Sweetwater County Official Travel Guide - 2025/2026

MUSEUMS

From pioneers searching for a better life to passing outlaws like Butch Cassidy, southwest Wyoming has seen its fair share of interesting characters. Discover their stories along with tales of dinosaurs, the Union Pacific railroad, coal mines and Indigenous peoples at these museums.

SWEETWATER COUNTY HISTORICAL MUSEUM

Set in a former 1931 post office, this Green River museum is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and offers a variety of both permanent and temporary exhibits. Peek into the past with a collection of antique photos and artifacts that highlight the mining ghost towns of Dines, Winton, Gunn and others.

ROCK SPRINGS HISTORICAL MUSEUM

From famous bandits to westward-drawn travelers — Rock Springs has seen it all. Learn about this town’s proud heritage at the Rock Springs Historical Museum. Housed in the former Rock Springs City Hall, the museum paints a picture of the coal-mining industry and the colorful people it attracted. Visitors can also enjoy a self-guided audio walking tour of the historical area.

WESTERN WYOMING COMMUNITY COLLEGE NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM

This archeologists’ and geologists’ playground boasts locally discovered fossils of massive fish and reptiles, as well as prehistoric pottery and other relics from the area’s earliest inhabitants. Walk among giant, life-sized dinosaur replicas, like Stegosaurus and Tyrannosaurus rex, peppered around campus. Remember your visit with dino-themed souvenirs from the college bookstore.

SUPERIOR MUSEUM

This museum offers visitors a window into local coalmining and town history. Explore remnants of the past, including newspapers from the 1940s, mining equipment, vintage sports jerseys and a bright-green bread-slicing machine.

HISTORIC TRAILS

See southwest Wyoming’s network of historic trails, where hopeful pioneers braved unsettled lands on their way toward a better life in the West. Just like the wooden wheels that carved the land, it’s easy to carve out a journey of your own. No other place in the United States has more miles of still-visible pioneer trails.

OREGON TRAIL

Easily one of the most famous pioneer trails in the United States, the Oregon Trail was a major thoroughfare that guided about 400,000 people across the expansive West from 1846 to 1869. The 2,200-mile route helped expand the California Gold Rush, and the stretch found here is one of the most intact today.

PONY EXPRESS

During the height of its service, the Pony Express route passed through the region and had a relay station near the Lombard Ferry. Mail carriers could ride a horse at full gallop, then switch mounts at the following station, effectively cutting mail-delivery times by 10 days.

CHEROKEE TRAIL

Also known as the Trappers Trail, the Cherokee Trail was primarily used by cattlemen driving herds north and south, as well as droves of hopefuls seeking their fortunes in gold. The area’s economic growth and the settlement of the West owes much to this historic trail that ran from Oklahoma through Kansas and Colorado into Wyoming.

OVERLAND TRAIL

Famously traveled by the Overland Stage Company in the mid-1800s, the Overland Trail was used frequently as a mail route to Salt Lake City. It created an alternate route to Oregon and California, paving the way for significant development in those areas. Today, the Overland Trail is one of the region’s most accessible pioneer trails.

MORMON TRAIL

Taking a leap of faith, thousands of Latter-day Saints made their way west in the mid- 1800s to set up their religious headquarters in the heart of Salt Lake City. The Mormon Trail passed through a substantial portion of southwest Wyoming, following roughly the same path as the Oregon, California and Pony Express routes.

OUTLAW TRAIL

It’s only natural for lawbreakers to want to avoid crossing paths with those who enforce it. Outlaws such as Butch Cassidy, the Sundance Kid and Jesse James made a trail of their own through southern Wyoming.

OLD EMIGRANT TRAIL

During the mid-1800s, migrants from the eastern United States journeyed west seeking the prosperity of gold and freedom of religion. The Old Emigrant Trail is an overlap of the Oregon, California and Mormon trails. It still bears the marks of its past travelers, including ruts from wagon convoys.

LEARN LOCAL HISTORY

Take the time to learn about the places you visit — this can give you a better understanding and appreciation of the area along with helping you to create relationships with locals. Rock Springs and Green River have a rich history filled with prehistoric dinosaurs, bandits, railroading, coal mining and more.

OUTLAWS, PIONEERS & DINOS, OH MY!

Learn more about the area’s historical sites, including a map of its storied pioneer trails and the best places to access them. Plus, get details on some of the museums’ incredible artifacts.