Hot Springs County
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• Hot Springs State Park Thermopolis Hot Springs • Wyoming Dinosaur Center • Legend Rock Petroglyphs • Hot Springs County Museum • Wind River Canyon Scenic Byway Your • Boysen State Park This guide to Hot Springs County is brought to you by the Thermopolis Independent Record and our Vacation valued participating advertisers. Destination Hot Springs County - Wyoming’s Hot Spot! During a visit to Hot Springs Owl Creek Mountains and beside & Cultural Center. Belly up to The trails around Thermopolis offers miniature golf, regular golf, County you will want to take in the Bighorn River, is renowned the original bar where outlaws and the Hot Springs State Park of- a movie theater, and of course, the natural beauty and enjoy all for its world’s largest mineral hot from the Hole-In-The-Wall gang fer vistas of brilliant red hills, geo- swimming! that our community has to offer. springs. With only 3,000 residents, once sat, including the infamous logic formations, the aquamarine The historic downtown boasts Begin your journey with a drive the small town offers big opportu- Butch Cassidy & The Sundance pools of mineral water, and distant several unique shops from health through the stunning geology and nities for the outdoor enthusiast or Kid and soak in the history of our mountain peaks. Visitors can take food to antiques to books. There scenery of the beautiful Wind Riv- the traveling family. unique area. in the wildlife as well. Bison, deer, are some great stores on the edge er Canyon on a designated scenic Hot Springs State Park, the The Wyoming Dinosaur Center antelope, and soaring eagles can of town as well so get out and ex- by-way. most visited state park in Wyo- and Dig Sites provide a great op- be spotted with regularity. plore. There are also a number of The Wind River flows through ming, offers two mineral spring portunity to discover the prehistor- Twenty-one miles northwest of quality restaurants and bars to the canyon and you can experience pools to choose from to either ic world. It includes a world class Thermopolis is the most impres- choose from. whitewater rafting on Class III and soak or take a wild ride down the museum, working dig sites, and a sive petroglyphs display in Wyo- Take this handy guide with you IV rapids. Take a guided fly fishing slides. Tour the Buffalo Pastures complete modern preparation labo- ming. Legend Rock is the work of as you travel around Hot Springs trip on the Bighorn River or sim- and view the bison herd who roam ratory. A museum gift shop offers three prehistoric cultural groups County. It is full of stories and ad- ply float on the river with friends. free in the park. fossils, gems, books, educational spanning from 500 AD to the 19th verting about all we have to offer. Thermopolis, Wyoming, nes- The Old West comes to life at materials and games, apparel, and Century. There is absolutely something tled among the foothills of the the Hot Springs County Museum a snack counter. For added family fun the town for everyone in Thermopolis! Take the family swimming, sliding in a mineral pool Two facilities in Hot Springs State with jets. A sauna and a steam room are where anyone can soothe their body a 60-foot tower. Park provide a number of indoor and both available as well. and soul – 12 hours a day, 365 days a The “Lil’ Dipper” is a 60-foot, warm outdoor attractions for guests. The spa features a 162-foot long in- year – in any season. mineral slide, just right for little tots door, all-weather twirling slide, which Featured attractions include three and grandparents. Hellie’s Tepee Pools competes for sliders with the 272-foot exciting water slides; indoor and Both the indoor and outdoor pools are Hellie’s Tepee Pools offers exhilarating long outdoor breath-grabber. From the outdoor mineral pools; high dive; bas- heated by warm mineral water from the hot water fun and varied attractions. top of the outdoor slide, visitors will get ketball hoop; steam cave; Big Spring Big Spring. The copper-domed facility can be found a beautiful view of most of Hot Springs Water Fountain; baby pool; fountain The Star is open 9 a.m.-9 p.m. seven between the Big Horn River, Rainbow State Park. waterfall and much more. days a week. Terraces and the Wyoming State Bath Hellie’s is open from 9 a.m.