8 Towns in Wyoming With Thriving Local Businesses
The wide open spaces so often praised in America’s West are everywhere you look in Wyoming. Mountains, plains, and wide rambling rivers create a landscape that is nothing short of breathtaking. Wyoming draws the imaginations of its visitors long before they ever step foot on a hiking trail, or paddle down a series of rapids. It’s long renowned for wildlife, wild scenery, and plenty of adventure.
And yet the charm of Wyoming’s small towns is just as much reason to visit as any camping site or wildlife refuge. Fun and funky, full of personality and rich cultural heritage, the towns that take root in this Wild West state are well worth visiting.
From cafes and diners to award-winning brewpubs and farm-to-table restaurants, these gorgeous Wyoming towns support thriving local businesses. So make sure to bring your sense of adventure, but don’t forget your wallet and appetite. A plethora of fun shopping, fine dining, and cool local businesses await.
Kemmerer
Beautiful Kemmerer has a long, rich history, and more than one claim to fame. It’s where the successful JC Penney department stores began, for one thing.
It’s also home to the Fossil Butte National Monument, the largest known collection of fish fossils anywhere on Earth. Popular with amateur rockhounds and professional archeologists alike, the dig never ends here at the Fossil Basin, the region around Kemmerer that is internationally famous for its fossil deposits.
But that is not all Kemmerer has to offer. History buffs can visit museums and ghost towns, while the annual Oyster Ridge Music Festival draws in music lovers every summer. These visitors keep local cafes and eateries hopping from open to close.
Favorites include the all-day breakfast at Caribou Cafe, the breakfast and brunch at Place On Pine, authentic Mexican cuisine at El Jaliciense, and the buzz of locally-roasted coffee at Fossil Fuel Coffee Company.
The classic pizza parlor vibes of Scroungy Moose Pizza are a must-see. Keep your rental fridge stocked at Ridley’s Family Markets, a small family-owned chain of grocers founded 40 years ago.
What’s a vacation or day trip without a little shopping? A visit to the original JC Penney is first on the list, but don’t forget the collectibles at Perspicacity’s Whims, Country Cuts’ clothes, and New Trend Hats. And any rock and fossil lovers should head straight to Bob’s Rock Shop.
Laramie
Laramie is a charming small town known for its hospitality, wealth of natural splendor, and deep Old West roots.
Lively and welcoming, visitors to Laramie have their pick of choice entertainments, including outdoor adventures like hiking through Medicine Bow National Forest and choice ski slopes, to mural tours and historical architecture tours downtown, and plenty of eating, drinking, and shopping.
Sweet Melissa Cafe is an award-winning vegan/vegetarian hotspot, and 17th Street Cafe is a breakfast and lunch spot popular with visitors and locals alike. Turtle Rock Coffee and Cafe, J’s Prairie Rose, and the Iron Skillet are all excellent places to take a break from exploring and enjoy delicious cuisine in fun and welcoming settings.
If you have the urge to tie on an apron and whip up something amazing, you will find plenty of stellar ingredients at local food markets like Laramie Farmers Market, the Tuesday Local Market, and Big Hollow Food Co-Op.
Once you are fueled and refreshed, stroll Laramie’s popular shopping hotspots. The Knothole, Brown and Gold Outlet, and Martindale’s Western Store each have unique selections of clothing, while Miss Etta’s Place, