Wyoming
9 Prettiest Towns to Visit in Wyoming
![9 Prettiest Towns to Visit in Wyoming 9 Prettiest Towns to Visit in Wyoming](https://www.worldatlas.com/r/w1200-q80/upload/0a/05/d5/shutterstock-1496999798.jpg)
Wyoming’s small towns prove that beauty lies not only in impressive skyscrapers and shopping malls of big cities but also in a community’s natural surroundings and intriguing histories. Each of these towns in Wyoming is like a well-kept secret, offering scenic drives, fascinating tales of the past, and local quirks without the chaos of large crowds. From the untouched beauty of the Rockies to local festivals that feel like a slice of the Old West, these towns deliver an authentic taste of Wyoming that is both refreshing and unforgettable. Whether it is exploring natural wonders or diving headfirst into the local traditions, these are some of the prettiness towns in The Equality State.
Jackson
No one would be disappointed starting an adventure in Jackson, where the landscape tells a beautiful story. As an entry point to the gorgeous Grand Teton National Park, Jackson provides unparalleled access to breathtaking mountain views and endless outdoor activities. The Jackson Hole Historical Society & Museum presents an engaging glimpse into local history, seamlessly blending with the town’s modern vibrancy. Art lovers can explore the National Museum of Wildlife Art, showcasing an impressive collection that is a good break from the traditional imagery in art museums. Each fall, the Jackson Hole Fall Arts Festival transforms the town into a canvas of creativity and celebration. Lastly, for skiing enthusiasts, Jackson Hole Mountain Resort offers world-class slopes that add a touch of extreme sport to an otherwise calm surrounding.
Cody
![The Buffalo Bill Center of the West in Cody, Wyoming. Editorial credit: Kit Leong / Shutterstock.com](https://www.worldatlas.com/r/w768/upload/bd/14/08/shutterstock-2180079591.jpg)
When it comes to describing Cody, two things the town is known for are its deep historical roots and Western flair. The Buffalo Bill Center of the West, a sprawling museum complex, provides a comprehensive look into Western history centered around the legendary Buffalo Bill Cody. Founded in 1896 by Cody himself, this town holds a unique place in state history. The Irma Hotel, another of Cody’s historical landmarks, was personally constructed by Buffalo Bill and remains a significant attraction. The Cody Stampede Rodeo, held annually, celebrates the town’s cowboy heritage with thrilling rodeo events and days of family fun. Nearby, the Beartooth Highway offers one-of-a-kind drives through rugged terrain. Additionally, Cody’s proximity to the beautiful Yellowstone National Park makes it an ideal base for exploring the park’s natural wonders.
Sheridan
![Bison grazing in beautiful Sheridan.](https://www.worldatlas.com/r/w768/upload/6e/db/0f/shutterstock-1925607011.jpg)
Travelers will find that the appeal of the town of Sheridan lies in its blend of historical charm and natural beauty. The Sheridan Inn, linked to Buffalo Bill Cody, offers a glimpse into the past with its historic architecture. The King’s Museum displays regional artifacts that add depth to Sheridan’s historical narrative and is a local treasure. Sheridan’s range of architectural styles, from Victorian to early 20th-century buildings, enhances its visual appeal. The 19th-century Carnegie Library stands as clear evidence of the town’s commitment to preserving its architectural heritage. The annual Sheridan WYO Rodeo provides a vibrant display of local tradition, while the nearby Bighorn Mountains invite outdoor enthusiasts to hike and experience wildlife.
Lander
![Sinks Canyon in Lander, Wyoming](https://www.worldatlas.com/r/w768/upload/c0/67/51/shutterstock-1027156654-1.jpg)
Here, the Fremont County Pioneer Museum provides an engaging look into local pioneer history, preserving the town’s past. When discovering Lander, nature lovers will find the Wind River Range an ideal playground for hiking and climbing, offering dramatic landscapes and fresh air. Travelers with an appreciation for art can explore local galleries that showcase the creative works of the region’s artists, and the annual events at the Lander Art Center bring the community together, celebrating local talent. The Lander City Hall, with its early 20th-century architecture, adds historical depth to the town’s aesthetic, while nearby Sinks Canyon State Park features a natural marvel with its intriguing water sink and sweeping views.
