Rawlins, Wyoming: Where the Fun Never Stops! Best Places to Visit and Things to Do

Rawlins sits on the transcontinental railroad line in southern Wyoming, and its main attraction is a prison that ran from 1901 to 1981. You can tour the cells, the gallows and the gas chamber. The Carbon County Museum holds the skull of the outlaw Big Nose George. Everything else here is mountains.

Rawlins, Wyoming is an Old West town with serious country around it. History, hard walking or a straightforward family weekend: it covers all three. The Wyoming Frontier Prison and the hiking in the Medicine Bow-Routt National Forests are the two ends of what this small town offers.

The history is where to start in Rawlins. The Wyoming Frontier Prison held outlaws including Butch Cassidy and Big Nose George, and it is still standing. The Carbon County Museum covers the rest of the area’s past, from the early railroad days through to the present. The Rawlins Historic Downtown District is the walk, with the architecture as the reason to go slowly.

The outdoor country around Rawlins is the other half. Miles of hiking and biking trails, fishing and boating, and a ski resort near enough to use. Rock climbing and white-water rafting are both available for anyone who wants the day to be harder than it needs to be.

Key Takeaways

Rawlins, Wyoming is a perfect destination for history buffs, adventure seekers, and families looking for a fun getaway.
Explore the town’s rich history by visiting the Wyoming Frontier Prison, Carbon County Museum, and Rawlins Historic Downtown District.
Get your adrenaline pumping by hiking, biking, fishing, boating, skiing, rock climbing, or white-water rafting in the beautiful Wyoming wilderness.

The Historic Charms of Rawlins

Rawlins, Wyoming is unusually well supplied with history for a town this size. Several sites, museums and landmarks are all within a short walk of each other. The ones worth seeing:

Carbon County Museum

The Carbon County Museum comes first. It holds an extensive collection of photographs and artifacts from the area’s past, running from the transcontinental railroad through to the outlaw Big Nose George, whose boots and ashtray are on display. Check the museum’s website before you go, because the events and exhibits change.

Wyoming Frontier Prison Museum

The Wyoming Frontier Prison Museum is the reason most people stop in Rawlins. The prison operated from 1901 to 1981 and the building is intact. You tour the cells, the gallows and the gas chamber, and you hear about the men who were held here. It stays with people longer than they expect.

Union Pacific Depot

The Union Pacific Depot is the other historic landmark in Rawlins. It was built in 1899 and is now on the National Registry of Historic Places, and it served as a hub for the transcontinental railroad that opened up the West. The museum inside covers the railroad and what it did to this region.

Historic Downtown Rawlins

Historic Downtown Rawlins closes the list and deserves an hour. The nationally designated historic district holds a run of well-preserved 19th century buildings, and the main street is worth walking slowly for the architecture alone. The local shops and restaurants are where you stop when your neck gets tired.

Rawlins, Wyoming carries more history than a town this size normally holds. Museums, prisons, railroads or architecture: all four are covered and all four are walkable. Get in the car and go.

Outdoor Adventures in Rawlins

Rawlins is proper outdoor country and the range is wide. Hiking, fishing, camping and wildlife viewing are all here. The best places to get outside around Rawlins:

Tully Park

Tully Park is the easy one, and it works for an afternoon with a family. There is a playground, a picnic area and enough open space to lose children in safely, plus a walking trail and a basketball court. It is where you go on a mild Wyoming afternoon when nobody wants to drive anywhere.

Seminole State Park

Seminole State Park is the one for anyone who would rather be outdoors all day. Fishing, camping, hiking and wildlife viewing are all available, and the park holds pronghorn, mule deer and elk. There is a boat to take out on the reservoir and a designated swimming area when the day gets hot.

Medicine Bow National Forest

Medicine Bow National Forest is the largest of them, and the wilderness there goes further than a weekend can cover. Hike to the top of Medicine Bow Peak, fish one of the many streams, or camp out under the stars. Moose, elk and black bears all live in this forest, which is worth remembering when you pitch a tent.

Snowy Range

The Snowy Range is the mountain end of the same country, and it carries some of the best hiking and camping in the state. Medicine Bow Peak is the summit to aim for, the streams hold fish, and the camping is as good as it gets. Moose, elk and black bears turn up here too.

Rawlins earns the drive for anyone who would rather be outside. Hiking, fishing, camping or wildlife viewing all work here, and the country starts closer to town than you expect.

Fun and Games in Rawlins

Rawlins runs a decent list of things to do that have nothing to do with history. The options:

Rochelle Ranch Golf Course

Rochelle Ranch Golf Course is the one for golfers, with the surrounding mountains doing as much as the layout does. The course is a genuine test and the club runs lessons at every level. Even without clubs, a walk around it is worth the time.

