THE WILD FRONTIER TRAIL: A JOURNEY THROUGH WYOMING'S OUTLAW HISTORY

There's a wildness to Wyoming that never quite disappeared. The ghosts of outlaws, lawmen and restless cowboys still linger in the wind sweeping across the open plains. This is a land where Butch Cassidy planned his next heist, where Tom Horn faced justice and where cattle wars sparked gunfights that shaped the frontier. To travel through Wyoming is to follow the hoofprints of history, where adventure and danger once went hand in hand. Buckle up for a road trip that takes you deep into the heart of the Old West.

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The oldest locomotive in Wyoming By Matthew Idler, Courtesy Visit Cheyenne

Cheyenne - Where the Railroad Met the Outlaws

Start your journey in Cheyenne, the state capital and a former hub of railroad expansion and frontier lawlessness. The Cheyenne Depot Museum, built in 1887, showcases the role of the Union Pacific Railroad in shaping the West and tells of outlaws like Butch Cassidy and Sundance Kid, who passed through looking for their next opportunity. In the 1860s, Cheyenne was known as “Hell on Wheels,” a lawless town teeming with gamblers, saloon owners and drifters looking for opportunity—or trouble. Stay at the Nagle-Warren Mansion, a Victorian-era hotel dripping with Old West charm. Before leaving town, grab a drink at the Accomplice Bar, where the frontier spirit still lingers in every toast.

Cheyenne Depot Square Courtesy Cheyenne Chamber of Commerce

The Historic Governor's mansion By Matthew Idler, Courtesy Visit Cheyenne

Detour - Fort Laramie National Historic Site

Before heading to Laramie, take a short detour 90 miles north on US-85 to Fort Laramie National Historic Site, one of the most significant military outposts of the 19th century. Established in 1834, this fort played a crucial role in the Indian Wars and westward expansion. Walk the same grounds where soldiers, traders and settlers once stood before returning south to Cheyenne and continuing west on I-80 to Laramie.

Laramie - Law and Order on the Frontier