Granite formations, trails, and historic sites offer different ways to explore. At Vedauwoo, spectacular granite rocks rise from the thin soils of Pole Mountain. The landscape is shaped by more than its rocks: the Turtle Rock Trail winds from the campground between several formations and past meadows, streams, beaver ponds, and wooded areas.
Granite, Trails, and Water
The trails offer different experiences. The Box Canyon Trail in Vedauwoo is fully accessible to people with disabilities. Those interested in mountain biking can explore a 35-mile network of trails through granite outcrops, canyons, highlands, and forest at Curt Gowdy State Park. Here, the rocky landscape and varied terrain take center stage.
The Snowy Range Scenic Byway crosses the Medicine Bow Mountain Range and provides access to numerous picnic areas, campgrounds, hiking trails, fishing opportunities, and viewpoints. Medicine Bow Peak, at 12,014 feet, is located right along the byway. This means the route offers both opportunities for activities and distinctive scenic landmarks.
Trails by the water are another option. Laramie River Greenbelt Park stretches for 5.75 miles and includes the Greenbelt Trailhead and a path for walking and jogging. Fishing is permitted in the river. Rainbow trout and kokanee salmon can be caught in the Granite Reservoir at Curt Gowdy State Park. The two fishing spots differ in terms of the bodies of water and the fish species found there.
History in Buildings and Museums
The Wyoming Territorial Prison is now a museum. Visitors can walk through the prison building and discover the stories behind its walls. The visit also includes the Prison Industries Building and the Warden’s House. The Wyoming Territorial Prison is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Here, history can be experienced both on a tour of several buildings and through the site’s historical significance.
Another monument tells the story of the railroad: the Ames Monument is a 60-foot-high granite pyramid completed by the Union Pacific Railroad Company in 1882. It was designed by architect Henry Hobson Richardson. The monument stands at 8,247 feet on the highest point along the original transcontinental railroad route. In Laramie, the Historic Laramie Union Pacific Train Depot is the only surviving building from the former Union Pacific presence. Hynds Lodge in Curt Gowdy State Park is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Laramie Plains Museum is housed in a historic residence on the grounds of the Ivinson Mansion. The building itself gives the museum visit a different historical setting from a tour of the Wyoming Territorial Prison or a view of the Ames Monument. Those interested in architecture and history can explore these different forms of built heritage without reducing them to a single era or style of construction.
Collections, Art, and Knowledge
Fossils are the focus at the University of Wyoming Geological Museum: its collection includes more than 60,000 fossil specimens and 50 holotypes. The museum also offers the “Wyoming Rocks” outreach events in the fall and the “Fossil Fish Festival” in the spring. Both take place every year, with dates that vary by season. For specific visit planning, it is worth checking the dates of each event.
The University of Wyoming Art Museum presents and collects art. Its programs encourage students and visitors to exchange ideas about different perspectives, viewpoints, and cultures. Admission is free. The Annual Juried University of Wyoming Student Exhibition is also held every spring. Its annual schedule makes spring a useful time to keep in mind for anyone interested in student art.
Other subjects are explored at the University of Wyoming Anthropology Museum, which features materials from Indigenous cultures of the Great Plains, Rocky Mountains, Southwest, and Arctic, and at the Harry C. Vaughan Planetarium, with its live and interactive shows. At the Williams Conservatory, visitors can explore plant biodiversity, ecology, and sustainable practices. More than 600 tropical, neotropical, temperate, and arid plant species grow there; group tours are also available. The options range from fossils and cultural materials to art, planetarium shows, and the diversity of the plant world.
Discover more destinations: Laramie, Buford, Big Horn, Crook County, Carbon, Converse County, Platte County, Lincoln.
For the main travel overview: Wyoming.
