Wyoming has a lot of abandoned places and a lot of rough country to reach them in.
Note: Many of these locations are in an extremely delicate state. Specifics on locations, such as coordinates or maps, are not given. This is done so purposefully as a barrier to entry to those who may mean harm to these spots. I want to ensure that these abandoned places in Wyoming are known about, but stay as vandalism and destruction free as possible. Remember: Take only photos, leave only footprints.
Breakdown: The Top 10 and More
If you have a specific location from the list below that you would like to immediately get more information about, click the links in the list to snap straight to that abandoned places in Wyoming location.
Broaden Your Horizons Beyond Wyoming
Are you interested in venturing outside the state of Wyoming? Maybe you live close to the state line, or maybe you’re just looking for adventures outside your home state. Whatever the case may be, here are some guides to bordering states that may be helpful in effective urban exploration:
Don’t Forget About Trespassing Laws
It is important when considering abandoned places in Wyoming to know the basics of Wyoming trespassing laws. Luckily, we have developed a massive guide to trespassing laws in all 50 states. For laws that specifically relate to Wyoming, please click here.
Without any further ado, let’s hop into the list of abandoned places!
The Best Abandoned Places in Wyoming
Atlantic City (Atlantic City)
Situated amidst the sweeping landscapes of Fremont County, Wyoming, Atlantic City is a small inhabited community that bears witness to an era of gold-fuelled prosperity. Founded during the significant gold rush of the 1860s, the town served as the dwelling for over 500 miners and their families at its peak. Today the town still has residents and operating businesses, alongside its closed mines and its old, weather-beaten graveyard.
Visitors to Atlantic City can take a leisurely stroll down its main street, which is now designated as a Historic District listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
The town sits below the Wind River Range, in open hill country. The tranquil beauty of the Wyoming wilderness gives Atlantic City a serene, contemplative atmosphere, but the buildings here are private property in a lived-in town rather than an exploration site.
Carbon Cemetery (Carbon)
Serving as a poignant monument to Wyoming’s once flourishing coal industry, Carbon Cemetery lies near the abandoned town of Carbon. In the 1860s, Carbon was a dynamic coal-mining town with an array of saloons, hotels, and stores. Its destiny was dramatically altered when the transcontinental railroad shifted from coal to oil, leading to the gradual decline of the town and its eventual abandonment.
Enclosed by an aged wooden fence that bears the mark of years gone by, the cemetery is a quiet enclave filled with a collection of gravestones. These markers, some ornate and others humble, date back to the late 19th century.
Gebo Ghost Town (Thermopolis)
The ghost town of Gebo, close to Thermopolis, came out of Wyoming’s coal mining industry. Named after Samuel Wilford Gebo, who established the first coal mines in the area, Gebo was once a bustling hub of activity and the largest town in Hot Springs County. In its heyday in the early 20th century, the town’s population swelled to over 20,000 inhabitants, and it boasted an impressive infrastructure that included a school, stores, hotels, and even a jail.However, the tide turned for Gebo with the closure of the last mine in 1938, marking the beginning of the town’s gradual descent into desertion. Now, the skeletal remains of Gebo’s past are all that’s left. The decaying buildings, abandoned homes, and old mining structures scattered around the town provide a hauntingly beautiful tableau of a once-thriving community.
Despite the palpable decay, the original layout of Gebo remains intact, allowing visitors to imagine the hustle and bustle that once pervaded these now silent streets. Gebo shows what life in an American mining town looked like. As you wander through the deserted streets, the echoes of laughter, chatter, and the clattering of coal mining resonate in the air, offering an unforgettable exploration experience.
The Smith Mansion (Cody)
This colossal, multi-tiered wooden structure, the brainchild of Wyoming native Francis Lee Smith, was built single-handedly over a period of more than two decades. The structure spirals upward through a maze of beams, balconies and rooms.Smith, an engineer by profession, dedicated the majority of his adult life to the creation of this labyrinthine mansion. He sourced the wood from the surrounding forests and constructed every piece by hand. Unfortunately, he met an untimely death during the mansion’s construction, falling from one of its many levels. Since then, the mansion has been abandoned, with Smith’s dream left unfinished.
Today, the mansion is a fascinating spectacle of architectural wonder, looming over the landscape like a ghostly ship navigating an ocean of grass and wildflowers. The structure still has its ladders and hanging platforms, which is the clearest thing left of what Smith was trying to build. For urban explorers and architecture enthusiasts alike, the Smith Mansion offers a uniquely haunting and captivating destination.
Miner’s Delight (Lander)
Miner’s Delight, located near the city of Lander, Wyoming, was once a thriving mining camp during the state’s gold rush in the late 19th century. The community was formally known as Hamilton City, but the miners affectionately referred to it as Miner’s Delight, a moniker that has endured to the present day.
At its peak, Miner’s Delight boasted about 75 buildings, including a schoolhouse, post office, and the Miner’s Delight Mine, from which the town derived its popular name. The gold extracted from this mine was renowned for its high quality, leading to the town’s brief period of prosperity. However, as the gold veins were exhausted, the town began its slow descent into oblivion.
Today, Miner’s Delight is a desolate ghost town, with only a few structures still standing, including the remnants of log cabins, the mine’s hoist house, and various mining equipment. The dilapidated buildings, slowly succumbing to the elements, paint a poignant picture of the boom and bust cycle inherent to mining towns. For urban explorers, Miner’s Delight offers a fascinating glimpse into the state’s gold mining history, and the quiet desolation adds an aura of mystery to the experience.
Wyoming Frontier Prison (Rawlins)
A chilling monument to the grim reality of incarceration, the Wyoming Frontier Prison in Rawlins is a haunting embodiment of history. This formidable structure, with its high stone walls and foreboding towers, first opened its doors in 1901 and operated for over 80 years before its closure in 1981. It housed thousands of inmates throughout its history, and it is preserved today as an operating museum that tells the story of its past.
The prison was renowned for its brutal conditions and was home to various forms of punishment, including a dungeon for solitary confinement, and later, a gas chamber. The institution was frequently overcrowded, adding to the hardship of those incarcerated within its walls.
Today, the Wyoming Frontier Prison is open to the public for guided tours, where visitors can explore the vacant cell blocks, solitary confinement cells, the chilling execution chamber, and the eerie chapel. The austere stone walls, rusted iron bars, and echoes of past inhabitants create an atmospheric exploration experience.
The echoes of the past resonate throughout the old prison, which is staffed and open only on ticketed guided tours.
Kirwin Ghost Town (Meeteetse)
High in the Absaroka Mountains, near the town of Meeteetse, Wyoming, lies the haunting ghost town of Kirwin. Established in the late 19th century during a period of silver prospecting, Kirwin was once a bustling mining town, complete with a post office, a few businesses, and numerous homes. The town’s dreams of prosperity were abruptly shattered by a deadly avalanche in 1907, leading to a mass exodus and the town’s subsequent abandonment.
Today, Kirwin exists as an isolated outpost in Wyoming’s wilderness, a haunting relic of the state’s mining history. Over two dozen structures still stand, including cabins, an assay office, and remnants of the mines. The harsh alpine weather and the passage of time have lent an air of desolation and decay to these structures, adding to their eerie allure.
Access to Kirwin is no small task, requiring a high-clearance vehicle and a willingness to navigate rugged mountain trails. The walk in takes you through open wilderness and shows you what mining life in the Wind River country was like.
Como Bluff Fossil Cabin (Medicine Bow)
Constructed entirely from dinosaur bones, the Como Bluff Fossil Cabin near Medicine Bow, Wyoming, is a unique and surreal monument to paleontological history. The cabin was built in 1932 by Thomas Boylan, who spent seventeen years collecting dinosaur bones from the nearby Como Bluff, a famed site for Jurassic and Cretaceous fossils.
Boylan intended the cabin to serve as a tourist attraction, labeling it as the “world’s oldest cabin.” However, as interest waned over the years, the cabin was eventually abandoned. It is said to contain over 5,796 individual dinosaur bones, which says something about both Boylan’s persistence and the paleontology of the region.
Today, the cabin stands alone on the windswept Wyoming landscape, its fossil-embedded walls a curiosity for passing explorers. Each bone embedded in the structure has a story millions of years in the making, making the cabin a must-see for history lovers and urban explorers alike.
Winton Tunnel (Gillette)
The Winton Tunnel, near Gillette, Wyoming, came out of the state’s railroad building. Constructed in 1891 as part of the Burlington Northern Railroad line, this 1,600-foot long tunnel is carved straight through a solid sandstone ridge. The tunnel served as an important railway link for many years until it was abandoned in 1983. The tunnel’s structure is still sound, and the stone walls still show the marks of the tools that cut them. Urban explorers and history enthusiasts who visit the Winton Tunnel can experience firsthand the haunting atmosphere and quiet solitude of this forgotten piece of Wyoming’s railway history.Trail End State Historic Site (Sheridan)
The Trail End State Historic Site in Sheridan, Wyoming, stands as a beautifully preserved example of early 20th-century elegance and wealth. This sprawling Flemish Revival mansion, also known as Kendrick Mansion, was once the home of Wyoming cattle baron and politician John B. Kendrick.
Construction of the mansion was completed in 1913, and it stands as a symbol of the opulence of the era. Despite its beauty, the mansion has experienced periods of abandonment. After the last of the Kendricks moved out in 1933, the mansion was unoccupied until 1959 when it was donated to the State of Wyoming.
The mansion is a hub of ghostly tales, with many reported sightings of spectral figures, perhaps members of the Kendrick family, still occupying their beloved home. The mansion is not abandoned. It is an operating state historic site, open to the public as a house museum with regular tours. Visitors frequently report an eerie feeling of being watched and an unsettling quiet that pervades the vast rooms and long, empty corridors.
Our Final Thoughts on Abandoned Places in Wyoming
Those who are into urban exploration in the Wyoming area should get comfortable with Wyoming trespassing laws. Luckily, we have developed a massive guide to trespassing laws in all 50 states. For laws that specifically relate to Wyoming, please click here.
For more about obtaining permission to explore abandoned places, check out our guide Explore Abandoned Buildings: How To Get Permission. Finally, if you are wanting to find more abandoned places in Wyoming, check out my resource How To Find Abandoned Places With Google Maps.
Happy exploring!
- John Bourscheid, Killer Urbex