-9 p.m. The “Super Star 500” is one of the Social distancing is required at the House. daily. world’s longest water slides, gushing pools. The locker rooms are open and One regulation 25-yard pool, wading over 2,400 gallons per minute down a limited numbers of people are allowed pool and hot tub with jets can be found Star Plunge flume that measures over 500 feet. The in the hot tubs. inside. Outside, visitors will find another Nestled against the hill in Hot “Blue Thunder Run” is a 330-foot, all- The public is asked not to come to the mineral water pool and three hot tubs Springs State Park is the Star Plunge, weather hydro-tube that curves around pools if you are feeling ill. Thrilling whitewater trips tame the wild Wind River The first thing most people think Rapids, Black Coal, Sharpnose Chute, about when they see the blue-green Sphincter, Pin Canyon Falls, Screa- water churn into boiling whitewater min’ Lizard, Sacajawea Straits and rapids for the first time is floating or Washakie Falls. The difficulty ratings of kayaking through spectacular Wind the sections of rapids vary from small, River Canyon. Class I rapids to classes III and IV, That hasn’t always been possible, depending on the river’s flow. since the canyon is within the boundar- There is a full selection of trips: short ies of the Wind River Indian Reserva- and long, whitewater or calm, overnight tion. and even some with fishing. Safety is However, a franchise has been stressed, and the latest in equipment Jimbo the Supersaurus dwarfs every other dinosaur at the Wyoming Di- granted by tribal officials to Pete and is provided. nosaur Muesaum. He is as long as three city buses end to end! Darren Calhoun’s Wind River Canyon The Calhouns are also authorized to Whitewater to guide raft trips along issue tribal fishing permits to individu- the mighty Wind River. als and have a fly shop to service the Wyoming Dinosaur Center The trips have turned into another general public. major attraction for Thermopolis-Hot A bonus offering is guided fly fish- Named one of the world’s coolest places for kids Springs visitors and residents. ing trips in the canyon and on the Big Part of the reason for the popularity Horn River. In 2019, TIME Maga- ing that they are avail- saurs. Some of the famil- of the floats is the calm water which Wind River Canyon Whitewater’s zine for Kids named the able in a public venue for iar ones are Allosaurus, Wyoming Dinosaur Cen- scientific and educational Stegosaurus and Diplod- allows you to enjoy the unparalleled rafting season lasts roughly from Memo- ter (WDC) one of the top study and preservation. ocus, and the famous Ar- beauty of the geological timetable that rial Day to Labor Day. Catering to spe- 50 coolest places in the WDC field technicians cheoptyryx. is Wind River Canyon, mixed with the cial groups is stressed by the Calhouns. world. have found and identified Visitors can view more churning excitement of the rapids. Call 864-9343 or 888-246-9343 for The WDC provides over 130 dig sites. Shovels than 58 skeletons and The names tell the story: 1st Dam information. hands-on geologic and and pickaxes are used to hundreds of displays. paleontological experi- remove soft overburden The museum and gift ences that are engaging and break through hard shop are open 8 a.m.-6 and enjoyable for visitors sandstone. Once bone is p.m., seven days a week. See the original Hole in the Wall Bar of all ages. found, small hand tools You can visit the muse- The world-class facility are used to pry around um, tour dig sites, par- Of all the outlaws that traveled New York State, the bar was one of displays one of the larg- the bone and remove it ticipate in the Dig for a the West, none are more famous than three created for the 1904 World’s Fair est and most unique fos- to the museum, where it Day Program, Kids’ Dig Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, in Chicago. sil collections in the world is cataloged and placed Program and more. Sev- along with their cohorts, the Hole-in- After the fair, the bar traveled by and their dig sites have in the lab to be prepared. eral options and packages the-Wall Gang. stage to Thermopolis to Tom Skin- some of the richest fos- A Supersaurus named are available. Their history in Hot Springs County ner’s bar where the Hole-in-the-Wall Jimbo, one of the largest The WDC is located at sil-bearing strata in the is colorful and visitors to the Hot Gang drank beer and sipped whiskey western United States. and most complete dino- 110 Carter Ranch Road in The Wyoming Dino- saurs ever discovered, Thermopolis. Springs County Museum and Cultural alongside locals. saur Center is dedicated and a Hesperornithoides For more information, Center have the opportunity to “belly Historians hint that Skinner actu- to preserving and protect- miessleri named Lori, visit their website at wy- up to the bar” at the original bar from ally hid money for the gang in his per- ing Wyoming’s natural who comes in at a small 3 omingdinosaurcenter.org the Hole-in-the-Wall Saloon.