Wyoming
A Library Card Will Also Get You A Backpack And Into Wyoming State Parks
Check out Wyoming natural beauty and recreational opportunities — for free.
Through the Check Out State Parks program, a library card gives you access to all 12 Wyoming state parks, 28 historic sites, hundreds of miles of trails and even a backpack filled with binoculars, compass and other outdoor recreational supplies.
Now in its ninth year, the program offers free access to outdoor exploration for patrons statewide, pairing day-use park passes with hands-on learning tools at dozens of local libraries. About a dozen libraries participated last year, but this summer Wyoming State Parks is expanding the program to all 23 counties.
While some are free, fees to access most state parks cost $7 per day, per vehicle, while historic sites are listed at $4 per day for adults (children are free). The fees are waived under the library program.
“Wyoming library patrons can check out a parks’ pass the same way they check out a book,” said Angelina Stancampiano, who leads the project through the Wyoming State Parks Interpretive Ranger Program. “Folks were really excited that it’s expanding. Lots of places like the Kemmerer area, that don’t have a lot of parks nearby, have a lot of library branches, so it was nice to make a connection with them.”
Get Outside With a Library Card
Initially launched through the Wyoming Office of Outdoor Recreation in 2016, the goal is to provide youth and families with the opportunity to visit and experience Wyoming’s state parks, historic sites and trails by allowing them to check out a free day-use pass and an outdoor recreation-themed backpack from their local library.
“A lot of our sites that have day fees might be inaccessible to some folks if you factor in gas to get there and maybe a lunch,” Stancampiano said. “The cost per person might prevent some families in Wyoming from enjoying our parks. So by offering this program to reduce that economic barrier, we’re making sure that all Wyoming patrons, all Wyoming residents, have the opportunity to get out to our sites, whether it’s learning history from some of our great historic sites or spending a day picnicking with their family.”
Each child-sized backpack is filled with maps, and various pocket guides including geology, weather, birds, trees and wildflowers and wildlife. There’s a magnifying glass, binoculars, compass, bug box and “Leave No Trace” scavenger hunt card for kids to help users of all ages explore state parks and historic sites.
“Seeing this program expand to every corner of the state is incredibly exciting,” said Nick Neylon, deputy director of Wyoming State Parks. “It’s about more than free entry; these backpacks help turn every outing into an opportunity to learn, connect, and enjoy Wyoming’s remarkable public lands together.”
Libraries often have an informational area designated for the passes and backpacks. In the Park County Library’s Cody Branch it is near the main circulation desk. Cody received the park passes in 2023 to go along with Nature Backpacks that the library had already created in 2022, director Karen Horner said.
There are three Park County Library backpacks in Cody Library, two at the Powell Library and one at the Meeteetse Library.
“The implementation of our Nature Backpacks was very well received and then with the addition of the park passes included in the backpacks, the public is extremely happy and excited to constantly discover this item at the libraries,” Horner said. “I think the opportunity for the public to access passes to the park is an amazing program.
“It is another great resource for the library to provide to the public, creating a wonderful partnership with the State Parks and the library.”
Perfect Pairing
Library cardholders can check out a pass and backpack for up to 14 days, providing free access to any Wyoming state park or historic site for everyone in a single vehicle. The passes are just for day use and don’t include camping fees. They also are available year-round for those sites that remain open through the winter months.
“Wyoming has the highest library visitation in the U.S., and we are grateful for the opportunity to team up with our amazing county systems for this program as well as in-person programs throughout the year,” Stancampiano said.
Programs include Read to a Ranger in the Laramie and Absaroka districts, with park rangers coming in and reading to children at the library.
“The Park County Library teams up with the Big Horn District for a little library at Buffalo Bills State Park and the Shoshone District, we team up often with the Fremont County Library to do programs,” Stancampiano said. “Last week, we had a birding game night program with Audubon Rockies.”
The number of backpacks at each library varies, as some want to gauge interest before requesting more. However, between libraries that already had them and those that just received them, Stancampiano estimates 75 backpacks are available in the state. Libraries also have from one to four day passes available based on their visitation.
