When I think of Casper Wyoming, I’m standing beside the Platte River watching the sun dye the ridge of Casper Mountain gold, while nearby the click and squeal of a horse drawn buggy makes it way across the plains. Sure, the Casper’s biggest draw is outdoor activities, but the towns abundance of dining, hands on experiences, and once in a lifetime attractions make it the perfect place to enjoy all the many shades of Wyoming.
Planning Your Trip
While trying to travel as safely as possible, we explored Casper responsibility by wearing our masks when we could not socially distance, brought hand sanitizer in our backpacks, sanitizing wipes for surfaces we touched, etc. We also followed Casper’s #TravelResponsibly guide and made sure to explore socially distanced outdoor adventures. So many great gems in that guide that we used to carefully plan our full itinerary.
When to Visit
Casper really is a multi-season destination, with great summer and winter activities. When we plan our trips, we prefer Spring, Fall, and Winter. Summer is the city’s high season – attracting the most visitors. We’ve found traveling slighting off from peak-season gives us more of what we love in Wyoming – great weather, tons of activities, and plenty of space to ourselves.
How Long to Visit
No trip to Casper should be shorter than 3 – 4 days. Since the majority of activities take at least half-a-day, a long weekend allows just enough time to take in the many different sights, tastes, and experiences without feeling rushed or over-committed.
If you are visiting during Summer’s festival season, arriving a half-day or day early will give you enough time to add in a trip up to Casper Mountain or an Oregon Trail ride without overfilling your schedule.
Getting to Casper
The closest airport to Casper is the Casper/Natrona County International Airpot (CPR). It’s the second largest airport in Wyoming and only a fifteen minute ride from the airport to the city center. Many cities, especially in the West, offer two stop flights into CPR – using Salt Lake City or Denver as the transition point.
To reduce the overall number of flights, visitors can also fly into Denver International Airport (DEN). The drive up from Denver is around four hours, and passes through Cheyenne and Chugwater (Home of the Famous Chugwater Chili). Keep in Mind :: Winter driving can be challenging with the interstate sometimes being closed due to weather. If you are traveling during the winter season, check road conditions before leaving the Denver area.
Getting Around
Without a doubt, Casper is a city that requires a car. How much car? Well, while many people exploring Wyoming lean towards jeeps and 4WD vehicles, we were able to do everything we wanted by driving a minivan. Paved roads lead to all the main experiences, and the few places that are gravel are very well maintained and manageable for all cars.
Expected Expenses of a Car in Casper
Overnight : Most hotels are self-park, with no additional cost for parking or valet.
Sightseeing : All the city attractions have free parking. Downtown is not metered and has open 2 hour parking. There was also no charge to park at the events center when we went to the rodeo. Also, Caper Mountain also has ample parking areas with no additional fees. We do recommend carrying $10 in small bills should you find a place that charges for parking since ATMs are usually pretty far away from the attractions.
How Expensive is Casper
Casper is a very affordable destination. The hotels are very moderately priced, and nearly all of the activities are free or low cost. Throughout the city, dining is affordable, while very budget conscious visitors can find options at any price range.
Where to Stay
One of Casper’s greatest strength for visitors is its compact layout. When paired with convenient free street parking, there are no accommodations that will feel too distant from downtown area.
If you are planning on attending an event at the Casper Even Center, the best option is to stay at Hilton Garden Inn or Hampton Inn & Suites. These two hotels are located at the base of the hill on which the event center sits, making it only a 5 – 10 minute paved hike to the center. (These hotels are also great due to their proximity to the Platte River Trail.)
If weather permits, we highly recommend spending at least one night camping. With quick and easy access to Casper Mountain’s overnight campsites, camping shows off a whole other side of Wyoming while still being within driving distance for a hot breakfast/brunch the next morning.
Top Sights to See
Oregon Trail Wagon Ride – This is your chance to really ride along the Oregon Trail with Historic Trails West. Following along in the exact path rutted out by the original Oregon Wagon Train over 150 years ago, this tour carries visitors through the sweeping Wyoming landscape in authentically hand build covered wagons while the guide recounts stories of his family’s and other’s journey West. There are several tour options, including multi-night rides that ford rivers.
