Stopped by Rawlins, WY and I'm really glad we did the tour! You honestly have to book the tour or…read moreyou don't really see any of the actual prison. My kids (6, 7 years old) and my husband loved coming here. It was a great tour and we had a great tour guide (male, didn't catch his name) and it was really informative. We went to most of the rooms inside the prison and even went outside to see the yard. I wish they had more in the gift shop to purchase, but we ended up getting shirts and some penny coins from the machine. Definitely stop by if you are in the area! They have plenty of parking and even RV parking as we brought an RV.

These tours are always very compelling. I have gone three times, I have not once been…read moredisappointed. If you like history and great stories about prisoners and history, this is the place for you.

Independence Rock is definitely a stop worth making if you are doing that long, slog of a drive…read morefrom Casper to Rawlins. Down the road is Martin's Cove which has it's own historical significance , history and stories. Devil's Gate is near here too which is a natural rock formation which is a gorge where the Sweetwater River is. All these things are in close proximity to Independence Rock so you can spend a fair amount of time checking out these sites. But staying on topic to this entry, Independence Rock was a landmark used by many emigrants heading west. Travelers from the Oregon, Mormon and California emigrant trails used the rock as a bulletin board. The earliest name carved in the Rick was by William L. Sublette which dates back to 1830 and Hugh is credited for the oldest inscription which goes back 1824. 5,000 names are carved onto this rock. I have been here twice and have examined some of the carvings. Some you can tell are quite old and some have faded. Some I suspect are much more recent and weren't emigrants at all. Which I am sure is discouraged due to this landmarks historical significance. I like to think people are more respectful of such a historical site but there is always someone that comes along that isn't. Anyway it's worth the stop and an excellent place to recalibrate from the lengthy driving.

At a distance it looks like a huge whale [Alcova WY]…read more Visit: July 4, 2024. Independence Rock in central Wyoming is just a few miles down the road from Martin's Cove. This area is a rest stop but behind it is a natural historic landmark. We stopped here for about 10 minutes, very briefly. I didn't get a chance to get up close to the rock. We stopped here once again (4 days later) before heading back towards home in California. We had more time to spare and we were able to go around the base of the rock. There were interpretive signs along the footpath. Hiking is allowed on the rock but I wasn't adventurous enough to climb on top of it. The rock stands at 130-ft high, 1,900-ft long and 850-ft wide. Historic! Emigrants traveling the Missouri River had to reach this important rock landmark along the Oregon, California and Mormon Trails before July 4th if they were to make it over the Rocky Mountains before winter. They carved their names on the granite rock leaving their marks over the centuries... some of the markings we saw were names, initials, dates. Some were wearing thin. What an incredible time in U.S. History and I'm so glad we returned and had a chance to see. With more than 5,000 names carved, Independence Rock was named "The Register of the Desert" and it's quite a big deal for the Great State of Wyoming. Review #3475

Large museum considering this is a tiny town. A lot of neat artifacts inside the museum and a bunch…read moreof buildings to view. They offer tours of the property (we only had time to listen to the beginning of one). Please note that certain buildings can only be entered via tour. FREE entry (donations accepted). Friendly staff. The gentleman working inside the museum was really nice and eager to show us photos of nearby ghost towns. He seemed very enthusiastic about the work that he does. Great stop if you like pioneer history and/or mining history. BEST PART: The two-story outhouse. Make sure you at least walk around to see it (you don't need to be on a tour to walk around, only to enter certain buildings).

In a small historical small town in Wyoming is a large museum. There is many artifacts to see in…read morethe main bldg. Outside there is a small operational western towns. Notable is the two story outhouse. There is an observation tower to climb. It once was used to watch for forest fires. A beautiful view of the surroundings. There is the ruins of a system for lumbering. Plenty of parking. Great gift shop. Admission is free but donations are accepted.

Historic Mormon Trail Site [Alcova WY]…read more While enjoying the beautiful nature driving across Wyoming on State Highway 220 we found this historic site, a Mormon Trail Site located near Devil's Gate. We were approached by a friendly welcoming volunteer... she proceeded to share a little history of this place. In 1856 two emigrant companies (a handcart and a wagon business) of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints crossed the plains trying to reach Utah. Weather was harsh and the cold wind and snow made it too dangerous to proceed to their destination in Salt Lake City which was still about 330 miles. The emigrants sheltered here while waiting to be rescued. Exhaustion, exposure and lack of food had weakened the emigrants and many had died before rescue efforts began. The docent was very informative. Throughout this historic site, there were monuments, memorials, and sculptures commemorating the rescue. There were also handcarts visitors can push to experience. There is a trail leading to Devil's Gate that we would've loved to hike but didn't have time. She said people visit the cove as a place of reverence, remembrance, and gratitude and during summer months Latter-day Saints participate in trek reenactments. To request a trek will require reservations. Learned about Mormon pioneers here. Park is free to visit. Review #3474