Wyoming
Wyoming’s Fun, Quirky Small Towns Could Be A Big Draw For 2024 Tourism
CHEYENNE — Small Wyoming communities have an oversized opportunity to attract new visitors to their communities, thanks to the mood of travelers in 2024, according to experts and analysts at the 2024 Wyoming Governor’s Tourism and Hospitality Convention.
Among the experts speaking to that was tourism expert and industry analyst Carol Rheem, CEO of the company Iolite. She has been tracking tourism and travel trends for 20 years, and her company’s mission is to create actionable data that tourism folks can use in planning winning marketing campaigns.
Rheem recalled how, just after the COVID-19 pandemic, people had so much enthusiasm and excitement for travel, that getting back into it was “like a pack of wild horses racing across the river. People couldn’t wait to start traveling again.”
But that sort of “revenge” tourism quickly settled down, she said. Now, they’re being more careful with the experiences they seek out, and they’re weighing costs a little more carefully now, in the face of high inflation.
But they haven’t curtailed spending completely. Unemployment remains low, and sentiment that the economy is doing OK in spite of challenges remains relatively strong.
What’s popping out of all of this for the tourism sector to pay attention to is a desire for up-close, undiscovered, quirky, immersive experiences — the kinds of activities a lot of smaller towns and communities already have on an undersold menu that’s begging for more attention, Rheem said.
“People want an adventure, they want to do things they’ve never done before,” she said. “That’s been nudging them to more exotic destinations, places that they’re less familiar with. But, the United States is absolutely huge, and there’s so many experiences that really do fit that mood that people are in right now. And Wyoming, I think, is a perfect example of that.”
Requests And Calls Are Already Up
The desire for smaller, more immersive tourism opportunities is something Jen Womack with Sagebrush Marketing, who handles marketing for Devils Tower Country, said she’s already seeing in her area.
“Our requests for visitor guides are strong, our website traffic is strong,” she said. “We’re seeing a lot of interest, so we’re hoping for a really good year.”
Conversations, meanwhile, have already begun about how to cater to the audience that Devils Tower Country is seeing out there, that wants seeking these new and different experiences.
“We want to make sure they’re comfortable, and that they have what they need to figure it out,” Womack said.
The interest in new places and quirky destinations is exciting, RMI Digital Marketing PR Specialist Alyssa Winter told Cowboy State Daily, and it’s something she, too, has already been noticing.
“People are looking for lesser-known destinations than Yellowstone, and those are great locations,” she said. “But the counties that surround those national parks are what really drives home what Wyoming is, I think, and I personally enjoy that more than going into the park. I like seeing what’s outside.”
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Mallory Pollack mixes up an “Ice Palace,” this year’s Backwoods Distilling cocktail for the 2024 Wyoming Governor’s Hospitality and Tourism Convention. (Renée Jean, Cowboy State Daily) -
Chris McBarnes at Wyldlife For Tomorrow’s booth at the Wyoming Governors Hospitality and Tourism Conference. (Renée Jean, Cowboy State Daily) -
Berkeley Young, president of Young Strategies Inc., breaks down priorities for tourism and travel efforts in 2024 during the Wyoming Governor’s Hospitality and Tourism Conference. (Renée Jean, Cowboy State Daily) -
Visit Casper’s Amanda Sewell collects a hat in exchange for her #ThatsWy and #GovCon24 tokens at the Wildly Wyoming booth. (Renée Jean, Cowboy State Daily) -
Participants make last-minute connections during the 2024 Wyoming Governor’s Hospitality and Tourism Conference. (Renée Jean, Cowboy State Daily)
Social Media A Game Changer
Part of what Winter sees driving the hunger for quirky destinations are social media influencers who are themselves highlighting lesser-known destinations for their followers.
“You’ve got all these new apps, and people on TikTok going and seeing these new places, and other people are starting to follow suit,” Winter said. “So (those smaller) destinations I think will be a hit in 2024.”
A smart social media plan can make that hunger for quirky, fun destinations low-hanging fruit for a world that’s craving connection, Dylan Scacchetti suggested during a panel discussion on family travel.
Family travel makes up almost 50% of travelers coming to Wyoming.
“Take advantage of your attractions,” he told a packed house at the 2024 Wyoming Governor’s Hospitality and Tourism Conference at the Cheyenne Little America. “You all are experts, indigenous to the locations. You have connection with people who are subject matter experts. You can create and really tap into those family things to do topics and find things that are really unique about your area.”
Reaching out to local experts and linking to each other is one way to elevate each other’s content and make sure search engine metrics are working for everyone, he added.
“We want to make sure that we’re elevating each other,” he said. “We’re not an island. We’re all connected.”
That includes ensuring visibility for off-the-beaten path community attractions on apps like TripAdvisor, Yelp, Google Maps and the like.
People Aren’t Worried Any More
For a while, travel was oppressed by worries about getting sick again, but her data suggests that all of that is now in the rearview mirror for good, Rheem said.
