The Ultimate Wyoming Road Trip – For History Lovers
Two weeks, the open road, and a lot of history. If you're a history nerd, there's plenty to see and do in Wyoming!
From Oregon Trail landmarks and battle sites, to old west museums and historic adventures, we tried to piece together the ultimate Wyoming history lovers trip!
We began this list assuming someone is visiting from out of state, obviously you can adjust the itinerary to your liking!
- 1
Day 1: Denver International Airport to Cheyenne
90 minutes- Tour the Wyoming State Capitol
- Enjoy free admission to the Wyoming State Museum
- Check out the Old West Museum
- Visit the train depot downtown
- Stay at the Historic Plains Hotel
- Grab dinner at the classic Little Bear Inn
- 2
Day 2: Cheyenne to Ft. Laramie
90 minutes- Check out the historic Fort Laramie
- View the Grattan Massacure historical monument on the way
- Have a steak and something cold to drink at Wyoming's oldest bar in Hartville
- Check out the Oregon Trail ruts near Guernsey
- Enjoy the quaint Bunkhouse Motel for overnight lodging
- 3
Day 3: Fort Laramie to Casper
90 minutes- Check out the WWII POW camp, Camp Douglas along the way
- Explore Fort Fetterman just north of Douglas
- Visit the Fort Caspar Museum
- Stop by the National Historic Trails Interpretive Center in Casper
- Casper has a wide range of lodging and eating options
- 4
Day 4: Casper to Buffalo
90 minutes- Stop near Kaycee to check out the famous Hole-In-The-Wall Gang's favorite hideout
- Learn more at the Hoofprints of the Past Museum in Kaycee
- See the historic gold mining area, the Bozeman Trail
- Stay and dine at the Historical Occidental Hotel, a favorite of Butch Cassidy
- 5
Buffalo to Greybull
2 hours- Stop in the small town of Ten Sleep to visit the Ten Sleep Pioneer Museum
- Learn about ancient creatures and early settlement at the Washakie Museum & Cultural Center in Worland.
- In Greybull, visit the Museum of Flight and Aerial Firefighting.
- The Greybull Motel has comfortable overnight lodging.
- 6
Day 6: Greybull to Cody via Powell
90 minutes- Spend some time at the Heart Mountain Interpretive Center, the site of a former internment camp.
- Cody is home to one of the top rated museums in the west, the Buffalo Bill Cody Center of the West.
- The Big Bear Motel in Cody was just renovated by a popular TV show.
- 7
Day 7: Cody to Thermopolis
1 hour 15 minutes- On the way, visit the ghost town of Kirwin. There you can see the remains of a cabin built for Amelia Earhart.
- Near Thermopolis, take a short walk to the Legend Rock State Petroglyph Site.
- Check out the Wyoming Dinosaur Center.
- Relax in one of the nation's oldest hot spring pools.
- The Elk Antler Inn has rustic lodging near the Dinosaur Center
- 8
Day 8: Thermopolis to Riverton via Fort Washakie
2 hours- On the Wind River Indian Reservation, stop by Chief Washakie's grave
- One of a handful of locations believed to be the grave site of Sacajawea is on the reservation as well.
- Check out the incredibly violent history of Crowheart Butte.
- Travel back in time at the site of the the 1838 mountain man rendezvous
- Stay the night and enjoy one of many cultural experiences at the Wind River Hotel and Casino.
- 9
Riverton to Atlantic City
1 hour- Check out the historic South Pass City ghost town
- Try your hand at a gold panning expedition
- Stop in for the night at the historic 1904 Miner's Delight Inn
- 10
Atlantic City to Mountain View Via Kemmerer
2 hours 30 minutes- Stop in Kemmerer to explore the first JC Penny's location
- Explore Fort Bridger and the Bridger Museum
- See the Hastings Cutoff, the location of the Donner Party's biggest mistake
- Stay in a charming cabin at Mountain View's Country Cabins Inn
- 11
Day 11: Mountain View to Rawlins
2 hours 30 minutes- Stop in Rock Springs to check out their historical museum.
- Enjoy a stop at Point of the Rocks Stage Station, a former meeting point of the Overland Trail and Union Pacific Railroad.
- View the Tolar Petroglyphs
- End your day in Rawlins, with a creepy tour of The Wyoming Frontier Prison.
- 12
Day 12: Rawlins to Medicine Bow via Independence Rock
3 hours- Visit Oregon Trail landmark Split Rock
- Take in another Oregon Trail iconic spot, Independence Rock
- View the "Oldest Cabin In the World" made entirely of dinosaur bones near Medicine Bow.
- Finish the day at the Historic Virginian Hotel, a landmark since 1911.
- 13
Medicine Bow to Laramie
1 hour- Explore the American Heritage Center at the University of Wyoming.
- Check out the Wyoming Territorial Prison
- Browse the Laramie Plains Museum and Historic Ivinson Mansion.
- Finish your trip with a toast at the Buckhorn Bar. Don't forget to ask about the story of the bullet hole!
- 14
Day 14: Laramie to Denver International Airport
2 hours- Check out the great scenery on Highway 287
- Back to wherever you came from!