Wyoming's Oldest Town Was A Once-Thriving Mining Community That Now Highlights Nearby Historic Attractions

Think Wyoming, and its greatest hits rush to mind: Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Park (and the parkway with secluded stays and hidden hikes that lies between them); skiing holidays at Jackson Hole; and a few days at Cheyenne for a dose of state history. But those in search of something truly authentic shouldn't pass up Hartville, which wears its "oldest incorporated town" distinction with pride. Part of Platte County, Hartville sits in eastern Wyoming, surrounded by rolling hills and rock formations. It's one of those blink-or-you'll-miss-it places — and it would be a shame to miss a town that's managed to hold on to its rugged, small-town Americana charm. 

Hartville also claims another accolade: It is one of the oldest mining sites in the U.S., dating back 13,000 years, when ochre extraction was practiced by Paleo-Indians in the region. But it took a copper boom — short-lived as it was, between 1880 and 1887 — for the town to come into its own. The dwindling copper mining industry gave way to hematite iron ore, discovered beneath the copper layers at what would become the Sunrise Mine. 

With the nearby town of Sunrise — about a mile from Hartville — operating as a company-controlled area, Hartville became the heart of frontier institutions, with saloons, gambling halls, brothels, newspapers, and a vaudeville theater painting the picture of a thriving Old West boomtown. The rowdy atmosphere of Hartville evolved with the times and eventually settled down, especially after the Sunrise Mine closed. Without an industry to support it, Hartville's population — 776 in 1900 — slowly dwindled down to about 60 residents in 2026.

Getting to Hartville is a road-trip kind of journey — a car is essential. If you're flying in, rent a car from the closest airports: Denver International Airport is 3 hours away, and Cheyenne Regional Airport is 1.5 hours away. Crank up the best road trip songs from the '60s on those speakers, and drive north through the scenic expanse of the Wyoming countryside, turning onto Main Street from Hartville Highway (State Highway 270).

No trip to Hartville is complete without dropping by its most famous landmark — the oldest bar in the state. We aren't talking about a location per se, but about the historic, hand-carved cherrywood bar whose voyage was nothing short of epic: aboard a boat from Germany to New York in 1862, then by train to Cheyenne, before being loaded into a horse-drawn buggy to Fort Laramie. Hartville's Opera House became its home some 20 years later, before it was eventually transported to its current location in 1941 — Hartville's Miners and Stockmen's Steakhouse and Spirits.

Today, local patrons and tourists alike can enjoy drinks and steaks in a building defined by Western architectural regalia – hardwood floors, a tin ceiling, a weathered brick exterior, and aged wood, with the legendary bar anchoring the entire experience. Hartville's former schoolhouse has also been converted into a museum and community center.

There isn't a long list of things to do within Hartville itself, but the surrounding area offers plenty of history and outdoor exploration. Drive five 5 south to Guernsey State Park, where you can pitch a tent at any of its 19 campgrounds and 250 campsites and spend days exploring the park's extensive trails for both hiking and biking, four official beach areas for boating, horseback riding, and scenic overlooks.

To delve deeper into the state's storied past, the park features a literal historic imprint of the Oregon Trail Ruts, where the wheels of the wagon-riding emigrants embarking on the Oregon-California Trail during the 1840s had worn the rocky trail down to 4-foot deep ruts. Keep your eyes peeled for a log-and-sandstone-crafted latrine that dates back to the 1930s, affectionately dubbed "Million Dollar Biffy" after the length of time it took the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) — a government work relief program for unemployed citizens during the Great Depression — to finish building it. On that note, the CCC was also behind the massive, fortress-like structure complete with picnic tables, a fireplace, benches, and a spiral staircase — which local publication Cowboy State Daily referred to as "the most over-the-top picnic shelter in the U.S."

Meanwhile, north of Hartville is Glendo, a small, uncrowded Wyoming town between Cheyenne and Casper that makes for an idyllic mountain gateway and a practical home base for visiting Glendo State Park and its numerous trails.