Absolutely beautiful hike! Turtle rock and the surrounding rocks are beautiful, with truly…read morephenomenal patterns eroded into them. It's a very easy hike, well maintained and mediocrely signed, that takes you all the way around the monolith. We didn't see any moose, though we passed two people who had on one of the side trails. There was also lots of evidence of the moose, including plants they'd picked clean and beds where they had recently slept. It's a longish loop that passes through several patches of still water and a short part of one river. Mostly shaded, so it was a comfortable temperature even in mid-July. The biggest negative was a couple bad mosquito bites, so bring your bug spray! I don't know if this will be true after 2023, but the flora here is incredible. The huge amount of water the west got this winter is really revealing in the massive wildflower beds. Including what was nearly a field of Sego Lillies! Lots of other flowers as well, including Indian paintbrush, monkshood, and wild roses.

This review is actually for Turtle Rock, Phallic, Valley Mastiff, Regolith and Skeleton Loop…read more 7/6/2021 tuesday arrived around 10 am. got the last spot in teh parking lot. There are not a lot of spots so be prepared for that. There is a bathroom at the trailhead. There is not hand sanitizer though, so bring some with you. Also there are no trash cans or dog poop bags. If you are bringing your pups be sure to bring some bags with you and also be sure to pack out what you pack in (including the dog poop!) The turtle rock portion of this trail is pretty well shaded and some water and is what there is signage on the trail for. Though you do have to look for it. Those are brown signs on the trees with an arrow and sometimes a small "trail" written above it. This particular loop is not signed. Honestly NOTHING other than the turtle rock is signed. So if you go wanting to do this loop, be sure you have the map downloaded or that you have a fully charged phone so you can access all trails while on the trail to make sure you are going the right direction. I have t-mobile service and i did have service the whole trail so was able to keep tabs on where we were. There was several times that we ended up back tracking though. There are a lot of random dirt paths out there so following intuition i dont think would really cut it. There is one point you will need to crawl over and under a fence. Also there are parts where the trail is not obvious. We walked past a few of the turns multiple times. Be prepared for a couple of marshy areas. There is no way to avoid it. So your shoes will get mucky. Also one point that you need to cross the river. I just crossed in my boots and got wet. When we got up near cow and regolith trail. The trail was not really existent as according to this map. We ended up needing to cut through some wildflowers and cross the river and saw the trail over there. But my phone charge was down at that point to like 45% so we opted to go on cow trail back to the forest service road and then back up turtle. We did hike around 8.85 miles. I think loop may actually be longer than what it says if you do what is listed here. We would have been game for trying it all IF i was not worried my phone would die and then it would be a heck of a lot more challenging to find our way back to the car. The positives : the wild flowers are absolutely beautiful here right now! The fields were bursting with color! There were so many birds and butterflies and bees. The trail is definitely less traveled. only really saw people on the turtle rock trail. We did not see any moose which was a little bit of a bummer. Had left the pups at home as so many had said they had seen moose here. A friend did hike turtle rock a couple of weeks ago and said she saw a moose and calf. Its a great trail just be prepared for teh fact that a fair amount of it is pretty primitive and you will need navigation to be able to find this particular loop. Some parts are clear but there are lots of splits.

Lovely park. Lots of shade trees. Impressed that there is a lifeguard for the wading pool. Clean…read moreand well maintained.

I made a drive by appearance at the Wyoming Territorial Prison because I didn't have the time or…read morefunds to visit the museum. I bet it would be c ool to see though, especially if you're a fan of outlaws, in particularly Butch Cassidy. Wyoming Territorial Prison was built in 1872 and restored and renovated in the 1990s by the efforts of the citizens of Laramie. There were 12 women housed here and more than 1,000 men, the most famous of which was Robert LeRoy Parker "Butch Cassidy". With territorial status, there came a need in Wyoming for a facility to house convicted felons. In 1869, the territorial legislature approved the construction of a prison. The federal government approved funding the following year and two years later the 42 cell facility opened with Deputy United States Marshal Nathaniel. K. Boswell as first warden. Until then convicted felons were housed at the Detroit House of Corrections. Unfortunately, the opening of the new prison did not solve the problem, since the expense of the Laramie facility was greater than shipping the inmates out of the Territory. The Prison charged as much as a $1.00 per day for each prisoner, while after 1878 Nebraska agreed to house inmates in its State Penitentiary for only forty cents. During the period 1882 to 1887 Illinois agreed to house the prisoners for free. Thus, during the period from 1882 to 1887 most inmates went off to Joliet. Indeed, a federal inspection of the Laramie facility in 1884 found only 10 inmates, some of whom were permitted to go into town on Saturday night. Behind the prison on the right is the broom factory. In addition to brooms, the inmates constructed furniture, some of which is on display in the Laramie Plains Museum. To the left of the prison is the horse barn. The barn is now used for a dinner theatre and a museum devoted to the Federal Marshals Service. The small building on the left, is the warden's residence. After 1887, the Penitentiary was overcrowded even with the construction of a new wing. The new wing housed three cells for women inmates and medical facilities. Rules for inmates were strict. They were required, among other things, to bath in the summertime twice a week. In the winter they might be required to bathe only once a week. They laundered and made their own clothes. Among the inmates was Butch Cassidy. Although construction of a new prison at Rawlins was proposed as early as 1886, it was not until 1903 that a new facility was opened. It is an old saw (but not true) that in the distribution of the capitol to Cheyenne, the prison to Rawlins, the lunatic asylum to Evanston, and the University to Laramie, that Laramie had last choice. With the opening of the new facility at Rawlins, the old prison was converted to the Agriculture Experiment Station under Bert C. Buffum as director. The area has now been converted back to a park and museum and includes the United States Marshals' Museum and exhibits as to early ranch life. While at the prison, visitors can check out other sites on the grounds, including the historically furnished Frontier Town, the Warden's House, a Union Pacific boxcar and the Horse Barn Exhibit Hall.