We joined in an even ride that included a dutch oven dinner laid out between teepees and the Platte River, and if we did it again we’d probably extend our trip to include an overnight in one of the teepees.
Casper Mountain –
Summer : We headed up twice, spending a 3-4 hours each time hiking, picnicking, and driving out into the open landscape. If you are wanting to hike, a great place to start would be the Eadsville Trail (3.5 miles long) or for a shorter walk consider Miner Loop.
As we mentioned, if the weather is good, camping out while visiting Casper is a must. Casper Mountain is literally covered in great camping sites to choose from – bring everything you need up the mountain with you. For day trips, empty campsites make for great picnic spots. Our favorite turn out for private picnicking is the found on the opposite side of the road from the permit box entrance onto Strube Loop.
Winter : The hiking trail of summer turn into the snowshoe and Nodric skiing trails of winter. For us, I’m most interested in the Hogadon Basin ski area – usually open from early-December to mid-March. (Pro-Tip : Visit mid-week to avoid some of the crowds)
The Tate Geological Museum – This compact museum punches well above its weight with an absolutely astounding assortment of fossils, recreations, and interactive displays. Wyoming is home to some of the most abundant fossil deposits in the US, and this museum not only benefits from the local prevalence of dino discoveries, it is also takes advantage of the world-class intellect that are based in or frequent the area.
Make sure you don’t miss the hands on Mammoth tooth exhibit and the locally discovered T-Rex fossils (which visitors can touch). Also, if you can, get a personalized tour lead by resident education specialist Russell.
Fremont Canyon & Alcova Reservoir – While hiking and views are available year-round, spring to fall are when the area is really best for visitors. The weather is great for hiking and picnicking, and nearby Alcova Resort rents pontoon boats and jet skis for having some fun in the water. For a more intimate experience, kayaks are also available for rental, but due to the motor boat traffic during the high season – we would recommend this mainly for the slower shoulder seasons.
Garden Creek Falls – Located near the base of Casper Mountain, this is part of the Bridle Trail at Rotary Park. The hike to the falls is very short, flat and easily manageable for adults and kids. Reaching the falls, crossing a few rocks will bring you close enough to run your hands through the falling water.
If you want to continue hiking, head the opposite direction from the falls along the same trail and join the 4.5 miles Bridle Trail that heads up into the mountains for amazing views of Casper below as well as the chance to see deers grazing amongst the trees.
Platte River Trail – Following the path of the Platte River through Casper, this riverside trail meanders through the city, tracing its way between fields and trees. We picked up our favorite section just North of downtown, beside Mike Lansing Field and wandered up into North Platte River Park. The best way to explore longer sections of this is to rent a bike or bring scooters/skateboards.
Where to Eat
Breakfast – Eggingtons : Cozy casual diner that is a local favorite. The menu reads like a weekend smorgasbord, offering up a breakfast staples (like fluffy, golden pancakes) and giant filling skillets (like the cordon blue and cowboy skillets). The Bourgeois Pig is another great option with breakfast burritos and cute atmosphere before heading out to explore each day.
Coffee– -Metro Coffee, great pastries and coffees- perfect for grab and go.
Lunch – C85 Branding Iron : Really, this place is good for any meal, any time they’re open. It’s a creative burger restaurant with the best red-chili I have ever eaten. I cannot recommend this place more highly. It’s also home to probably the best waitress we’ve ever had.
–Grant Street Grocery: perfect for grab and go sandwiches, salads and even fun souvenirs to take home. Don’t miss their The Coffee Lab donuts on Saturday mornings!
—HQ BBQ: Being from Nashville, I wasn’t sure how this was going to taste, but man oh man, they knocked it out of the park. The sauces were finger licking, meat so yummy, and you have to get a side of the chili. Oh, and the mac and cheese- don’t leave without ordering a side.
Dinner – Gruner Brothers Brewing : This place does three things right – a wide selection of in-house brewed beer, crispy pizza with both traditional and unique toppings, and the best view we found anyplace in Casper.
