Fascinating History of Wyoming’s Unique Towns: Dubois and Thermopolis

The architecture and layout of Wyoming’s small towns serve as a physical record of the state’s frontier history and its development as a hub for Western heritage. From oversized thoroughfares designed for livestock transport to the preservation of early building materials, these communities maintain a distinct character that separates them from modern urban developments.

In Thermopolis, the design of the main street reflects the logistical needs of the early freighting era. The town’s Broadway was laid out 150 feet wide specifically to provide enough space for 16-mule freight teams to turn around.

Beyond its street layout, Thermopolis is centered around the Hot Springs State Park, which was established in 1897. As the oldest state park in Wyoming, the site encompasses land that formerly belonged to the Northern Arapaho and Eastern Shoshone tribes. The land was sold to the federal government with the permanent condition that the public maintain free access to the mineral waters, a mandate the state has honored for over a century.

Visitors to the State Bath House can access indoor and outdoor pools maintained at a constant 104 degrees Fahrenheit, fed by a spring that flows at 128 degrees. The park processes approximately 1.8 million gallons of mineral water every 24 hours. The area also features more than six miles of trails, including the Swinging Bridge, a suspension footbridge crossing the Big Horn River, and the Wyoming Dinosaur Center.

Other communities have preserved different aspects of their early infrastructure. In Dubois, the town continues to utilize wooden sidewalks, maintaining an aesthetic linked to its origins as a tie hack town. During its early development, Scandinavian immigrants worked as tie hacks, creating railroad ties that were transported down the Wind River to Riverton.

While some towns remain secluded, others have become global icons of the American West. Jackson, the largest town in the Jackson Hole valley, is characterized by its Town Square, where large elk-antler arches curve over the walkways. The town blends modern boutiques and a local history museum with traditional Western establishments, such as the Silver Dollar Bar and the Million Dollar Cowboy Bar.

For travelers seeking experiences outside the high-traffic tourist zones, Pinedale is often cited as one of the region’s best-kept secrets. It offers an alternative to the more crowded areas of the state while remaining accessible to outdoor activities, including skiing and access to more than 10 lakes.

Strategic Shifts in Wyoming Tourism

The Wyoming Office of Tourism is currently implementing a strategy to redistribute visitor traffic across the state, moving beyond the primary concentrations of tourists at Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. Domenic Bravo, who was appointed as the executive director of the Wyoming Office of Tourism in the fall of 2025, has advocated for a broader approach to welcoming visitors.

Bravo has described this approach as opening the front door wider while inviting travelers to explore the entirety of the state. This strategy emphasizes the value of rural communities and aims to highlight the authenticity of Wyoming’s smaller towns.

As part of this effort, the state is leaning into Indigenous-led storytelling and a new marketing initiative titled the Mavericks Wanted campaign. The goal is to connect travelers with the state’s authentic culture and provide a sense of connection and reset through exploration of the state’s wide-open spaces.

This movement toward dispersing tourism is intended to protect the integrity of the state’s most famous icons while supporting the economic viability of smaller heritage towns. By promoting sites like the Hot Springs State Park in Thermopolis or the historic ties of Dubois, the state aims to showcase that the magic of Wyoming extends well beyond its national park boundaries.