Wyoming's Underrated Town Is An Idyllic Retirement Destination With Scenic Mineral Springs To Soak In

Most people visit Wyoming for Jackson Hole and the surrounding National Parks. If that's your plan, you don't want to miss these clever tricks for visiting Yellowstone on a tight budget. That being said, almost exactly in the middle of the least populated state is the hot springs Western town of Thermopolis. It is a warm water refuge surrounded by national forests, majestic mountain ranges, and national parks. It's the ideal place to retire, with unbeatable opportunities to soak, to gaze into and explore open spaces, and to enjoy the relatively temperate climate of the Big Horn Basin. If you're not ready to retire, Thermop at least deserves a visit.

Themopolis isn't just a great place to relax — it's also a great place to hike and fish. It's an ideal area to swim in natural hot springs and hike, enjoying the rimrock and ancient geological marvels. You can gaze at the fossils and petroglyphs from life long before recorded history. Given its location, Thermopolis is a great launching point for countless Wyoming adventures.

Between the warm soaks, unbeatable sunsets, Cowboy State Western charm, and ample activities, Thermopolis is a perfect place for a visit to wild Wyoming. Whether it's for a few days, a few weeks, or your golden years is all up to you.

With a name like Thermopolis, you would assume there's a lot of thermal activity there, and you'd be right. This is what heats up the hot springs like the ones at Hot Springs State Park and Star Plunge hot spring water park. You can experience the power of our planet when you're swimming in a pool heated by the depths of the Earth.

A soak after a hike is a truly wonderful experience, and Thermopolis has some great hiking. Check out Wind River Canyon and its dramatic rimrock reaching up from a winding river, experiencing a part of Wyoming that doesn't always make the tourist brochures. The drive into the canyon is unforgettable and the trout fishing on the river is just as impressive. As you hike in the canyon you go back in time — geologically, that is — and at some spots the rock is 2.8 billion years old. Just remember, the water is on the Wind River Indian Reservation, so you'll need an additional fishing license to wet a line in these tribal lands.

Nearby, the options just grow. With its location at the junction of US-20 and US-120, Thermopolis is close — at least by Wyoming standards — to everywhere. It's a little over an hour south of the artsy town of Cody, Yellowstone's only gateway with two entrances. On your way, you can check out prehistoric rock paintings at the Legend Rock Petroglyph site about 20 minutes northwest of Thermopolis. It's also an hour and a half north of the town of Lander, known for its geological wonders, including the marvelous Sinks Canyon. To the east is the Bighorn National Forest, and to the west is the Shoshone National Forest and the vast Wind River Range. It's all accessible from this relatively temperate idyllic little Wyoming community.

Thermpolis has a few hotels to take care of you, like the Elk Antler Inn downtown, the Hot Springs Hotel and Spa, and its neighbor the Best Western Plus Plaza, both located next to Hot Springs State Park on the Big Horn River. There are also ample RV and camping opportunities, or you could just move there. Nasdaq just ranked Thermopolis as one of 20 top places to retire. While there are a lot of lifestyle benefits to retiring in Thermopolis, the lack of state income tax in Wyoming is a nice little bonus.

Whether you're just visiting or permanently moving to Thermopolis, you'll want to check out the Wyoming Dinosaur Center. Close to 20,000 dinosaur bones were found in the nearby Thermopolis bonebeds, and some of the most impressive are on display here. You can  even go on a dig yourself through the Dinosaur Center. After you're done playing paleontologist, check out the Hot Springs County Museum and Cultural Center. Housed in a historic brick garage, this museum delves into everybody who called the area home, from outlaws to the Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho tribes. It also boasts replicas of old town buildings and fittings.

As you sit over dinner and a beer at the One Eyed Buffalo Brewing Company in the center of town, you might find yourself gazing at some of the gambling opportunities at this Wyoming restaurant. You might even feel like you're at an old real Western saloon — especially if you plan on checking out the rodeo later. Seriously, though, the famous sentiment, "Keep Wyoming Wild," is embodied by everything from the ample public lands around Thermopolis to the celebration of its wild heritage — both historic and prehistoric. You might never want to leave Thermopolis, which would be just fine.