Pinedale
![Pine Street, Pinedale, Wyoming. Image credit Tarabholmes - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, File:PinedaleWyoming.jpg - Wikimedia Commons](https://www.worldatlas.com/r/w768/upload/f3/f9/02/pinedalewyoming.jpg)
In Pinedale, the collection of outdoor adventures combined with the town’s historical roots create a compelling escape from the hustle and bustle of large cities. The architecture here is characterized by Western-style buildings and rustic charm, contributing to Pinedale’s appealing look. The Wyoming Range, close to town, provides excellent hiking and fishing opportunities, perfect for those seeking some adventure in nature. Additionally, Pinedale’s proximity to Bridger-Teton National Forest allows further exploration of the region’s natural wonders. A drive along the Fremont Lake Scenic Byway offers beautiful views of the surrounding landscapes. Visitors can learn more about the Pinedale at the Sublette County Historical Society Museum, which reveals the town’s history through intriguing exhibits. Each year, the Pinedale Rodeo draws crowds with its spirited events, reflecting the town’s cowboy heritage.
Riverton
![Annual hot air balloon festival in Riverton, Wyoming. Image credit Wirestock Creators via Shutterstock.](https://www.worldatlas.com/r/w768/upload/b8/c9/86/shutterstock-1782249671.jpg)
Riverton is home to the Wind River Casino, which provides gaming and entertainment, adding a touch of excitement to the town’s list of activities. Riverton Museum plunges deep into the region’s past, offering a glimpse into the town’s role in westward expansion and its cowboy heritage. Visitors can also explore the nearby Wind River Indian Reservation, providing unique opportunities to experience the culture and history of the native americans of the area from their point of view. The annual Riverton Winterfest is a highlight of the town’s social season, celebrated with decorations, food, and community festivities. Views of the Wind River Mountains are easily accessible in this town, adding to its visual appeal and solidifying its place as one of Wyoming’s most naturally beautiful towns.
Dubois
![The Black Bear Inn in Dubois, Wyoming. Image credit melissamn via Shutterstock](https://www.worldatlas.com/r/w768/upload/0c/bb/ea/dubois-wyoming-sign-july-26-2020.jpg)
When traveling to Dubois, start with the National Bighorn Sheep Center, where local wildlife is shown, providing a fascinating introduction to the area’s natural history. The annual Dubois Rodeo brings the spirit of the Old West to life with food, vendors, events, and community participation. For those looking to get active outdoors, the pretty Shoshone National Forest offers endless trails for hiking and camping, complemented by dramatic views of the Absaroka Mountains. The town’s art scene features local galleries and artisan shops, and architectural enthusiasts will appreciate Dubois’s Western-style and early 20th-century buildings that tell the story of the town’s historic roots.
Thermopolis
![Landscape of wooden path through hot springs at Hot Springs State Park in Thermopolis, Wyoming.](https://www.worldatlas.com/r/w768/upload/91/1d/e2/wooden-path-hot-springs.jpg)
Hot Springs State Park in Thermopolis stands as one of the most notable attractions in the state, with its naturally heated springs that are perfect for a relaxing dip. Also, do not forget to check out the historic Bath House at Hot Springs State Park, which adds a layer of historical importance to the natural wonders of Thermopolis. Each year, they host the Hot Springs Festival and celebrate the town’s famous hot springs with lively events and activities that draw in travelers from the surrounding area and afar. The Wyoming Dinosaur Center draws visitors with its impressive collection of dinosaur fossils and exhibits, showing off some of the world’s deepest mysteries from prehistoric times. Finally, it is positioned perfectly for anyone looking to escape into the great outdoors and enjoy hiking and fishing in the nearby Bighorn Basin, which features a varied landscape for adventures, exercise, and wildlife watching.
Glenrock
![Ayres Natural Bridge Park in Wyoming, USA.](https://www.worldatlas.com/r/w768/upload/23/d7/bd/shutterstock-2455442365.jpg)
Glenrock may appear last on this list, but it is certainly not the least pretty. The Glenrock Town Hall, a notable example of early civic architecture, further enhances the town’s historical character. The Glenrock Paleon Museum offers an intriguing look at dinosaur fossils found in the area, demonstrating the area’s prehistoric past. Nearby, the North Platte River provides excellent fishing and recreational opportunities, drawing nature lovers and adventure seekers in for fun times. The annual Glenrock Stampede Rodeo adds a touch of Western excitement to the town’s offerings, showcasing local ranching traditions. Even driving along the North Platte River provides beautiful views and a relaxing escape that only the town of Glenrock can supply.
In the great state of Wyoming, small is synonymous with spectacular. These charming towns pack a punch with stunning landscapes and rich history, proving that a metropolis is not needed for an area to be mesmerizing. Wyoming’s small towns are tucked away in the rugged landscape, each offering a blend of beauty and charm that makes any visit worthwhile. It is home to sweeping mountain views, historic Old West flair, a touch of prehistoric mystery, and a sense of peace only a small town can provide. So book a flight or fuel up the car and check out what memories these towns have in store.
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Wyoming
AP Decision Notes: What to expect in Wyoming's state primaries
WASHINGTON (AP) — Wyoming has been among the most conservative states in the county, and voters on Tuesday will select the Republican candidates who will advance to November’s general election for federal and state legislative offices.