Bowling Adventures

For an evening out with friends or family, Bowling Adventures is the answer. There are enough lanes that a group is not standing around waiting, and the snack bar covers the hunger that turns up somewhere around the fifth frame.

Big Screen Movie Time

Sometimes a film is the whole plan. Big Screen Movie Time runs the latest releases alongside older favorites, with comfortable seating and enough snacks that you will not need dinner afterwards.

Whatever your idea of a good evening is, Rawlins has a version of it. Pick one and go.

Art and Culture Scene

Rawlins holds more culture than its population predicts, across museums and galleries both. The places worth visiting:

Speciality Museums

Rawlins has several museums covering the town’s history and culture. The Carbon County Museum is the main one, running the area’s coal mining industry and the pioneers who settled here, with exhibits on Native American culture and the history of the state penitentiary alongside.

For the prison side of it, the Wyoming Frontier Prison Museum is the place to go. The former state penitentiary now houses a museum displaying artifacts and memorabilia from its working life, and the guided tour covers the inmates who were held here.

Artifacts Display

For artifacts and antiques, Rawlins has plenty. The Rawlins Depot Museum holds a collection of railroad artifacts and sets out the town’s history as a railroad hub, with local history and culture covered alongside it.

For local art, the Carbon County Arts Guild and Depot Gallery is the stop. The gallery shows work by local artists and runs regular exhibitions and events. Art classes and workshops run here too, so painting or pottery is an option if the weather turns.

History or art, Rawlins covers both properly. Take a camera and give the culture and heritage here a full afternoon.

Food and Drink Spots

Rawlins, Wyoming eats better than its size suggests, and the range runs from a proper dinner to a quick lunch. The places to try:

Fine Dining Options

Jeffrey’s Bistro is the one in Rawlins for a fancy night out. The room is comfortable and the menu runs steak through to seafood, done with more care than you expect this far from a city.

The Buckhorn Bar & Parlor is the other end, and it has been here since 1900. The old-western room is genuine rather than themed, and the menu covers burgers, sandwiches and steaks. The prime rib is what people drive in for.

Lunch Time Favorites

For something quick in Rawlins, the Depot Restaurant is the local standard. The sandwiches and burgers are what it is known for, and the salads and soups hold up if you want something lighter.

The Sweetwater Station is the other lunch stop, running sandwiches, wraps and salads. The homemade pies are the reason to go, and the selection changes daily, so ask what is out.

Whatever you are hungry for, Rawlins will handle it. Take somebody with you and work through the list.

The history is the reason to stop. The Wyoming Frontier Prison covers eighty years of it, and the Union Pacific Depot, built in 1899, covers the railroad that put the town here. Historic Downtown Rawlins is a nationally designated district of 19th century buildings. Beyond the town, the Medicine Bow National Forest and the Snowy Range take over, and Seminole State Park handles the water.

Shopping in Rawlins

Rawlins shops better than expected, from souvenirs through to house decor. The places worth a look:

Downtown Retail Therapy

Rawlins’ award-winning downtown carries boutique shopping, fine dining and western artwork in one walkable stretch. The retailers to find:

Geek-ish Things: Looking for a stocking stuffer for your favorite nerd? Look no further than Geek-ish Things. This unique store has a variety of speciality and gift items that will satisfy even the most hardcore Star Wars fan.
Windswept Goods: This store has a variety of speciality and gift items that will satisfy even the most hardcore Star Wars fan. They have a variety of unique souvenirs that will remind you of your trip to Rawlins.
Hack’s Tackle & Outfitters: If you’re an outdoor enthusiast, you won’t want to miss Hack’s Tackle & Outfitters. They have everything you need for your next fishing or hunting trip.

Unique Souvenir Stores

To take something home from Rawlins, these are the souvenir stores worth the stop:

Carbon County Museum: This museum has a variety of souvenirs, including books, postcards, and t-shirts. You can also learn about the history of Rawlins while you’re there.
The Frontier Mart: This store has a variety of western-themed souvenirs, including cowboy hats, boots, and belt buckles. You’ll feel like a true cowboy or cowgirl when you leave.

Rawlins rewards an afternoon of browsing. Bring a card that has not been near a wine region recently.

Planning Your Trip

Best Time to Visit

Aim for Rawlins, Wyoming between May and September, when the weather is mild enough to be outdoors all day. That is also peak tourist season, so expect crowds and higher prices, and book what you can in advance.