“People are less concerned about the negative stuff,” she said. “Personal safety is still very important to them, but it’s just not quite as top of mind. And people are a little more adventurous. They want those new experiences, and they’re not going to be so worried about this stuff.”
At the same time, today’s travelers are becoming more mindful than many travelers in the past, Rheem said.
“They want to feel like they’re minimizing their negative impact on the world and being thoughtful about understanding that their money has power,” she said. “They want to go to places that are good actors, that are good to their communities, and that are thinking holistically about things.”
Given that, it’s important for dispersal efforts to the attractions at smaller communities take a thoughtful approach, keeping in mind how much capacity those alternative destinations really have.
“Sometimes when we’re trying to disperse people away from hotspots, you’re in essence putting pressure on smaller designations that don’t have that capacity,” she said. “So, the volume might not be huge, but it can be overwhelming for an individual (community) — you know, restaurants, and hotels, and tours and attractions — to suddenly take on all that volume.”
Successfully leveraging the desire for the fun and quirky and unusual in smaller communities can really help support the success of small businesses and underserved communities across the Cowboy State, Rheem suggested.
“It really isn’t a nominal opportunity,“ she said. “One thing that’s a challenge is how do we measure that? And even, you know, a few years into starting my company, I still don’t have easy answers for this. But I think it’s very much a focus for all of us, because ultimately this is the value that we create, bringing prosperity across all different walks of life.”
Renée Jean can be reached at Renee@CowboyStateDaily.com.
A pair of bills signed into law last week aim to build out a more comprehensive system of literacy education across Wyoming’s public schools.
One mandates evidence-based practices and requires regular screenings for dyslexia, while the other enables the Wyoming Department of Education (WDE) to hire a dedicated literacy professional to oversee statewide compliance.
Gov. Mark Gordon’s signing of both bills on Friday was the latest accomplishment of an ongoing push for improved literacy standards. That push has been spearheaded by State Superintendent of Public Instruction Megan Degenfelder.
“Wyoming is not going to let a single child fall through the cracks,” Degenfelder said during a public bill signing last week. “We are not going to fall behind when it comes to ensuring that our children can read at grade level.”
The primary bill, Senate File 59, establishes a statewide K-12 program for teaching students to read that is built on “evidence based language and literacy instruction, assessment, intervention and professional development that supports educators, engages families and promotes literacy proficiency for all Wyoming students.”
The bill defines evidence-based strategies as those that conform to the science of reading, a term that will be defined and updated by Degenfelder’s office. Nationwide, it generally means putting academic research into practice in classrooms. SF 59 specifically prohibits the exclusive use of “three-cueing” — a strategy once widely employed to teach reading but which education experts now say is outdated and less effective than other strategies.
It also requires annual dyslexia screeners for students below the third grade, and testing for reading difficulties for all students.
The screeners are used to identify the severity of reading difficulties in order to direct “tiered” support that offers the most intensive interventions to the students most in need, while still providing “evidence based” language instruction to all students.
Each school district must formulate an individualized reading plan “for each student identified as having reading difficulties or at risk for poor reading outcomes.”
Districts must now report to the state annually regarding their literacy-related work. Any district where 60% or more of the students are struggling will be required to implement “summer literacy camps or extended supports, including after school support and tutoring.”
The bill also requires literacy related professional development for teachers and specialists “appropriate to their role and level of responsibility” related to literacy education.
SF 59 was backed by dyslexia advocates and literacy specialists.
Senate File 14, the other literacy bill signed into law Friday, appropriates $120,000 annually for the next two years for a full-time position at WDE “to assist school districts in implementing a reading assessment and intervention program and language and literacy programs.”
Both bills go into effect July 1.
LARAMIE — The University of Wyoming and the Mountain West Conference announced the Cowboys’ 2026 football schedule Monday, a slate that opens with the Border War and concludes with back-to-back home games in Laramie.
Wyoming opens the season Sept. 5 on the road against Colorado State in the 118th edition of the Border War. The Cowboys then host Northern Colorado on Sept. 12 in the home opener before traveling to Central Michigan on Sept. 19.
The Cowboys begin Mountain West play Sept. 26 at home against Hawaii in a matchup for the Paniolo Trophy. Wyoming then faces back-to-back road games at North Dakota State on Oct. 3 and San Jose State on Oct. 10.
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Wyoming returns to War Memorial Stadium on Oct. 17 to host conference newcomer Northern Illinois before facing Air Force at home on Oct. 24. The Cowboys will have an open week on Oct. 31.
The Cowboys open November with road games at UNLV on Nov. 7 and at UTEP on Nov. 14, marking Wyoming’s first meeting with the Miners as members of the Mountain West. Wyoming closes conference play by hosting New Mexico on Nov. 21 and wraps up the regular season with a nonconference game against UConn on Nov. 28 in Laramie.
Each Mountain West team will play four home and four road conference games during the 13-week season, which will conclude with the Mountain West Football Championship Game featuring the two teams with the highest conference winning percentages. The championship game date will be announced later.
With the conference schedule set, Mountain West television partners CBS Sports, FOX Sports, and The CW will begin selecting broadcast games, which could include moving some contests to non-Saturday dates. Network assignments and kickoff times will be announced at a later date.
