When it’s time to “Get Your West On,” it’s time to head for Wyoming’s Carbon County. Located high on the Continental Divide in southcentral Wyoming, this gem sits astride Interstate 80 for easy access from points east and west. Explore Carbon County’s rich history full of colorful characters and infamous outlaws, take a soak in our natural hot springs, fish our pristine lakes, or hit the mountain trails for hiking and biking.
As the least populated state in the USA, Wyoming has a vast outdoor landscape to explore! Discover outdoor recreation paradise filled with crystal clear rivers, natural hot springs, and an extensive trail system for hiking, horseback riding, mountain biking, snowmobiling, nordic skiing or ORVing.
The vast 7,964 square mile county includes the towns of Rawlins (the county seat), Sinclair, Hanna, Medicine Bow, Elk Mountain, Saratoga, Riverside, Encampment, Savery, Dixon and Baggs.
You will appreciate the beauty of vast, open prairies and the feeling of wide open landscapes. Carbon County features two scenic byways; the Snowy Range and Battle Pass. Take the Snowy Range Scenic Byway for striking mountain peaks and magnificent lakes right off the highway. Take the Battle Pass Scenic Byway to see the Thomas Edison marker that looks over brilliantly blue Battle Lake.
Other area highlights include the North Platte and Little Snake River Valleys, the Encampment River, Saratoga’s mineral Hot Springs, numerous wilderness areas and the Continental Divide trail. Outdoor enthusiasts can find many types of adventures along the way.
In Carbon County, you’ll find historical treasures that will thrill and delight you around every corner. The historic hotels and museums remind you of just how tough these women and men were who headed west in the 1800s and 1900s. Area museums and historic sites you may want to explore include the Wyoming Frontier Prison, Fort Steele, the Little Snake River Museum & Baggs Outlaw Stop, the Carbon County Museum, and the Grand Encampment Museum. The small towns of Saratoga, Elk Mountain, Hanna, and Medicine Bow, Sinclair also have wonderful museums filled with historic treasures.
If you are looking for local culture we encourage you to schedule your visit around one of our exciting annual events. Carbon County has many entertaining local events you might want to attend including rodeos, music festivals, microbrew festivals, wood-chopping competitions, ice fishing derbies, skijoring races, mountain man rendezvous, and more!
No matter your trip length, Wyoming’s Carbon County delivers it all: room to roam through the great outdoors, delicious dining, fascinating local history and plenty of lodging options.