“The Cheyenne library said that they already had people calling them to see if they had backpacks in yet so the word had gotten out and their patrons were excited,” Stancampiano said. “Working with libraries was the perfect combination. There’s a survey form and one patron wrote in saying what a great program it was, and that works.”
Other organizations who promote the outdoors are also happy with how the program works. Bekka Mongeau, Wyoming Wildlife Federation communications manager, thinks it has the potential to encourage more people to travel further to access their state parks.
“Having readily available information about Wyoming’s parks along with supplies and a free pass might be all someone needs to get outside their comfort zone and try something new,” she said. “We’re glad to see this program expanding across the state – these non-book lending programs reduce hurdles to getting out and taking advantage of our public resources.
“Plus, this program especially helps out families with kids — raising kids is expensive; access to free passes, plus backpacks that include maps, field guides, and activity supplies, all make getting kids outside for an adventure so much more attainable.”
The WWF is starting something similar. It’s launching an outdoor gear library soon in Lander to lower the barrier to entry for people to enjoy their Wyoming sporting heritage.
“The library will include items like fly fishing rods, binoculars and meat processing equipment — expensive items that folks may have a hard time getting their hands on, especially if they are just getting into hunting and angling,” Mongeau said.
Each of Wyoming’s 23 counties is participating in the State Parks Library Program through its main county library. However, many county systems include multiple branches with several additional locations offering the program. Because availability may vary by branch, patrons are encouraged to contact their local county library for details about current offerings.
Wyoming
Casper veteran David Giralt joins race for Wyoming U.S. House seat
Wyoming
Rivalries and Playoff Positioning Highlight Week 11 Wyoming Girls Basketball Slate
It’s Week 11 in the 2026 Wyoming prep girls’ basketball season. That means it’s the end of the regular season. 3A and 4A schools have their final game or games to determine seeding before the regional tournament, or if a team is locked into a position, one last chance to fine-tune before the postseason. Games are spread across four days.
WYOPREPS WEEK 11 GIRLS BASKETBALL SCHEDULE 2026
Every game on the slate is a conference matchup. Several rivalry contests are part of this week’s schedule, such as East against Central, Cody at Powell, Lyman hosting Mountain View, and Rock Springs at Green River, just to name a few. Here is the Week 11 schedule of varsity games WyoPreps has. All schedules are subject to change. If you see a game missing, please email david@wyopreps.com.
CLASS 4A
Final Score: Laramie 68 Cheyenne South 27 (conference game)
CLASS 3A
Final Score: Lyman 40 Mountain View 26 (conference game)
CLASS 4A
Final Score: Evanston 41 Riverton 39 (conference game)
Final Score: Natrona County 42 Kelly Walsh 38 (conference game) – Peach Basket Classic
Final Score: #4 Thunder Basin 64 Campbell County 32 (conference game)
CLASS 3A
Final Score: #1 Cody 77 Worland 33 (conference game) – 5 different Fillies with a 3, and Hays led the way with 34 points.
