Thermopolis

Thermopolis is a town in Northwest Wyoming, USA, notable for the presence of one of the world's largest hot springs. There were 2,700 people living there in 2020.

Understand

• Thermopolis tourist information website

Get in

By car

Thermopolis straddles a north-south highway with two designations: US Route 20 and Wyoming State Route 789. Wyoming State Route 120 from Cody terminates in Thermopolis.

By plane

Cody (COD ^IATA) is the nearest city with commercial air service. The next closest is Casper (CPR ^IATA).

Get around

It's a small town that can be covered on foot, but if you want to travel in style, use horse and buggy. Wyoming Carriage and Taxi, ☏ +1-866-646-2723, runs sightseeing horse-drawn carriage rides in town during the summer months.

See

• 1 Hot Springs County Museum and Cultural Center, 700 Broadway St, ☏ +1 307 864-5183. M-Sa 9AM-5PM, closed Su. Local history museum. Features a replica bar and an old town setting from over a century ago. There is an arrowhead collection, an original petroglyph created by Native Americans, prehistoric artifacts, military artifacts, and local rocks and minerals. (updated Aug 2024)
• 2 Hot Springs State Park, 220 Park St, ☏ +1 307 864-2176. Grounds, daily 6AM-10PM; Bath house, daily 8AM-4PM. Day-use park. Bison should only be viewed while in vehicle. 6.2 miles of universally accessible trails and hiking trails. In late fall, visitors can regularly see the bison when they are given supplements at 8:30AM. Bath house free.  
• 3 Legend Rock State Petroglyph Site, 2861 W Cottonwood Rd (29 miles northwest of Thermopolis), ☏ +1 307 864-2176. Sunrise to Sunset. Open year-round, weather permitting. Oct - Apr, key required (obtained at bath house, chamber of commerce, or county museum). 92 prehistoric petroglyph panels and over 300 petroglyph figures. Visitor center and interpretive trails. (updated Mar 2023)
• 4 Wyoming Dinosaur Center, 110 Carter Ranch Rd, ☏ +1 307 864-2997, toll-free: +1 800 455-DINO (3466), fax: +1 307 864-5762, info@wyomingdinosaurcenter.org. Sep 15-May 14: daily 10AM-5PM; May 15-Sep 14: daily 8AM-6PM. Over 58 mounted skeletons, a preparation lab with visitor viewing and hundreds of displays and dioramas. The dig site tour offers an opportunity to see dinosaurs buried in the ground. (updated Mar 2023)

Do

• Soak in the waters from the hot springs. There are several commercial operations that use the waters with varying degrees of gimmickry, but in addition, the town maintains a bathhouse that is free (under the terms of the treaty whereby a local Indian tribe ceded access to the spring in the 19th century) and open to the public during daylight hours.
• 1 Star Plunge, 115 Big Springs Dr, ☏ +1 307 864-3771. 

Eat

• 1 Las Fuentes, 530 Arapahoe St, ☏ +1 307 864-3192. M-Sa 11AM-2PM, 5PM-'closing'. Surprisingly good Mexican food, with a "New Mexican" slant; the "Maria," the house-special burrito, wouldn't be out of place in Santa Fe. 

Drink

• 1 Audra's Copper Coo, 225 Clark St, ☏ +1 904 874-2560, audra@coppercoo.com. M-Sa 9AM-8PM, closed Su. Serves organic coffee and organic loose-leaf tea. (updated Aug 2024)
• 2 Black Bear Cafe, 111 N 5th St, ☏ +1 307 864-3221. Tu-Su 6AM-2PM, closed M. Coffee shop. Also serves breakfast and lunch. (updated Aug 2024)
• 3 One Eyed Buffalo Brewpub, 535 Broadway St. M 4-9:30PM, Tu-Th 11AM-9:30PM, F Sa 11AM-11:30PM, Su 11AM-8PM. Ten beers on tap. Serves burgers, sandwiches, salads, and other American entrees. (updated Aug 2024)

Sleep

• 1 Best Western Plaza Hotel, 116 E. Park St, ☏ +1 307 864-2939, fax: +1 307 864-2927. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: 11AM. An historic hotel on the grounds of the state park, renovated and merged into the Best Western chain. A small spa/hot tub (no aeration) draws waters from the spring. Not a large place (36 rooms), so if you're interested in it, be sure to reserve, or at least inquire, in advance. Complimentary full breakfast.  

Stay safe

• 1 Hot Springs County Memorial Hospital, 150 E Arapahoe Street (The Emergency Room entrance is off of Buffalo Street.), ☏ +1 307 864-3121, toll-free: +1-800-788-9459, fax: +1 307 864-5050, webmaster@mail.hscmh.org. 24 hours. Hot Springs County Memorial Hospital has an emergency room staffed by a physician 24-hours a day. (updated Feb 2016)

Go next

• Boysen Reservoir, 20 miles south
• Wind River Canyon, Scenic Byway between Thermopolis and Shoshoni

Routes through Thermopolis

Yellowstone N.P. ← Worland ←

W  E

→ Shoshoni → Casper