You just never know what you might discover in Wyoming's small towns. A leisurely three-day loop tour out of Casper will help you discover small-town Wyoming history, hospitality and surprises, too.
Total Trip: Three Days
Day 1
Head west from Casper on Highway 20/26. Your first stop is Shoshoni (population 635).
Culture and Commerce: Shoshoni is home to Raspberry deLight Farms. With the sun on your back and a breeze gently tugging your hair, there is nothing more satisfying than picking your own raspberries and leaving with a crate of delicious berries. We guarantee they won't make it home.
Casper to Shoshoni - 99 miles - About an hour and a half
From Shoshoni, drive north on Highway 20 to Thermopolis (population 2,953). Just south of Thermopolis, you'll pass through Wind River Canyon, where the deer, antelope and fat trout play. See more than 20 skeletons at the Wyoming Dinosaur Center, then enjoy a relaxing soak – or water-slide fun – at Hot Springs State Park.
Culture and Commerce: By now you've noticed the power of the Wyoming sun. Stop by Lucy's Sheep Camp to discover how sunlight, combined with natural plant dyes, can make beautiful yarn. Anyone with a tie-dyed dancing sheep on their website has to be worth visiting.
Shoshoni to Thermopolis - 33 miles - About 40 minutes
Meeteetse (population 347), north from Thermopolis on Wyoming Highway 120, is your stop for the night. Savor a hearty meal at the Outlaw Parlor and Cowboy Bar. Heck, Meeteetse's a cozy town - mosey over to The Elkhorn Bar & Grill as well. Then bunk down, park your rig, or pitch your tent at the Oasis Motel & RV Park along the Greybull River. In the morning, get your morning joe and a big mountain breakfast at Lucille's.
Culture and Commerce: Where can you find a world class chocolatier? In Meeteetse, of course. The Meeteetse Chocolatier makes tasty treats fresh each day. Buy some truffles - you'll have a challenge choosing between classic flavors and unusual options like sage, Coors, and Huckleberry - for the road and ship some because these won't make it home either.
Meeteetse Chocolatier
Thermopolis to Meeteetse - 52 miles - About an hour
Day 2
Backtrack south from Meeteetse to State Highway 431, then drive east to Worland. Continue east on U.S. Highway 16 to Ten Sleep (population 317), named for its location 10 nights, or "sleeps," between major camps. Browse among the handmade rugs and quilts, then have a malt at Dirty Sally's. then have lunch at a local café or picnic in the town park on the east end of town.
Music in the Mountains: Ten Sleep is home to Jalan Crossland, an irreverent singer and masterful picker. When not on the road, Jalan can often be heard at a local bar. And, if you're in the area in August, he is a common headliner at the Nowoodstock Festival.
Meeteetse to Ten Sleep - Approximately 75 miles - About an hour and a half From Ten Sleep, it's a super-scenic drive east on Highway 16 to Buffalo. The road crests at nearly 10,000 feet at Powder River Pass, with many fantastic rock formations and vistas along the way. Book a night at the historic Occidental Hotel in Buffalo (population 4,256), or at least take a peek at its museum-like lobby.
Music in the Mountains: If you're going to Buffalo, it is worth planning your trip so you'll be there Thursday night for the jam session at the Occidental Saloon. Not for your average musician, prospective jammers must try out to earn the right to play along. Their high standards guarantee a toe-tapping good time.
Ten Sleep to Buffalo - 69 miles - About an hour and a half
Day 3
Don't miss the Jim Gatchell Memorial Museum before you leave Buffalo. Here, you'll find an impressive collection of pioneer and Indian artifacts, plus displays on the famous Johnson County War of 1892, which pitted cattle barons against local homesteaders.
From Buffalo, it's a two-hour drive on I-25 to Casper – but if you're not quite ready to leave the slow lane, pull off for a final small-town stop in Kaycee (population 271), near the "Hole-in-the-Wall Country" where Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid hung out. Kaycee is also the smallest town in America with its own Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association-sanctioned rodeo, now held in July just before Cheyenne Frontier Days. In addition, you'll find a local rodeo each Friday night.
Music in the Mountains: Kaycee is where legendary country singer Chris LeDoux called home. If you're a fan, be sure to stop and see the monument. And in mid-June you can join in the celebration of his life at Chris LeDoux Days.
Buffalo to Kaycee - 45 miles - About 40 minutes