Thermopolis, Wyoming

With a name like Thermopolis we were expecting something more funky

The Tepee Fountain was built in 1909 to vent steam from hot mineral water that was piped throughout the park.  As water flows over the structure, it cools and deposits layer upon layer of travertine.

 The different colors seen on the fountain are various types of algae that grow in the hot mineral water.

Star Plunge since 1900

State Bath House
The healing waters of the area’s mineral springs attracted dinosaurs, prehistoric migratory people, Native American tribes, Western settlers, and now travelers visiting and crossing Wyoming. Native Americans believed the water contained therapeutic power. In the early 20th century a sizeable medical community formed in Thermopolis, centered around the hot springs and treating those visiting in hopes the water would restore their health. The Shoshone and Arapaho tribes gave Wyoming the hot springs in a treaty in 1896, with the provision it remain accessible to the general public. You can still visit the State Bath House in Hot Springs State Park free of charge.

This suspension bridge crosses over the Bighorn River in Hot Springs State Park.

Mineral Water Flow from the Hot Springs

This suspension bridge is the longest of its type in the state of Wyoming

White Sulphur Spring is one of many attractions in the park.  In the early 1890's a bathhouse and dance pavilion were built nearby.  Unfortunately, a fire destroyed the buildings in 1899. 

White Sulphur Spring
Early settlers in the area recognized the therapeutic values of the mineral springs.  Local pharmacies actually bottled and sold water from the springs as a treatment for a variety of ailments.

Difficult travel and lack of housing did not discourage people from visiting the springs.

This burial site was no longer used after a new cemetery was established north of Thermopolis in 1900.

Legend Rock
With nearly 300 individual petroglyphs, some thousands of years old, Legend Rock State Archaeology Site is one of the oldest and best examples of the Dinwoody rock art in the world.

The thunderbird is associated with power.

The horned headdresses are typically considered a symbol of medicine or power among North American Indians.  Many of these figures originate or end at cracks in the cliff, which many researchers believe indicates a transition from one world to another dimension.

Several bison and elk or deer are visible on this panel.  The Shoshone and Crow Indians believed that the elk spirit could provide a "love medicine" which gave a person the ability to attract a mate.

These are believed to be about 11,000 years old.

Large elk