Worland Wyoming, Everyone’s Hometown. Wyoming’s most diversified economy welcomes travelers to slow down and take a break. As the center of the Big Horn Basin Worland is the logical location to stop and stretch out from here.
With fine lodging
Click Here and Dinning Click Here along with 160 miles of off highway trails and roads with access to them 12 months out of the year. Bring your bikes, boots, or OHV’s and see what you miss traveling down the highway. Or stretch out with the Big Horn Mountains 30 minutes to the east, the World’s Largest Mineral Hot Spring 30 minutes to the south, wild horses to the west, petroglyphs to the north and much more in the neighborhood Click Here .
Historic Review or “Why We Crossed the River”
In 1903, a pioneer camp was established on the west bank of the Big Horn River, at its confluence with Fifteen-Mile Creek. The camp was on the Bridger Trail, a route established by mountain man Jim Bridger for miners in route to the gold fields of Montana. Charles H. (Dad) Worland selected this location as a halfway point between Basin City and Thermopolis for an overnight stop for stagecoaches and freighters. His building (a dugout) was also the bar, bank and post office. In fact, the bank was a cigar box that sat on the bar – townspeople would make transactions directly from the box themselves.
As the railroad made its way across the country in 1904, Worland found itself as a possible destination. CF Robertson trailed the railroad officials to Omaha and persuaded them that Worland was the viable destination. Without the railroad, Worland’s future would be difficult. While Worland had good people, climate, water and soil, the markets were far too either the north or south – the railroad was a necessity.
Disquieting news arrived in 1905, however. The railroad was coming, but it was not coming down the west side of the river as expected There was nothing to do but let Mother Nature, which had placed the Big Horn River between the town and the railroad, help out. The settlers waited until the dead of the winter when the river froze over, gathered all their belongings and moved Worland to the railroad side (east side) of the icebound river, Worland’s current location.
The agricultural products of the area were possible, in large part, to the Hanover Canal system, which Robertson had surveyed and was manager. The canal system is still in operation and irrigates about 35,000 acres of land with water from the Big Horn River. With the canal local agriculturalists were (and are) able to grow barley, corn, oats, sugar beets, alfalfa and irrigated pasture. Seeing the profit in adding value to their products, Worland became home to the Wyoming Sugar plant, which was built in 1916.
Dependant on a mixture of agriculture (primarily malt barley and sugar beets), sheep and cattle ranching, oil production, and manufacturing. Sheep glean plowed fields near town, and the Wyoming Sugar Company's plant on the southwest edge of Worland provides economic stability, keeping more than 20,000 acres in beets. Also important is a major aluminum can factory that produces three million cans per day, and a Pepsi bottling plant that fills many of these. The town has a pleasant Western feel, with nightly baseball games throughout the summer, tree-bordered streets and simple homes in the center, and suburban ranch-style homes spreading across the surrounding countryside. The slow Bighorn River twists its way along the edge of Worland, but just a few miles to the west or east is painted desert country with dry rocky buttes, sagebrush, and sheep.
The Artesian Fountain next to the Chamber of Commerce is dedicated to the thirsty traveler from near and far. Husky Oil Company may have been disappointed when they failed to strike oil at the 4,330 foot level, but their discovery was just as precious when the well produced a record volume of Artesian Water.
Husky Oil, in the finest Western tradition, gave the well to Worland. The well is located some 23 miles northeast of Worland, on the western slope of the Big Horn Mountains. The flow is 14,000 gpm at 200 psi at temperature of 76 degrees. There is sufficient pressure to push the water in the transmission line from the wellhead for 23 miles to Worland.
A second Artesian Well has been added for backup if needed. The system storage capacity is 6 million gallons. Local industry welcomes this fine Artesian Water supply and looks forward with assurance to a prosperous and growing economic future for Worland and Washakie County.
Sites to see
Things To Do and See in the Worland and Big Horn Mountains of Wyoming - In addition to the obvious attraction of the Big Horn Mountains, like fishing for cutthroat, rainbow and brookie trout; or hunting for white tail or mule deer, elk, antelope and bear; there is backpacking, downhill and cross country skiing, camping, snowshoeing, boating, and photography, the Worland Area offers a lot more.
Loop Tours
If you're looking for a day-long excursion, pick one of four "loop tours". Three of the four tours involve less than 115 miles of driving, and, depending on your choice for the day, you can see prehistoric petroglyphs and pictographs, beautiful waterfalls, thermal hot springs, the beauty of mountain splendor or the "painted desert", the medicine wheel, bison, deer, elk, coyote, antelope and variety of other wildlife and waterfowl. Guided tours are available.
