Hot Springs State Park
| Hot Springs State Park | |
|---|---|
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  Hot Springs State Park Location in Wyoming | |
| Location | Thermopolis, Wyoming, United States |
| Coordinates | 43°39′12″N 108°11′42″W / 43.65333°N 108.19500°W[1] |
| Area | 1,108.67 acres (448.66 ha)[2] |
| Elevation | 4,354 ft (1,327 m)[1] |
| Established | 1897 |
| Administered by | Wyoming State Parks, Historic Sites & Trails |
| Designation | Wyoming state park |
| Website | Official website  |
Hot Springs State Park is a public recreation area in Thermopolis, Wyoming, known for its hot springs, which flow at a constant temperature of 135 °F (57.2 °C). The state park offers free bathing at the State Bath House, where temperatures are moderated to a therapeutic 104 °F (40.0 °C).[3] The petroglyph site at Legend Rock, some 25 miles (40 km) away, is also part of the park.[4] The park is managed by the Wyoming Division of State Parks and Historic Sites.
History
[edit]The land on which the state park sits was a cession agreement, and the ceded portion was purchased from the Eastern Shoshone by the federal government in 1896, when Indian Inspector James McLaughlin negotiated a purchase price of $60,000 for a 100-square-mile portion (260 km2) of the Shoshone reservation. A 1-square-mile section (2.6 km2) of that land was released to the state in 1897 which became Wyoming's first state park, known as Big Horn Hot Springs State Reserve.[5][6]
A small herd of bison was established in 1916.[7]
Features
[edit]Designated as the State Bison Herd, the number of bison is maintained at 15 due to the carrying capacity of the pasture.[8] The park features a suspension foot bridge across the Big Horn River, picnic shelters, boat docks, flower gardens, and terraces made of naturally forming travertine (calcium carbonate) caused by a flowing mineral hot spring.[3] The park area encompasses commercial hotels and several state-run and privately operated entities including the Gottsche Rehabilitation Center, Hot Springs County Memorial Hospital, the historic Callaghan Apartments/Plaza Hotel, the Star Plunge waterpark, the Tepee Pools waterpark, and the Wyoming Pioneer Home, a state-run, assisted-living facility.
Gallery
[edit]-
Travertine formation
at Hot Springs State Park -
Winter view of the suspension footbridge
over the Big Horn River -
Big Horn Hot Springs, c. 1914
References
[edit]- ^ a b "Rainbow Terraces". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
- ^ "Table 1. Facilities managed by Wyoming State Parks, Historic Sites and Trails" (PDF). SOAR 2021. Wyoming Department of State Parks and Cultural Resources. p. 12. Retrieved August 30, 2017.
- ^ a b "Hot Springs State Park". Wyoming State Parks, Historic Sites & Trails. State of Wyoming. Retrieved August 30, 2017.
- ^ "Hot Springs State Park Brochure". Wyoming State Parks, Historic Sites & Trails. State of Wyoming. Retrieved March 2, 2020.
- ^ Hein, Annette. "Hot Springs County, Wyoming". Wyoming State Historical Society. Retrieved January 7, 2016.
- ^ "Hot Springs State Park". Wyoming Places. Wyoming State Library. Archived from the original on October 16, 2023. Retrieved March 2, 2020.
- ^ Klingsporn, Katie (May 10, 2024). "A calf is born: Hot Springs park welcomes first baby bison of the year". WyoFile. Retrieved May 17, 2024.
- ^ Dorothy, Jackie (December 7, 2024). "Want To Buy A Wild Bison? Wyoming State Parks Is Selling 15". Cowboy State Daily. Retrieved December 8, 2024.
External links
[edit]
Hot Springs State Park.
- Hot Springs State Park Wyoming State Parks, Historic Sites & Trails
- Hot Springs State Park Brochure and Map Wyoming State Parks, Historic Sites & Trails