365 steps lead to the former school and residential area among the remains of Cambria near Newcastle; several buildings still stand. Access to the remains may vary. Weston County lies on the western slopes of the Black Hills and offers access to their northern and southern sections. Historic sites, trails, and landscapes offer different perspectives on the region and its past.
Museums and Settlement History
The Anna Miller Museum is housed in a sandstone stable built in the mid-1930s, which has served as a museum since 1966. It is open year-round, Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; from June through August, it is also open Saturdays from 9 a.m. to noon. As opening hours may change, check them before you travel.
The exhibits include Indigenous artifacts, dinosaur fossils, and textiles, as well as topics related to Cambria and the pioneer era of Weston County. Also on display are a caboose from a Burlington Northern freight train, a settler’s cabin, a rural schoolhouse, a log cabin, and several wagons. The collections may change over time.
The Red Onion Museum is located in Old Town, at the site where Iron Town was established in the 19th century. Old Town is a reconstructed site of the former settlement of Irontown. On display are restored wagons as well as relocated historic buildings and structures, including cabins, a blacksmith shop, an icehouse, a fire station, and a water tank.
Cambria was a coal-mining town that flourished between 1890 and 1928. A trail system crosses the wooded slopes around the ghost town. The surviving traces of the former school and residential area sit alongside a landscape also shaped by trails.
Trails of Varying Lengths
The Serenity Trail is a relatively easy, 3.5-mile loop two miles north of Newcastle. It passes through ponderosa pine forest and by weathered limestone formations. The Mallo Trail is also 3.5 miles long and is located about 22 miles northwest of Newcastle; it is open to hikers, mountain bikers, horseback riders, and hunters. Trail conditions and access for both trails may change seasonally. Check current conditions before setting out.
The Flying V Trail System begins about eight miles north of Newcastle. It currently includes around nine miles of connected trails and is open to mountain bikers and hikers; the trail network is still being expanded. Compared with the two 3.5-mile trails, it offers a different scale. Check current conditions before cycling.
Landscape and Other Activities
Thunder Basin National Grassland covers most of eastern Weston County and encompasses 547,499 acres. Osage Pond in Weston County offers boat access and seasonal fishing. The site includes a gravel parking lot, a basic boat ramp, a swimming dock, and a wooden fishing pier. Regulations and fire and water conditions may affect access.
You can play golf at Cedar Pines Golf Course in Upton. Newcastle also offers the historic “Walk about Town Historic Tour.” As the tour format and availability may change, check the latest information if you plan to take the tour.
Discover more destinations: Newcastle, Platte County, Converse County, Johnson County, Uinta County, Carbon, Sublette, Teton.
For the main travel overview: Wyoming.
