Drop your rope around picturesque Converse County and capture some of the best outdoor recreation, nature and history the West offers. Hunker down for a while and we’ll give you an intimate snapshot of both yesterday’s charm and nature’s delights.
Revel in the natural splendor of the beautiful Medicine Bow National Forest, including a stunning view of Laramie Peak’s granite crown at over 10,000 feet. This is a great place for you and your family to camp, rock climb, fish, snowmobile, and cross country ski. Miles of both foot and motorized access trails wind there way through the forest. (It’s a great place for horseback riding as well!) While there, don’t miss Esterbrook’s historic Church of the Ascension with its breathtaking view.
Outdoor recreation doesn’t stop there. Enthusiasts can enjoy the North Platte River in canoes, rafts and tubes—all can be rented locally. Or relax and enjoy some of the best fishing, bird watching and wildlife around. For a very different setting, explore the rugged beauty of the Thunder Basin National Grasslands, over 500,000 acres of elk, deer, and antelope habitat, rolling prairie, and scenic bluffs.
Crafted by the hands of Mother Nature, Ayres Natural Bridge, located just south of the Oregon Trail, is one of only three natural bridges in the United States with water beneath. Considered one of Wyoming’s first tourist attractions, this breathtaking wonder includes a picnic area and hiking paths.
But there’s more to Converse County than just nature. Every third full week in August, the Wyoming State Fair, held in Douglas, attracts folks from around the nation with old-fashioned entertainment, rodeos, and the Wyoming Pioneer Museum. You can experience authentic Western history during Deer Creek Days, held the first weekend of August in Glenrock. The Douglas Railroad Interpretive Center is a must-see for railroad buffs, with its steam locomotive and eight rail cars. Fort Fetterman takes you back a hundred years to the start of the Bozeman Trail.
For those who want to venture all the way back to prehistoric times, the Glenrock Dinosaur Museum gives you a personal, hands-on view of rare Triceratops and bone preparation. You can even participate in a real fossil dig!
Take a short drive south of Douglas and enjoy water sports, fishing, camping, canoeing, swimming and sunning on the beach at Glendo State Park. Motorsport lovers can watch drag races almost every weekend in Douglas and drag races, tractor pulls, and mud bogs in Glenrock from May through September.
For the golf enthusiast, Douglas and Glenrock offer you a chance to get those clubs out and enjoy a round of golf and both communities are also geo-cache friendly with numerous sites scattered around the area.
This is a great place to enjoy history and nature with a sprinkle of modern fun. Whether you’re hiking in the forest or hunting for “jackalope” in town, your stay in Converse County is sure to be a unique adventure.