Final Score: #2 Lander 49 Lyman 34 (conference game)
Final Score: #4 Wheatland 51 Douglas 40 (conference game)
Final Score: #5 Powell 48 Lovell 42 (conference game)
Final Score: Burns 56 Torrington 43 (conference game)
Final Score: Glenrock 78 Newcastle 30 (conference game)
Read More Girls Basketball News from WyoPreps
WyoPreps Coaches and Media Basketball Polls 2-25-26
WyoPreps Girls Basketball Standings 2-23-26
WyoPreps Girls Basketball Week 10 Scores 2026
WyoPreps Coaches and Media Basketball Polls 2-18-26
WyoPreps Girls Basketball Week 9 Scores 2026
WyoPreps Coaches and Media Basketball Polls 2-11-26
WyoPreps Girls Basketball Week 8 Scores 2026
WyoPreps Coaches and Media Basketball Polls 2-4-26
WyoPreps Girls Basketball Week 7 Scores 2026
WyoPreps Coaches and Media Basketball Polls 1-28-26
Nominate A Basketball Player for the WyoPreps Athlete of the Week Honor
WyoPreps Coaches and Media Basketball Polls 1-21-26
WyoPreps Girls Basketball Week 5 Scores 2026
WyoPreps Coaches and Media Basketball Polls 1-14-26
WyoPreps Girls Basketball Week 4 Scores 2025-26
WyoPreps Coaches and Media Basketball Rankings 1-7-26
WyoPreps Girls Basketball Week 3 Scores 2025-26
WyoPreps Coaches and Media Basketball Rankings 12-24-25
WyoPreps Girls Basketball Week 2 Scores 2025-26
WyoPreps Coaches and Media Basketball Rankings 12-17-25
WyoPreps Girls Basketball Week 1 Scores 2025-26
CLASS 4A
Rock Springs at #2 Green River, 5:30 p.m. (conference game)
#4 Thunder Basin at #5 Sheridan, 5:30 p.m. (conference game)
#1 Cheyenne East at #3 Cheyenne Central, 6 p.m. (conference game)
Jackson at Star Valley, 6 p.m. (conference game)
CLASS 3A
#3 Pinedale at Mountain View, 4 p.m. (conference game)
#1 Cody at #5 Powell, 5:30 p.m. (conference game)
Buffalo at Glenrock, 5:30 p.m. (conference game)
CLASS 3A
Newcastle at Buffalo, 12:30 p.m. (conference game)
Glenrock at Rawlins, 3 p.m. (conference game)
Torrington at #4 Wheatland, 5:30 p.m. (conference game)
Wyoming Boys 4A Swimming & Diving State Championships 2026
4A Boys State Swim Meet for 2026 in Cheyenne
Gallery Credit: David Settle, WyoPreps.com
Wyoming
Political storm in Wyoming as far-right activist caught handing checks to lawmakers
Controversy has engulfed Wyoming’s state legislature after a conservative activist was photographed handing checks to Republican lawmakers on the state house floor, in an incident that has highlighted intra-conservative divisions and the role of money in the Cowboy state’s politics.
The political storm started on 9 February, when Karlee Provenza, a Democratic lawmaker, took a photo showing Rebecca Bextel, a conservative activist and committeewoman for the Teton county Republican party, handing a check to Darin McCann, a Republican representative, on the legislative floor. Marlene Brady, another Republican representative, stands in the photo’s background, a similar piece of paper pinched between her fingers.
“You have a person from the richest county in the country coming down to Cheyenne to hand out checks on the house floor,” Provenza said. “I have never seen something so egregious.”
Questions around the checks were soon swirling, and answers weren’t forthcoming. When asked what Bextel gave to her, Brady told a reporter for local outlet WyoFile: “I can’t remember.”
Then Bextel herself addressed the incident. “I raised $400,000 in the last election cycle for conservative candidates, and I will be doubling that amount this year,” Bextel wrote on Facebook on 11 February. “There’s nothing wrong with delivering lawful campaign checks from Teton county donors when I am in Cheyenne.”
Since then, it has emerged that the checks came from Don Grasso, a wealthy Teton county donor, who told the Jackson Hole News and Guide that he wrote the checks for Bextel to deliver to 10 Freedom caucus-aligned politicians. Grasso said the checks were intended as campaign contributions, and were not tied to specific legislation. It is unclear how many checks were ultimately delivered, but two of four confirmed recipients include the speaker of the house, Chip Neiman, and John Bear, the former head of the Wyoming Freedom Caucus.
The Wyoming house has formed a legislative investigative committee, and the Laramie county sheriff’s office said they’d open a criminal investigation.
Bextel declined to answer questions from the Guardian. Brady, McCann and Bear did not respond to requests for comment.
Neiman said he considered the criticism a “wraparound smear campaign”. He said: “It never once crossed my mind that this was bribery.
“These legislators, myself included, are now guilty until we can prove that we’re innocent. How is that right in this country? Isn’t that a little bit backwards?”
The scandal has highlighted long-standing divisions in Wyoming’s Republican party, which in recent years has seen a growing divide between old school, more moderate conservatives and a harder-right Freedom Caucus.
Several former Republican lawmakers forcefully condemned their colleagues for accepting the checks, and a local Republican party branch called for the lawmakers’ resignations.
Ogden Driskill, a Wyoming Republican senator, told the Guardian he does not consider Bextel’s actions to be illegal, but that “just because you can do it doesn’t mean you should”.
Bextel has spent years pushing against housing mitigation fees in Wyoming, and Driskill noted that she distributed the house floor checks just days before a bill she had publicly supported was set to be heard. Bextel was registered as a member of the press, not as a lobbyist when she delivered the checks.
“Ethically and morally, it’s bankrupt to a massive degree,” Driskill said.
Neiman said that he and other legislators who received checks have supported similar bills in the past: “Bribery is paying somebody to do something they would not otherwise do.”
Nationally, the 2024 election cycle saw record-spending from the mega-wealthy, as well as dark money groups. Wyoming followed the trend, in a tense red-on-red primary season.
For those gearing up to campaign this year, Teton county, the richest in the US, and Bextel’s picturesque home turf, is an essential stop. Its extreme wealth gives it a foothold on the national level as well. Palantir chief executive Alex Karp and Donald Trump attended an annual Republican leadership fundraiser at Jackson Hole in 2024, and JD Vance attended the same one in 2025.
Bextel pulls dollars from Teton county into the Freedom Caucus side of Wyoming’s conservative split. She hosted no-press-allowed meet and greets earlier this year benefitting leading candidates for Wyoming’s governor and open US House seat.
In an interview with the Open Range Record, a media network she co-founded, Bextel said controversy around the checks was solely because she was making “even playing field” in Wyoming against the state’s more moderate Republicans, who she calls “George Soros” candidates. She said that she will be sure to keep raising money – just away from the legislative floor.
“I guess I’m gonna ask all the gentlemen and gentleladies to step outside the Capitol while I hand them a check,” Bextel said. “Let me be clear: I’m doubling down.”
But it’s not just wealthy local donors putting their weight behind the factions. Last election cycle, out of state groups spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on anonymous and often inaccurate mailers.
“These actors, especially from the far right, they like to push the bounds of the norms,” said Rosa Reyna Pugh, an organizing and advocacy consultant at Western States Center, an Oregon-based non-profit focused on democracy in the western United States. “They like to see what policies they can kind of push, and see where they can play a piece,” Reyna Pugh said.
While Neiman and Driskill fight politically, they do agree on one thing: summer will bring an expensive and brutal campaign season.
“You’re going to see more dark money than you’ve ever seen. We’ve done absolutely nothing to enforce it. Our secretary of state has not even made a slight attempt to deal with it,” Driskill said. “You’re going to see lots and lots of outside money and I think you’re seeing it on both sides.”
As national questions swirl around pay-to-play politics and profiteering in the Trump administration, Provenza wants better for the Cowboy State.
“We should not be aligning ourselves with how the federal government is conducting itself or how federal elections conduct themselves,” Provenza said. “We owe something far better and more honest to the people of Wyoming than that.”
-
World2 days agoExclusive: DeepSeek withholds latest AI model from US chipmakers including Nvidia, sources say
-
Massachusetts2 days agoMother and daughter injured in Taunton house explosion
-
Montana1 week ago2026 MHSA Montana Wrestling State Championship Brackets And Results – FloWrestling
-
Oklahoma1 week agoWildfires rage in Oklahoma as thousands urged to evacuate a small city
-
Louisiana5 days agoWildfire near Gum Swamp Road in Livingston Parish now under control; more than 200 acres burned
-
Denver, CO2 days ago10 acres charred, 5 injured in Thornton grass fire, evacuation orders lifted
-
Technology6 days agoYouTube TV billing scam emails are hitting inboxes
-
Technology6 days agoStellantis is in a crisis of its own making