Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Southwest Wyoming, by contrast, is a series of small towns experiencing a big energy
extraction-driven boom and a vast swath of starkly beautiful land primed for recreation.
There are indeed a number of museums in the areas of Green River and Rock Springs, but
the vast majority of people who come to spend any time in this region come for the out-
doors, which can be pleasant mid-spring-late fall. Summer can be hot, but the
Flaming
Gorge National Recreation Area
is a striking gateway to the dramatic Green River coun-
try and offers plenty of places and ways to cool down.
A sprawling town near the center of the state, in many ways Casper (population 55,988,
elevation 5,123 feet) has long been a hub for people traveling the region, first the Native
Americans and later the settlers making use of the multiple pioneer trails in the region.
Casper's booms and busts came with the trails, the railroad, and eventually oil and gas ex-
ploration. Its reputation as a rough-and-tumble town is well earned, and one can't help but
chuckle to think of Butte, Montana's minor league baseball team, the Copper Kings, ditch-
ing one of the roughest towns in the West to become the Casper Ghosts (the team left Casper
in Wyoming in a move to Grand Junction, Colorado.)
Although Casper is indeed industrial, rather large, and perhaps overly spread across the
landscape, the town is experiencing something of a renaissance and solid population growth
in recent years. There is a world-class contemporary art museum and a couple of sports
teams, including collegiate-league baseball and professional indoor football. The beautiful
North Platte River, once hopelessly polluted, has been cleaned up and is earning a reputa-
tion as one of the best fisheries in the West. The river boasts more than 4,000 fish per mile
on most stretches, including the renowned 5.5-mile “Miracle Mile” and the blue-ribbon tail-
waters of the “Grey Reef.” There are wonderful museums and a wealth of incredible out-
door opportunities just outside town at the city's unofficial year-round playground, Casper
Mountain. In the heart of town, the Platte River Parkway offers nearly 10 miles of walking
and biking trails alongside the river, an ideal spot to stretch your legs or take your pooch
for a stroll and a dip. Casper is indeed worth a visit; you may well be surprised by all that
is here.
History lovers will delight in the opportunity to walk around Casper at night, by candlelight,
with
Painted
Past
Enterprise's
Living
History
Tours
(307/267-7243,