Season ticket renewals for the 2026 Wyoming football season are now available. Fans can renew their tickets online by visiting gowyo.com/tickets and logging into their account.
The 2026 Wyoming prep girls’ basketball season is nearly done. Two state champions were crowned in Classes 1A and 2A last Saturday. Southeast won the 1A title for the third consecutive season, and Sundance won the 2A title for the first time in eight years. Class 3A and 4A held their regional tournaments, which qualified teams for the state tournament later this week in Casper.
WYOPREPS WEEK 12 GIRLS BASKETBALL STANDINGS 2026
These are the girls’ basketball team records for all games played through March 7, 2026. For all but 16 teams, this is the final record of the season. Those squads will play in the 3A-4A state tournament starting on Thursday in Casper.
1A Northwest: (Overall Record, followed by Conference Record)
Burlington 24-5, 8-0
Riverside 14-10, 6-2
Dubois 11-10, 4-4
St. Stephens 3-16, 1-7
Meeteetse 1-20, 1-7
1A Southwest: (Overall Record, followed by Conference Record)
Cokeville 23-4, 10-0
Little Snake River 23-4, 8-2
Farson-Eden 16-12, 5-5
Saratoga 13-11, 5-5
Ft. Washakie 8-13, 2-8
Encampment 3-19, 0-10
1A Northeast: (Overall Record, followed by Conference Record)
Upton 16-7, 10-0
Kaycee 13-12, 7-3
Hulett 12-13, 7-3
Arvada-Clearmont 9-12, 4-6
Casper Christian 4-13, 2-8
Midwest 1-16, 0-10
1A Southeast: (Overall Record, followed by Reg. Season Points)
Southeast 24-5, 40 points
Lingle-Ft. Laramie 17-11, 31 points
Lusk 15-13, 26 points
H.E.M. 13-11, 24 points
Rock River 6-14, 12 points
Guernsey-Sunrise 2-18, 4 points
2A Northwest: (Overall Record, followed by Conference Record)
Thermopolis 16-13, 5-1
Greybull 16-15, 4-2
Rocky Mountain 9-17, 2-4
Shoshoni 11-18, 1-5
2A Southwest: (Overall Record, followed by Conference Record)
Wyoming Indian 23-7, 6-0
Big Piney 8-16, 4-2
Kemmerer 2-21, 1-5
Wind River 2-23, 1-5
2A East: (Overall Record, followed by Conference Record)
Sundance 23-4, 5-0
Big Horn 21-6, 4-1
Tongue River 18-11, 3-2
Pine Bluffs 17-12, 2-3
Moorcroft 7-18, 1-4
Wright 3-23, 0-5
Read More Girls Basketball News from WyoPreps
WyoPreps 1A-2A Girls State Basketball Scoreboard 2026
WyoPreps 3A-4A Girls Regional Basketball Scoreboard 2026
WyoPreps Coaches and Media Final Basketball Poll 2026
WyoPreps 1A-2A Girls Regional Basketball Scoreboard 2026
WyoPreps Coaches and Media Basketball Poll 2-25-26
WyoPreps Girls Basketball Week 10 Scores 2026
WyoPreps Coaches and Media Basketball Poll 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
Nominate A Basketball Player for the WyoPreps Athlete of the Week Honor
3A West: (Overall Record, followed by Conference Record)
Cody 24-0, 10-0
Lander 21-4, 9-1
Pinedale 20-5, 7-3
Powell 16-9, 6-4
Lovell 16-10, 4-6
Worland 9-16, 2-8
Lyman 10-11, 2-8
Mountain View 4-19, 0-10
3A East: (Overall Record, followed by Conference Record)
Wheatland 22-4, 10-0
Buffalo 13-11, 8-2
Douglas 14-11, 6-4
Burns 16-13, 5-5
Torrington 10-11, 5-5
Glenrock 12-13, 3-7
Newcastle 1-22, 1-9
Rawlins 2-21, 0-10
4A Northwest: (Overall Record, followed by Conference Record)
Green River 23-2, 6-0
Natrona County 9-16, 4-2
Kelly Walsh 8-15, 2-4
Rock Springs 5-20, 0-6
4A Southwest: (Overall Record, followed by Conference Record)
Star Valley 16-7, 5-1
Evanston 16-10, 5-1
Riverton 7-19, 1-5
Jackson 3-19, 1-5
4A East: (Overall Record, followed by Conference Record)
Cheyenne East 21-3, 11-1
Cheyenne Central 16-9, 10-2
Sheridan 14-10, 7-5
Thunder Basin 14-10, 6-6
Laramie 12-11, 6-6
Campbell County 1-19, 1-10
Cheyenne South 1-21, 0-11
*The second Campbell County-Cheyenne South girls’ game was canceled.
Wyoming 3A Boys Swimming & Diving State Championships 2026
Photos from the 3A Boys State Swim Meet
Gallery Credit: Courtesy: Marcello Monterastelli Photography & Jared Newland, WHSAA
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