Traveler Tips

A little planning makes Rawlins go considerably better, mostly because the distances are longer than the map suggests. The tips worth knowing:

Check out Rawlins’ Facebook page for the latest news and updates.
Read reviews and traveler experiences to get an idea of what to expect.
Pack accordingly, especially if you’re planning a road trip. Bring plenty of snacks, water, and emergency supplies.
Take lots of photos to capture your memories.

Getting Around Rawlins

A car is how you see Rawlins. Rent one at the airport or in town, or bring your own. On a road trip, carry a map or a GPS device, because signal out here is not something to depend on.

Parking is free at most attractions in Rawlins. Expect a short walk at either end, particularly during peak season.

For something more memorable, drive out of Rawlins through the Snowy Range Mountains. The scenic route opens up the country around it the whole way, and most people who take it name it as the best part of the trip.

That is the Planning Your Trip section covered. The rest is the driving.

Events and Festivals

Rawlins runs a busy calendar for a town this size, from music festivals through to rodeos. Something is usually on.

Carbon County Fair and Rodeo

The Carbon County Fair and Rodeo is the one to plan around. It runs every summer with the full set of rodeo events: barrel racing, bull riding and team roping. Carnival rides, games and fair food fill the rest of it.

There is more to the fair than the rodeo. The 4-H and FFA livestock show brings out the best animals in the county, and the demolition derby is exactly what it sounds like.

Bring a hat and boots and go to the Carbon County Fair and Rodeo. It is the loudest weekend of the year here and nobody sits it out.

Rawlins Legends and Lore

Rawlins, Wyoming has more Wild West history than most towns can claim, and the legends here are specific rather than general. The ones people come for:

Big Nose George

Big Nose George was one of the most notorious outlaws in the state’s history, a cattle rustler and train robber working in the late 1800s. He was captured and hanged in Rawlins, and the story does not stop there. His body was used for medical research afterwards, and his skin was made into a pair of shoes.

The shoes were reportedly worn by the doctor who performed the autopsy on George, and later displayed in a bar in Rawlins. They have since disappeared. George’s skull is still on display at the Carbon County Museum, and it is a strange thing to stand in front of.

Wyoming State Penitentiary

The Wyoming State Penitentiary is the other stop for anyone interested in the Wild West. The historic prison held some of the most notorious outlaws of the period, Butch Cassidy and Big Nose George among them.

Guided tours of the prison run through the year, and they cover the history of the facility and the men who were held in it. The gas chamber is part of the route, and several inmates were executed there.

The legends of Big Nose George or the history of the Wyoming State Penitentiary: Rawlins has plenty of both. Bring a hat and boots and give the Wild West a full day.

Frequently Asked Questions

What kind of trouble can you get into in Rawlins, Wyoming?

You would have to work at it. Rawlins is a small town with a friendly community, and a helping hand is considerably more likely than a fist. The local police department is also paying attention, which settles most of it.

Are there any hidden gem attractions in Rawlins that tourists often miss?

Several. The Wyoming Frontier Prison and Carbon County Museum are the obvious ones, and there is more in Rawlins than that. The Sinclair dinosaur statue is worth the detour, the historic Ferris Mansion is the one architecture people miss, and the Rawlins Rocks and Minerals Club is unlike anything else in town.

Is Rawlins known for any unique local cuisine?

This is not a haute cuisine town and it does not pretend to be. What Rawlins does well is hearty, home-cooked food. Buck’s Sports Grill handles the burgers and fries, and the Rochelle Ranch Golf Course does a steak dinner that people remember.

Are there any ghost stories or haunted places in Rawlins?

Reliably so. Rawlins is home to the Wyoming Frontier Prison, which is said to be haunted by former inmates. Visitors report strange noises and cold spots through the building. A ghost tour runs at night for anyone who wants to test it.

The country around Rawlins is some of the best in the state. The Snowy Range Scenic Byway is the drive, running straight through the mountains. Medicine Bow National Forest is the hiking and the camping. Watch for elk, moose and bighorn sheep along both.

Frequently asked questions about Rawlins, Wyoming

How long did the Wyoming Frontier Prison in Rawlins operate?

From 1901 to 1981, which is eighty years of it. The museum runs guided tours through the cells, the gallows and the gas chamber. It is a sobering visit rather than a spooky one, whatever the ghost tours suggest.

Where can you see Big Nose George’s skull in Rawlins?

At the Carbon County Museum, which also holds his boots. He was a cattle rustler and train robber, captured and hanged here in the late 1800s, and what was done with his body afterwards is the part people remember. The museum does not sensationalise it. Nor should anyone else.

When is the best time to visit Rawlins, Wyoming?

Between May and September, when the weather is mild enough to be outdoors all day. That is also peak season, so expect crowds and higher prices. A car is essential either way, because the good country is spread out.

Keep exploring Rawlins, Wyoming