that’s not worthy of a photograph! To take a look at some of the most stunning scenery in the Cowboy State, read 16 Unbelievable Photos Of Wyoming That Show The Incredible Beauty Of Our State. To peek back in time, check out Here Are The Oldest Photos Ever Taken In Wyoming And They’e Incredible.
The OIYS Visitor Center
free things to do in Wyoming
March 01, 2021
Kim Magaraci
Is Wyoming a great place to live? If you love the outdoors and a simple lifestyle sounds ideal to you, Wyoming may be a great option for your next home state. However, if you live in Wyoming, you need to be prepared for brutal winters, the occasional encounter with wildlife, and a general lack of high speech technology outside of town. If you can do without the crowds and prefer to spend your time exploring, though, you won’t find a better place to spend your time! What are the most beautiful places in Wyoming? While the obvious answers to this question include Yellowstone National Park and Grand Teton National Park, some other little-known spots showcase the beauty of Wyoming. The Cloud Peak Wilderness, for example, is packed with stunning scenes of alpine wilderness. The Wind River Range is home to some of the most picturesque (and difficult!) hiking trails on Earth. Where can I find more of the best photos of Wyoming? It’s hard to imagine a place in Wyoming that’s not worthy of a photograph! To take a look at some of the most stunning scenery in the Cowboy State, read 16 Unbelievable Photos Of Wyoming That Show The Incredible Beauty Of Our State. To peek back in time, check out Here Are The Oldest Photos Ever Taken In Wyoming And They’e Incredible.
The OIYS Visitor Center
The OIYS Visitor Center
If you love the outdoors and a simple lifestyle sounds ideal to you, Wyoming may be a great option for your next home state. However, if you live in Wyoming, you need to be prepared for brutal winters, the occasional encounter with wildlife, and a general lack of high speech technology outside of town. If you can do without the crowds and prefer to spend your time exploring, though, you won’t find a better place to spend your time!
What are the most beautiful places in Wyoming?
While the obvious answers to this question include Yellowstone National Park and Grand Teton National Park, some other little-known spots showcase the beauty of Wyoming. The Cloud Peak Wilderness, for example, is packed with stunning scenes of alpine wilderness. The Wind River Range is home to some of the most picturesque (and difficult!) hiking trails on Earth.
Where can I find more of the best photos of Wyoming?
It’s hard to imagine a place in Wyoming that’s not worthy of a photograph! To take a look at some of the most stunning scenery in the Cowboy State, read 16 Unbelievable Photos Of Wyoming That Show The Incredible Beauty Of Our State. To peek back in time, check out Here Are The Oldest Photos Ever Taken In Wyoming And They’e Incredible.
