From outlaw trails to canyon cruises, this roundup of Cowboy State destinations is tailor-made for group travelers chasing history, adventure, and western wonders.
By Justine Leavitt
Saddle up for a true Western adventure because it’s time to explore America’s Cowboy State. Across Wyoming, wagon ruts still scar the earth, wind whistles through weathered ghost towns, and sun-bleached fences stretch toward a horizon that never seems to quit. But this isn’t just a place to admire from afar—it’s a state that begs to be ridden into, experienced together, and shared around the fire at day’s end. Whether you’re a history buff or an adventurer ready for a wild ride, these ten Wyoming bucket-list-ready stops will provide a deeper look at the West.
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1. National Museum of Military Vehicles—Dubois
Find tanks among the tumbleweeds. Just outside Dubois, the National Museum of Military Vehicles stands like a fortress holding the secrets of America’s past. It houses more than 500 fully restored vehicles and thousands of personal artifacts. For groups, guided tours make it easy to delve into untold stories of heroism from WWII to Iraq. But beyond the steel and horsepower, this monument serves as a powerful reminder of courage under fire and standing your ground.
2. Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area Loop Tour—Southwestern Wyoming
If your group is itching for a breath of fresh air, steer them south to the Flaming Gorge Loop Tour, a 100-mile ride offering memorable encounters with pronghorn antelope, wild horses, mule deer, and raptors. Here, the world opens up into wild canyons, burnt-red cliffs, and a reservoir so blue it looks photoshopped. You can cross over transcontinental railroad tracks or stop at an overlook to take a wallpaper-worthy photo. So, pack a cooler, cue up the country playlist, and roll the windows down—this is the open-road antidote to city life.
3. Museum of the Mountain Man—Pinedale
Pinedale’s Museum of the Mountain Man resurrects frontier life. Set on a bluff overlooking the Wind River Range, this stop pays homage to the mountain men who carved trails through unmapped territory, trapping beaver for the Fur Trading companies. Life-sized dioramas, frontier tools, and journals from legends like Jim Bridger and Jedediah Smith draw adventurers into an era when survival meant grit, guts, and rifles. For group travelers, it’s a raw and resonant window into the wild before the West was won.
4. Bighorn Canyon & Hidden Treasure Charters—Lovell
Big sky. Bigger cliffs. Bighorn Canyon is a little-known wonder straddling the Wyoming-Montana border, and it’s best experienced by boat—from a tour to a private rental. Hidden Treasure Charters offers private group cruises through the canyon, where 1,000-foot walls from turquoise water and the only traffic is bighorn sheep on the ridges. So, bathe in the sun and take a dip in the water. Take advantage of this pocket of peace where groups can pause, breathe, and marvel together.
5. The Brinton Museum—Big Horn
In the shadow of the Bighorn Mountains, the Brinton Museum is a place where the beauty of the West is captured in a frame. Just off the beaten path, it showcases Western art in its original setting. Remington and Russell share wall space with contemporary Indigenous pieces and historic leatherwork. Here, art connoisseurs can enjoy the cowboy state in a variety of mediums. And for group tours you can end the day by stretching your legs on the 620 acres of The Quarter Circle A Ranch. Big Horn art and views are breathtaking and rooted in history—just like the West itself.
6. South Pass City Historic Site—Near Lander
Once a booming gold rush town, South Pass City is now a time capsule preserving the past. Yes, the miners are long gone, but their stories still crowd the dusty streets of this storied site. With more than 20 historic structures—including a saloon, hotel, and miner’s home—this city feels like the set of a Western film. A word of advice: Time your visit for Gold Rush Days when guides dressed in 19th-century garb to lead visitors through the town’s heyday with panning demos and mock shootouts.
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7. Wyoming State Capitol—Cheyenne
There’s grandeur in governance at the Wyoming State Capitol, a neoclassical stunner recently restored to its 1880s splendor. As the political hub of the first state to recognize the inherent rights of women to vote & hold public office, Cheyenne is a powerful stop for groups interested in American politics and history. Guided tours explore the elegant House and Senate chambers, soaring rotunda, and rich symbolism built into every granite and sandstone detail. After the tour, groups can stroll the Capitol Complex or hop into downtown Cheyenne for frontier shops and cowboy boots.
8. Fort Laramie National Historic Site—Fort Laramie
The smell of campfire smoke, the creak of wagon wheels—Fort Laramie lets you step into history. Once a military stronghold and a vital waystation along the Oregon Trail, this site hums the tune of tension and triumph during Westward expansion. With costumed interpreters, open barracks, and audio tours, group visits feel less like field trips and more like time travel. It’s a necessary stop for any itinerary aiming to trace the raw bones of the West.
9. Frontier Auto Museum—Gillette
Think Americana meets Route 66 nostalgia. Gillette’s Frontier Auto Museum houses more than just vintage cars—it’s a walk through 20th-century roadside culture. Neon signs, period-perfect storefronts, antique gas pumps, and a full-scale 1950s diner transport visitors to another era. For groups, it’s pure nostalgia—perfect for snapping the perfect photo, swapping stories, and reminiscing about road trips before GPS.
10. Grand Encampment Museum—Encampment
Tucked near the Colorado border, where the mountains hem you in, Grand Encampment Museum tells a Western tale. A dozen-plus historic buildings—from a ranger station to a two-story outhouse—are stitched together by a pioneer history that lives on. Guided tours bring the copper boom era to life, but it’s the slower pace, the homegrown charm, and the wind in the cottonwoods that groups remember most.
The Last Best Ride
In Wyoming, the past isn’t something you read about—it’s something you stand on, breathe in, and ride alongside. These ten stops invite groups to slow down, saddle up, and see the West the way it was meant to be seen: with good company, open skies, and stories waiting around every bend. So, don’t waste time and book your trip to the Cowboy State.
For more great travel stories, Read the Full Leisure Group Travel Magazine and Subscribe to the Newsletter for FREE
