May 25, 2019 Day 7
Thermopolis is located at the southern end of the Big Horn Basin. It is not much of a town with a population of slightly over 3,000, but it has significant mineral resources in the area and a surprising number of fantastic attractions. Teddy Roosevelt and Butch Cassidy and his gang have been among its visitors.
We ate breakfast at the motel. Cold items only, but adequate to get going.
I was very confused about the locations, costs and amenities at the various hot springs. The travel books and the hotel clerk offered differing information. So as we drove out to the hot springs area I stopped at the town information office. It was shocking that it was very hard to park in this little town, but there was a 3 on 3 basketball tournament was going on at the high school across the street. As we learned people from all over the region had come to attend that event.
The information clerk sent us off to Hot Springs State Park. Originally part of the Wind River Reservation, the hot springs were believed by the Shoshone to be a gift from the Great Spirit. The US Government purchased the Big Springs and surrounding territory from the Arapaho and Shoshone tribes (They have shared the reservation since 1877 after a shotgun marriage arranged by the US Government. It was not until the 1930s that the Government compensated the Shoshone for this arrangement.) in 1896.
Chief Washakie negotiated on behalf of the Indians. He was born to a Flathead father and Shoshone mother. He grew up with the Shoshone in the Wind River Valley and in his twenties he met and befriended Jim Bridger, who became a legendary trapper and mountain man. Their friendship was so great that one of Washakie's daughters became Bridger's third wife. Washakie became the leader, chief, of the Shoshone at an early age. The skills Washakie acquired through his association with Bridger and other trappers and traders took him in a different direction from other Indian leaders in advocating for the rights and needs of his people. The Shoshone were one of the few tribes which never fought a war against the US Government and indeed fought alongside the US Calvary against other tribes. He made several trips to Washington DC and became convinced that the Indians could not stop the tide of white immigrants into the plains. Instead in 1863 at Fort Bridger he negotiated a treaty that created the Wind River Reservation. He was baptized twice, first as a Mormon by Brigham Young and shortly before his death in 1900as an Episcopalian. He was buried with full military honors and we saw many public places in Wyoming that were named for him.
In negotiating the sale of the Big Springs Chief Washakie stipulated that the hot springs should be freely available to all so that anyone could receive the great health and healing benefits from the waters. That is one of the few Indian treaty promises that the US has honored. As a result, Wyoming's first state park was created along with the Bath House.
They remain free and open to the public, although there are several commercial establishments that also draw upon the hot waters. Several are essentially water parks and others are park of RV parks.
The springs are the largest hot springs in the world and the waters coming out of them are 135 degrees and discharge about 8000 gallons per day. In the park's hot springs the temperature is kept at about 104 degrees. The bathhouse was clean and had an indoor pool. We opted for the outdoor pool. It was wonderful. Very calm and relaxing and made your body feel very clean. No kids, whom I assumed go to the commercial pools. You are supposed to stay in up to 20 minutes, but it was not crowded and we stayed in30 minutes. I spoke with an older fellow bather who said that he had retired to Thermopolis a few years ago from Montana and said he came to the baths daily. He said that the hunting was very good in the area, but that quotas and hunters from all over the country had cut down on his meat gathering. He recounted that Thermopolis did not get too cold, but that like most places the temperature goes down to zero a few times each winter.
After a good soak and shower we drove over to the Wyoming Dinosaur Center and Dig Site. It was less than two miles away on the outskirts of town on a ranch where dinosaur fossils have been found, housed in 12,000 sq. ft. in what appears to be an old warehouse. (It is moving to larger and presumably more appropriate quarters in the near future 6 miles out of town.) It bills itself as the 6th best dinosaur museum in the world. It had over 20 full sized dinosaur skeletons and casts from around the world, as well as lots of exhibits about geology. We spent most of the afternoon there.
We then returned to the hot springs for a second soak. It was very pleasant soaking in the hot waters as the late afternoon sun was descending behind the mountains. After the soak we walked around the State Park. The terrain had unique rock formations and brilliant hues of red, orange, green and brown from the minerals and various life forms that are deposited on the rocks. The park was well maintained, very green and almost empty. We walked on a suspension bridge that crosses the Bighorn River. It appears to go nowhere, but when it was built in the early 1900s it permitted patients at a now gone hospital and sanitarium to access the springs.
We then took a drive a drive outside of town to view the Buffalo herds. These are the largest collections of buffaloes outside of Yellowstone. There were a lot of buffalo
We ate dinner at Bangkok Thai restaurant in town on the recommendation of a fellow bather. Other than a cook, the owner was the only one working. It was busy, he said busier than ever due to the basketball tournament. The meal was very good. We walked around town after dinner and purchased some ice cream which we ate while watching the Kill Bill movie in our hotel room as the car slowly charged up.