I have been to this museum over 12 times. It is usually a ton of fun to visit and extremely…read moreinteresting. I usually highly recommend it. Most of the employees are volunteers. If you come here make sure you go to the Butch Cassidy Exhibit. Due to Covid it's difficult to get around the historical site now. I brought a friend here today, in the person at the cash register was kind of rude. Chalk it up to Covid. If you are in LARAMIE... And this place isn't packed... With lines of people trying to get through... I do recommend checking it out!

We visited the Vedauwoo area on a bright sunny day and hiked an hour or two along a winding trail…read moreat the base of the rock formations. It was a bit disconcerting to gaze up at the GIANT rocks looming overhead and some appearing to be VERY precariously balanced atop the mountain. It felt cartoonish in some respects, imagining a boulder barreling towards us as a real possibility. We saw all manner of interesting plants, including flowering wild roses already spent and showing rose hips and also the stark white bark of so many aspen. We also found water running and trickling down the rock face and disappearing at the base. There was also evidence of deer scat in several spots, but we didn't see any critters other than birds. Overall, an incredible hike amongst some of the most spectacular scenery, one of my top ten. Highly recommended to visit here and not too terribly crowded on a weekday. Would love to return.

Great for a quick afternoon hike or a night of stargazing. The trail is relatively easy to follow-…read morevery interesting rock formations along the way and you may even see a beaver family in the pond towards the end of the trail. Just look for it as you're passing along I-80, can't miss it!

Absolutely beautiful area. Most people don't know that this area exists. There is a beautiful ridge…read moreof red rock that runs along the creek full of beaver dams. You can bring your dogs on the red clay road that runs through this area or just drive, mountain bike, or hike through and enjoy the views. There is the North Crow Division Reservoir where you can get some fishing in. Overall a hidden treasure.

This is a 4.1 mile loop trail rated easy with 669 feet of elevation gain…read more This trail is out in the middle of nowhere which is nice. You park at the green rock parking lot. It is $5 to park in the lot unless you have a national parks pass. Bring a copy of your pass to leave in your dash if you have a pass otherwise bring $5 cash and a pen to write on the envelope. The trail is mostly shaded and had really lovely views. It follows the stream for a good chunk of the way. There is even a bridge that goes nowhere ;) It does seem like an area that would be likely to have moose though thankfully we did not see any. It is pretty remote, I would bring bear or pepper spray with you. You can add more miles by taking a turn on barber lake trail if you would like. Dogs are welcome as long as they are leashed.

Lovely fenced dog parks with nice grass. Close to the interstate freeway for a road trip stop. Nice…read moreriver walk, and huge grassy fields for more off-leash play. Water, bags, benches, double fences available in pup areas.

A little bleak on a cold spring day. The restrooms weren't open yet, an unpleasant portable toilet…read morewas available. A lot of the park is dedicated to dogs (fenced areas). Small nondescript playground. Close to highway which makes it convenient but noisy.

WASP -- What a great time!…read more I wanted to do something special with my family on a visit to Laramie. We decided on a wilderness adventure. I discovered WASP after a Duckduckgo search -- what a find! Casino and Kelly put together a special day for the kids at a camp in Medicine Bow National Park: what to do if they get lost in the woods, how to make an emergency shelter, how to make fire with flint and steel, and some animal tracking. Then a hike, some rock climbing, and exploring caves. To say WASP is a great school is an understatement. I've attended a few other wilderness schools. Casino and Kelly are experts. They know the animal signs, the plants, all the principles of living in the wild, and so much more. And speaking as a professional educator, I can tell you they are very talented teachers and coaches. They were prepared with a lot of different activities, because kids attention spans are short. They got the kids engaged right away, held their attention, and shifted gears very smoothly. They designed activities so the kids could be successful -- which made them want to learn even more. Let's talk about logistics. They picked us up in a passenger van which was packed with drinks, snacks and gear. We were at the camp in about 40 minutes tops. There were folding chairs and a work table. And you have to see all the swag the kids got. Go ahead, check out the pictures I uploaded, I wait while you look... back so soon? Ok. Those necklaces: Emergency whistle, signal mirror, flint and steel, and a waterproof container for some cotton. The waist packs: A self-powered flashlight, a tarp with lines and stakes to make a shelter, an emergency blanket, and a small notebook. Kids forget what you gave them but they remember what you did with them. WASP could have taught us a thousand more things; maybe they will as the kids grow. But we made a life memory out there. Go, WASP!