The only contested races in Wyoming’s primary are on the Republican side.
While voters in the fall will decide contests for the U.S. Senate, the state’s at-large U.S. House seat, 62 state House and 15 state Senate seats, only 56 Republican primaries across these races include two or more candidates. Most of the state legislative candidates who advance will face no Democratic opponent in November.
This unusual circumstance is likely related to how Republicans have dominated the state in recent years.
Republicans have supermajorities in both state legislative chambers. The last time a Democrat won any statewide election in Wyoming was 2006, when Gov. Dave Freudenthal was reelected. Just 11% of the state’s electorate are registered Democrats.
Sen. John Barrasso and Rep. Harriet Hageman both have challengers in the GOP primary but likely do not face serious threats.
Hagemen’s opponent hasn’t reported any fundraising to the Federal Election Commission. In the Senate race, businessman Reid Rasner has raised and spent $1.2 million to Barrasso’s $5 million; Rasner’s fundraising includes a $1.18 million campaign loan
A look at what to expect on Tuesday:
Primary day
Polls close at 9 p.m. EDT.
What’s on the ballot
The Associated Press will provide vote results and declare winners in contested primaries for Senate, House, state Senate and state House.
Who gets to vote
Only voters registered with a political party may participate in that party’s primary. Under a 2023 law that changed the state’s primary system, Republicans may not vote in the Democratic primary or vice versa. Independent or unaffiliated voters may not participate in either primary.
Decision notes
Wyoming has 23 counties, the majority of which contain fewer than 20,000 residents. The most populous counties are Laramie, which includes Cheyenne, and Natrona, home to Casper.
Unlike many other states, these large counties do not lean Democratic. In 2022, the Democratic candidate for governor performed best in the counties of Teton, which includes Jackson and popular tourist areas, and Albany, which includes the state’s fourth-most populous city, Laramie (not to be confused with the county of the same name).
In an example of just how strongly Republican the Wyoming electorate is, Republican Gov. Mark Gordon won both of those counties – Teton by one-tenth of a percentage point, and Albany by almost 28 points.
The AP does not make projections and will declare a winner only when it’s determined there is no scenario that would allow the trailing candidates to close the gap. If a race has not been called, the AP will continue to cover any newsworthy developments, such as candidate concessions or declarations of victory. In doing so, the AP will make clear that it has not yet declared a winner and explain why.
Recounts in Wyoming are automatic if the vote margin is less than 1% of the votes cast for the winning candidate. Candidates may request and pay for a recount if they allege fraud or error in the vote-counting process. The AP may declare a winner in a race that is eligible for a recount if it can determine the lead is too large for a recount or legal challenge to change the outcome.
What do turnout and advance vote look like?
As of July 1, there were nearly 222,000 registered voters in Wyoming. Of those, 11% were Democrats and 81% were Republicans.
What to know about the 2024 Election
In the 2022 midterm primaries, turnout was about 3% of registered voters in the Democratic primary and about 60% in the Republican primary. About 59% of Democratic primary voters and 32% of Republican primary votes in that election cast their ballots before primary day.
As of Thursday, 22,912 ballots had been cast before primary day. About 15% of those were cast in the Democratic primary and 82% in the Republican primary.
How long does vote-counting usually take?
In the 2022 midterm primary election, the AP first reported results at 9:28 p.m. EDT, or 28 minutes after polls closed. The election night tabulation ended at 2:05 a.m. EDT with about 99.9% of total votes counted.
Are we there yet?
As of Tuesday, there will be 77 days until the November general election.
___
Follow the AP’s coverage of the 2024 election at https://apnews.com/hub/election-2024.
Wyoming
Wyoming Turns Down $35 Million From Feds To Clean Up Orphan Wells
![Wyoming Turns Down Million From Feds To Clean Up Orphan Wells Wyoming Turns Down Million From Feds To Clean Up Orphan Wells](https://cowboystatedaily.imgix.net/orphan-well-11-15-22.jpg)
Wyoming doesn’t want the federal government’s $35 million offer to plug orphan oil and gas wells.
The Biden administration’s Interior Department this week offered the availability of $775 million to 21 states to clean up legacy pollution.
Orphan wells are abandoned wells for which no owner can be determined. That number is fractional on public lands. It’s a different story on private lands, where there are substantially more.
The government’s offer to help clean up orphan wells in Wyoming was the sixth largest dollar amount made available to the 21 energy-producing states.
Other cleanup offers larger than Wyoming’s include $52.8 million to California; up to $102.6 million for Oklahoma; $86.6 million to Ohio; up to $152.8 to Pennsylvania; and $119.5 million to Texas.