Thermopolis is located at the southern end of the Big Horn Basin. It is not much of a town with a population of slightly over 3,000, but it has significant mineral resources in the area and a surprising number of fantastic attractions. Teddy Roosevelt and Butch Cassidy and his gang have been among its visitors.
We ate breakfast at the motel. Cold items only, but adequate to get going.
I was very confused about the locations, costs and amenities at the various hot springs. The travel books and the hotel clerk offered differing information. So as we drove out to the hot springs area I stopped at the town information office. It was shocking that it was very hard to park in this little town, but there was a 3 on 3 basketball tournament was going on at the high school across the street. As we learned people from all over the region had come to attend that event.
The information clerk sent us off to Hot Springs State Park. Originally part of the Wind River Reservation, the hot springs were believed by the Shoshone to be a gift from the Great Spirit. The US Government purchased the Big Springs and surrounding territory from the Arapaho and Shoshone tribes (They have shared the reservation since 1877 after a shotgun marriage arranged by the US Government. It was not until the 1930s that the Government compensated the Shoshone for this arrangement.) in 1896.
Chief Washakie negotiated on behalf of the Indians. He was born to a Flathead father and Shoshone mother. He grew up with the Shoshone in the Wind River Valley and in his twenties he met and befriended Jim Bridger, who became a legendary trapper and mountain man. Their friendship was so great that one of Washakie's daughters became Bridger's third wife. Washakie became the leader, chief, of the Shoshone at an early age. The skills Washakie acquired through his association with Bridger and other trappers and traders took him in a different direction from other Indian leaders in advocating for the rights and needs of his people. The Shoshone were one of the few tribes which never fought a war against the US Government and indeed fought alongside the US Calvary against other tribes. He made several trips to Washington DC and became convinced that the Indians could not stop the tide of white immigrants into the plains. Instead in 1863 at Fort Bridger he negotiated a treaty that created the Wind River Reservation. He was baptized twice, first as a Mormon by Brigham Young and shortly before his death in 1900as an Episcopalian. He was buried with full military honors and we saw many public places in Wyoming that were named for him.
In negotiating the sale of the Big Springs Chief Washakie stipulated that the hot springs should be freely available to all so that anyone could receive the great health and healing benefits from the waters. That is one of the few Indian treaty promises that the US has honored. As a result, Wyoming's first state park was created along with the Bath House.
 |
| The State Bath House |
 |
The outdoor hot springs
|
The springs are the largest hot springs in the world and the waters coming out of them are 135 degrees and discharge about 8000 gallons per day. In the park's hot springs the temperature is kept at about 104 degrees. The bathhouse was clean and had an indoor pool. We opted for the outdoor pool. It was wonderful. Very calm and relaxing and made your body feel very clean. No kids, whom I assumed go to the commercial pools. You are supposed to stay in up to 20 minutes, but it was not crowded and we stayed in30 minutes. I spoke with an older fellow bather who said that he had retired to Thermopolis a few years ago from Montana and said he came to the baths daily. He said that the hunting was very good in the area, but that quotas and hunters from all over the country had cut down on his meat gathering. He recounted that Thermopolis did not get too cold, but that like most places the temperature goes down to zero a few times each winter.
After a good soak and shower we drove over to the Wyoming Dinosaur Center and Dig Site. It was less than two miles away on the outskirts of town on a ranch where dinosaur fossils have been found, housed in 12,000 sq. ft. in what appears to be an old warehouse. (It is moving to larger and presumably more appropriate quarters in the near future 6 miles out of town.) It bills itself as the 6th best dinosaur museum in the world. It had over 20 full sized dinosaur skeletons and casts from around the world, as well as lots of exhibits about geology. We spent most of the afternoon there.
We then returned to the hot springs for a second soak. It was very pleasant soaking in the hot waters as the late afternoon sun was descending behind the mountains. After the soak we walked around the State Park. The terrain had unique rock formations and brilliant hues of red, orange, green and brown from the minerals and various life forms that are deposited on the rocks. The park was well maintained, very green and almost empty. We walked on a suspension bridge that crosses the Bighorn River. It appears to go nowhere, but when it was built in the early 1900s it permitted patients at a now gone hospital and sanitarium to access the springs.
 |
| Bridge to Nowhere |
 |
| Bighorn River and hot springs run-off |
We then took a drive a drive outside of town to view the Buffalo herds. These are the largest collections of buffaloes outside of Yellowstone. There were a lot of buffalo
We ate dinner at Bangkok Thai restaurant in town on the recommendation of a fellow bather. Other than a cook, the owner was the only one working. It was busy, he said busier than ever due to the basketball tournament. The meal was very good. We walked around town after dinner and purchased some ice cream which we ate while watching the Kill Bill movie in our hotel room as the car slowly charged up.
Are there still a lot of native peoples in Wyoming? Do the reservations have tourism and or cultural opportunities?
ReplyDelete