Discover Hot Springs County
Accommodation in Hot Springs County
Hot Springs County combines hot springs, river landscapes, fossils, and an unusually vivid history of Wyoming. At the center is Hot Springs State Park: mineral springs flow over a colorful terrace there every 24 hours and maintain a constant temperature of 128 degrees Fahrenheit. Big Horn Hot Springs State Reserve became Wyoming’s first state park in 1897. When choosing a vacation apartment or vacation home, it is therefore worthwhile to first consider whether you want to combine your trip primarily with nature, culture, geology, or relaxed days of exploration.
Between springs, river, and open landscapes
Hot Springs State Park has 6.2 miles of generally accessible hiking trails. Anglers can fish in the Bighorn River from the park. A distinctive viewpoint is The Swinging Bridge, a suspension bridge that crosses the river and directs the view toward the Bighorn River and the mineral terrace. The landscape also includes the central bison herd of Wyoming State Parks. This allows walks, river watching, and views of the county’s distinctive geology to be combined in a single stay.
Those wishing to explore the wider area will find different ways to experience nature. The Owl Creek WSA is accessible from the north via the trail network of Shoshone National Forest. In the Black Mountain Area, the lands managed by the BLM remain open for dispersed recreation; lawful public access is possible from the southeast via NE1/4SE1/4 and SE1/4SE1/4, Sec. 06, T42N R90W. This information helps you choose accommodation suited either to a trip with short park trails or to more extensive excursions into the landscape.
Thermopolis as a base for history and geology
An important place for trip planning is Thermopolis. The town lies in the Big Horn Basin in northwestern Wyoming, about 130 miles west of Casper and about 145 miles south of the east entrance to Yellowstone National Park. The Wind River Canyon Scenic Byway begins in Shoshoni at milepost 100, follows U.S. 20 through Wind River Canyon and the Wind River Indian Reservation, and ends north of the town at milepost 134. The drive takes about 40 minutes without stops. Those looking for accommodation can therefore weigh a stay focused on local history against an itinerary along the canyon.
The Hot Springs County Museum preserves, displays, and interprets historical objects related to the county’s history from the 19th century through the early 20th century. The collection includes Middleton School, a restored one-room schoolhouse from the early 1920s with wooden school desks and a piano; it opened to the public in 1983. Also preserved is an original bar once visited by outlaws from the Hole-in-the-Wall Gang, including Butch Cassidy. In the town center, visitors can still see many historic buildings. The Downtown Thermopolis Historic District was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.
Fossils, petroglyphs, and Indigenous traditions
For families interested in Earth’s history, the Wyoming Dinosaur Center offers different ways to explore the subject. The Shovel-Ready program takes participants to fossil excavation sites and teaches dinosaur-bone excavation techniques through a tour and training session. At Paleo Prep, visitors learn about the detailed preparation of fossils in a hands-on experience. The fossil excavation sites are no more than a ten-minute drive from the museum. This allows you to tailor a stay specifically to active geology experiences or to viewing and working with fossils.
The Legend Rock State Petroglyph Site offers another historical perspective. The rock face there is 1,312 feet high and bears more than 300 petroglyph figures on 92 prehistoric panels. Many of the petroglyphs belong to the regionally unique Dinwoody style. The Pageant Gift of the Waters is a free performance featuring participation and dances by local Indigenous communities in front of Big Spring. The pageant was first performed in October 1925 at Hot Springs State Park. The combination of prehistoric rock art, Indigenous tradition, and the history of the springs makes Hot Springs County particularly diverse.
Which accommodation suits the trip
A vacation apartment or vacation home in Hot Springs County can serve as a base for days with different schedules: hiking trails and river landscapes in the morning, a museum or fossils in the afternoon, and Wind River Canyon or the petroglyphs at Legend Rock on another day. What matters is less a general promise than your personal focus. Culture-oriented travelers will prioritize historic buildings, the museum, and the pageant; nature-oriented travelers will choose their excursions based on the river, springs, open BLM lands, and trails in Shoshone National Forest.
For the overall travel overview: Wyoming.
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