July 7, 2026 (Tue.) - Part 2 - Thermopolis : Hot Springs State Park.
This is Part 2 for July 7, 2026.
After dinner at One Eyed Buffalo, we headed over to Hot Springs State Park. It was 7:30 p.m. with plenty of daylight left — it doesn’t get dark here until nearly 10. Bonus – there is no entrance fee to the State Park!
We started with the Bison Pasture Loop but didn’t see a single bison. With dusk approaching, we expected them to be out, but between the rain and lightning, they must have stayed tucked away. The loop did give us gorgeous views over the city and led us to Smokey Row Cemetery (aka Smoky Row – there are 2 different spellings!), a small historic hillside burial ground. Little is known about the people resting there — the headstone dates to the 1890s and some names simply read “Unknown Man” or “Unknown Woman.” One even bears the name “Augernose Jane,” which definitely caught our attention. The red rock surrounding the cemetery glowed beautifully as the sun appeared after the rain.
Farther into the park, a huge hillside spelled out in rocks announced “World’s Largest Mineral Hot Spring” with an arrow pointing the way. You can smell it before you see it — that unmistakable sulfur scent. The spring isn’t “largest” in size but in flow, pushing out 3.6 million gallons of 127° mineral water every day, with steam rising off the surface. It is very clear and very warm…of course we had to touch it! Not something we’d sit in especially with the weather close to 90! The spring is small but meanders to various parts of the park and into the river.
We wandered toward the Big Horn River next, where massive travertine formations spill down the hillside. They’re called the Rainbow Terraces, though they’re mostly white now. As the mineral water flows over the slope, it deposits thick layers of travertine that look like frozen waves — we felt like we were stepping straight into the Ice Age! Even without the old color, the formations were still striking. The Swinging Bridge crosses the river nearby, but it was closed during our visit.
Deeper in the park, we found something that looked downright alien — a huge steaming mound streaked with yellow, brown, gold, and even green. They call it the “Teepee Fountain”. It is a steaming, ever‑growing travertine mound shaped like a giant mineral teepee, formed by decades of hot spring water flowing over a simple pipe structure. It was formed in 1909 to vent steam from hot mineral water that was piped through the park. As the water flows over the pipe structure, it cools and leaves layers and layers of travertine deposits. It was definitely other-worldly looking and we have tons of photos from every angle to show for it!
The park grounds also have several pools and ponds, including one stocked with koi. Kids were tossing fish food in as we walked up, and the water erupted into a frenzy of bright orange and white fish — chaotic and beautiful.
On the way out, a deer grazed calmly along the roadside. After a long day, Kirk spotted a McDonald’s with a drive‑through wide enough for the truck — victory. Ice cream to go was the perfect ending. We were back at the RV around 8:30 p.m., where Lynn started sorting through the ~500 photos she took today. No wonder she’s behind on the blog — twelve days, two campsites, and one state behind. The memory’s fading fast, so she’s trying to catch up.
