Riverton brings together local history and riverside scenery: the Wind River and Little Wind River meet here, while a museum and walking tour explore the past from different perspectives. Riverside trails and a trail from Riverton to Shoshoni add to the picture of the surrounding area. This lets you focus your visit on cultural history or landscape-related topics.
Local History Through Two Lenses
The Riverton Museum interprets artifacts directly related to Riverton’s history. Its collections also include materials about the Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho. The museum’s subject matter thus ranges from local history to collections about these two peoples.
The Riverton Walking Tour presents the settlement of the Riverton area through historic buildings. This offers a different approach from viewing artifacts in the museum: here, buildings help tell the story of settlement. If you would rather explore Riverton’s past through historic structures than collection objects, you can take this difference in focus into account when planning your visit.
Different Museum Formats
At the Wind River Heritage Center, the Wildlife Museum displays 62 full-body taxidermy mounts. The Historical Wax Museum features 27 scenes with lifelike wax figures. These details describe different formats: full-body taxidermy mounts on the one hand, and scenes with wax figures on the other. If you are looking for a particular type of display during your museum visit, this distinction can help you decide where to go.
The Northern Arapaho Experience Room features artifacts, paintings, photographs, and videos about the Arapaho. Weekly dance performances are held there in summer. If you would like to plan your trip around a performance, check the current summer schedule in advance.
Rivers and Trails
Riverton is located at the confluence of the Wind River and Little Wind River. There are also trails along the riverbanks. The confluence is a geographic landmark; the riverside trails offer another way to experience the rivers as you plan your trip.
The Wyoming Heritage Trail, also known as Rails to Trails, extends for 22 miles. It runs from Railroad Avenue at South 3rd Street in Riverton to East 1st Street near US 26/20/East in Shoshoni. The total length and endpoints go together: the route described runs from Riverton to Shoshoni, not just within Riverton.
Flying In
Central Wyoming Regional Airport offers daily jet service between Riverton, Wyoming, and Denver, Colorado. The service is provided by United Express, operated by SkyWest Airlines. This lets you factor the flight connection into your travel plans without assuming a particular departure day. Check the flight schedule before booking, as details of daily service may change.
Discover more destinations: Lander
Return to the main travel overview: Fremont County.