Oklahoma and Texas could receive less money based on ongoing negotiations for previous grant funds offered.
Tom Kropatsch, oil and gas supervisor for the Wyoming Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (WOGCC) in Casper, told Cowboy State Daily in an email that his agency isn’t interested in the offer.
“We do not intend to apply for this second phase of the formula grant,” said Kropatsch, who did not immediately offer an explanation why his organization is turning down the money.
The commission has tracked the orphan well program with electronic records since the early 1990s, when it saw a peak of 7,250 orphan wells on its list. Of those, the commission has plugged 6,250.
Manna From Heaven
The orphan well cleanup money was made available to states through the 3-year-old Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, a catchall piece of federal legislation designed to help build everything from wind turbines and solar farms to cleaning up environmental messes and plugging leaky wells.
The orphan well program was designed in two phases.
Since August 2022, the federal government has awarded $565 million in initial grants to 25 states and another $444 million in a first phase of the cleanup program to 18 states.
Details of the second phase of the cleanup program were released this week, which begins the next phase to apply for an estimated $775 million in formula grant funds. The 21 states have until Dec. 13 to apply.
Kropatsch previously told Cowboy State Daily that the orphan well issue is well under control in Wyoming.
In April, Kropatsch said that the 538 orphan private and state wells that are not under contract for plugging will likely be put out for bid with plugging to begin in late 2024 and continue into 2025.
At that time, the state’s Oil and Gas Conservation Commission had 1,010 private and state wells on its orphan list, with 472 of those wells under contract to be plugged, all of which will likely be plugged in 2024.
The U.S. Bureau of Land Management believes that orphan wells are big issue.
Some critics like the Petroleum Association of Wyoming disagree.
The Wyoming trade group worries that a new BLM rule could force oil and gas developers to leave Wyoming — or worse, America.
BLM issued the new rule April 11 that could make it difficult for some oil and gas companies to bid on energy leases on public lands.
The energy industry’s biggest beef with the rule is that the BLM may force developers to pay higher bonding amounts to drill on public land. The higher bond amount is meant to deter some developers from walking away from the drilling site and leaving a mess behind without any financial incentive to clean up.
Pat Maio can be reached at pat@cowboystatedaily.com.
Wyoming
'Walking into paradise:' Porcupine Falls a hidden gem in Wyoming
!['Walking into paradise:' Porcupine Falls a hidden gem in Wyoming 'Walking into paradise:' Porcupine Falls a hidden gem in Wyoming](https://ewscripps.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/732c8fa/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1280x672+0+24/resize/1200x630!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fewscripps-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F16%2F9a%2F053461c54cc4a2f6845f05e276c9%2Fposter-image-4-copy-2.jpg)
Porcupine Falls, a hiking trail located south of the Montana-Wyoming state line, is a hidden gem for those who have visited.
The 0.7 mile hike leads directly into a swimming hole that is surrounded by cliffs with a large waterfall pouring in.
The beautiful area is unknown to many.
“If you drove by it on the mountain or the road, you’d never know it was there,” said frequent visitor Jeremy Stewart of Sheridan.
Stewart and his family visit often.
“We try to come here once or twice a year for the last 10 years I’d say probably,” Stewart said.
MTN News
Others, like Gillette residents Trisha and Francisco Garibay, were pleasantly surprised to find this trail so close to home.
“It was a good hike,” Francisco said. “A little steep and a good workout.”
“It’s amazing,” Trisha said. “I’m like how did we ever miss this place? It’s crazy that it’s right in our back door.”
The hike itself isn’t too challenging. There’s even been manmade steps built to help hikers find the falls.
“It’s accessible,” Trisha said. “You’ve got little kids and you’ve got elderly people walking. Our four-year-old is with us and he basically did the whole thing.”
Those steps and extra people bring excitement for Stewart, who said he wants to share the views with as many people as possible.
“It’s phenomenal all the people that get to see it,” Stewart said. “Ten years ago, everyone was like, ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about.’”
![Swimming hole](https://ewscripps.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/faa6d4b/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1920x1080+0+0/resize/1280x720!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fewscripps-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Ff1%2F1b%2F91fd05b64814a5638d0ba2e22986%2Fporcupine-falls-swimming-hole-1-11-1.jpg)
MTN News
And the beautiful scenery speaks for itself.
“It’s like you’re walking into a paradise,” Trisha said. “It’s so beautiful. There were people fishing and swimming. It was great.”
Even though the hike is becoming more popular, most aren’t as courageous as the Stewart family when it comes to jumping into the freezing water. Jeremy said that’s his favorite part.
“It’s usually hot coming down, so it feels great to jump in the cold water,” Stewart said with a smile after jumping in. “It was chilly. I mean, I’ll do it again, but it was chilly.”
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