14 Best Sights in Cheyenne, Laramie, and Southern Wyoming, Wyoming

Fort Laramie is one of the most important historic sites in Wyoming, in part because its original buildings are extremely well preserved, but also because it played a role in several significant periods in Western history. Near the confluence of the Laramie and North Platte rivers, the fort began as a trading post in 1834, and it was an important provisioning point for travelers on the Oregon Trail in 1843, the Mormon Trail in 1847, and the California Trail in 1849, when it also became a military site. The 1868 Treaty of Fort Laramie was signed here, leading to the end of the First Sioux War, also known as Red Cloud's War. National Park Service rangers interpret scenes of military life and talk about the fur trade, overland migration, and relations between settlers and Native Americans.

The center houses more than 90,000 cubic feet (or nearly 17 miles) of rare books, collections of papers, and memorabilia related to such subjects as American and Western history, the petroleum industry, conservation movements, transportation, and the performing arts. Permanent and temporary art displays also fill the museum space.

Although I–80 connects Cheyenne and Laramie more quickly, the drive between the two cities on Happy Jack Road (Highway 210) is very scenic, particularly in spring and early summer, when wildflowers are in full bloom. The road winds over the high plains, past Curt Gowdy State Park, and provides access to the Vedauwoo Recreation Area before linking back to I–80, 7 miles east of Laramie at the Abraham Lincoln Memorial Monument. At this state rest area you can obtain information about the region and view a larger-than-life sculpture of the 16th president's head looming above you.

The former Centennial Railroad Depot now houses this museum at the eastern edge of town. The museum displays ranching, farming, and mining equipment, plus artifacts typical of what you'd find in a pioneer home; there's also an outdoor-equipment exhibit. Most of the items have been donated by local families. The museum is open Memorial Day through September.

The herbarium focuses on Rocky Mountain plants, but also includes other examples of flora from the northern hemisphere. But don't expect any living plants here. This is a working dry plant research facility, and features 1.3 million specimens mounted on paper. Visitors are welcome to take a tour.

Hot mineral waters flow freely through the Saratoga Hobo Hot Springs, and the adjacent cooler swimming pool is heated by the springs. People have been coming here to soak for generations, including Native Americans, who considered the area neutral territory. Hardy folk can do as the Native Americans did and first soak in the hot water, then jump into the adjacent icy waters of the North Platte River. The free pools are open all day, every day. Bathing suits are required.

Prairie and peregrine falcons, Canada geese, and various species of hawks and owls inhabit this refuge, which stretches more than 25,000 acres. Trumpeter swans also occasionally use the area. Within or near the refuge there are homestead and ranch sites, Oregon Trail crossings, and ferries that cross the Green River, as well as the spot where Jim Bridger and Henry Fraeb built a trading post in 1839. Visitor information and restrooms are available during daylight hours.

Highway 130 between Centennial and Saratoga is known as the Snowy Range Scenic Byway. This paved road, which is in excellent condition, crosses through the Medicine Bow–Routt National Forest, providing views of 12,013-foot Medicine Bow Peak and access to hiking trails, 10 campgrounds (6 right near the road), picnic areas, and 100 alpine lakes and streams. Gravel roads lead off the route into the national forest.

At the top of the 10,847-foot Snowy Range Pass, about 10 miles west of Centennial, take a short walk to the Libby Flats Observation Site for views of the Snowy Range and, on clear days, Rocky Mountain National Park to the southwest in Colorado. Lake Marie, a jewel of a mountain lake at an elevation of approximately 10,000 feet, is also here. On the Saratoga side of the mountain the road passes through pine forest and descends to the North Platte River valley, with cattle ranches on both sides of the highway. Note that the byway is impassable in winter and therefore is closed between approximately mid-October and Memorial Day.

The Anthropology Museum at the university takes visitors on a journey through human evolution, starting in Africa millions of years ago. Part of the museum also celebrates hunter-gatherer societies throughout world history.

Among the artworks displayed in the campus art museum are paintings, sculpture, photography, and folk art from America, Europe, Africa, and Asia.

The Vedauwoo Recreation Area, in the Medicine Bow–Routt National Forest, is a particularly unusual area and a great place for a picnic. Springing out of high plains and open meadows are glacial remnants in the form of huge granite boulders piled skyward with reckless abandon. These one-of-a-kind rock formations, dreamscapes of gray stone, are great for hiking, climbing, and photography. There's also camping here.

Construction on this Corinthian-style building, now on the National Register of Historic Places, was authorized by the Ninth Territorial Legislative Assembly in 1886. The dome, covered in 24-karat gold leaf and visible from all roads leading into the city, is 50 feet in diameter at the base and 146 feet high. Inside the building, you'll find a statue of Esther Hobart Morris, a proponent of women's suffrage. One of Wyoming's nicknames is the "Equality State" because of its early advocacy of women's rights. Thanks to Wyoming's informal ways, it's not unusual to find the governor wandering the halls of the capitol. You can take a self-guided tour of state offices and the Senate and House chambers. Guided tours are also provided by appointment when time permits.