The Big Horn Basin area offers the outdoor enthusiasts a unique selection of year-around recreation. Some of the more popular summer/fall activities include: hunting, fishing, hiking, horseback riding and mountain climbing. The winter months offer snowmobiling, downhill and cross-country skiing in the Big Horn Mountains.
For the adventurous, our area has a number of established outfitters who can provide anything from cattle round-ups to horseback riding. Call the Chamber for more details, or visit
www.bighornadventure.com . Also is available is the Moonrock Equestrian Area
Inc. Riders can compete in the Moonrock Horse Trials at Beginner-Novice, Novice, Training and Prelim levels. Check our pages for a sneak peek at the terrain and jumps.
Wild game is abundant in Washakie County, including sage grouse, chukkar, blue grouse, pheasant, ducks, deer, antelope, elk, and moose
Worland Wyoming Indian Brave #36 on the Trail of the Whispering Giants – Located on the corner of 10th street and Big Horn Avenue in Worland ,the thirty sixth wood carving in Peter Toth’s “Trail of the Whispering Giants” “... to honor the first Americans – the Shoshone, Arapaho, Sioux – all the Indians that did and still do live in this state.” Carved in 1980 and given to the State of Wyoming, County of Washakie and the City of Worland, it is one of 67 in the United States and Canada.
Washakie Museum offers its visitors an opportunity to relate to the living environment of the early settlers from thousands of years ago to one hundred years ago. Exhibits, including a major historical photograph collection, and learning programs relating to the art, history, geology, archaeology and paleontology of the region are featured at the museum, as well as musical and theatrical events. The "Please Touch" exhibits offer fun for both children and adults. The art exhibits change regularly. Please call for upcoming events. Washakie Museum 1115 Obie Sue (12th & Obie Sue), Worland. 347-4102.
The Whales – These formations located about 10 miles by road south of Worland to all appearances seem to be “swimming” right out of the hill side. These giant eel like formations complete with blow hole are a product of our volcanic past.
Gooseberry Scenic Area is named for the Gooseberry Creek south of the site. This scenic area provides panoramic view of the sculptured landscape. The overlook reveals a mystical world of bizarre geologic arches, goblins, hoodoos, mushrooms, and castles. The colorful and banded rocks of the Tatman and Willwood Formations attract many people wishing to capture the beauty with their camera.
Colby Mammoth Site - The Colby site is located just outside Worland on private property. This important site was named after Donald Colby who discovered the first Clovis spear point there in 1962. Mr. Colby found it while using heavy earth moving equipment during the construction of a reservoir. The Colby site was first recognized as an important archaeological site in 1973 when the first scientific excavations there began to take place. Most of the site was eventually excavated during five separate digging seasons between the years 1973 through 1978.
Parts of at least seven mammoths were found in an ancient arroyo (dry gully or stream) in two areas dating estimates for Clovis could place this site as early as 14,000 years ago. Other types of animal bones found on the Colby site include horse, camel, bison, pronghorn, jackrabbit and possibly musk-ox.
Sand Creek Divide –Half way between Worland & Ten Sleep is the highest location in the badlands from this local you can see the entire basin including the five mountain ranges that surround it. To the east the Big Horn Mountains, to the south the Owl Creek Mountains, to the west the Absaroka Mountains the northwest are the Carter Mountains and to the north the Pryor Mountains.
Big Cedar Ridge Plant Fossil Area holds plant fossils that are 72 million years old. Big Cedar Ridge is located on public lands about halfway between Worland and Ten Sleep, Wyoming. When these plants were growing the dinosaur reign was coming to a close. The plant fossils are keys that may unlock the mysteries of what the environment was like so long ago. A complete late Cretaceous-age plant community was buried in place by volcanic ash. Through erosion and continued research, Big Cedar Ridge slowly unveils its treasure of fossilized plants. For nearly three miles, the exposed fossils show the relationship between ancient plants and their landscape. You can help scientists by reporting your fossil finds to the BLM. Plant fossils (animals without a backbone) can be collected in small amounts with hand tools.
Annual Festivals:
CultureFest – 2nd weekend in June,
Big Horn Mountains wild flowers peak season June 15 - July 1
Wyoming State BBQ Championship and Bluegrass Festival – 3rd weekend in August
Hunterfest – October 14th
Parade of Lights – The Friday after Thanksgiving
The first fort in Wyoming was started as a fur trade post in 1834, known as Fort John. Located near the Laramie River, it had become Fort Laramie by 1849 when the military took control. The fort's grounds just west of the town of Fort Laramie in southeast Wyoming have an open parade ground surrounded by military-era buildings. One structure, Old Bedlam, is the oldest standing building in the State of Wyoming. At or near Fort Laramie, fur traders, overland emigrants, the frontier army and Indians gathered as they came to trade, work and meet. read more
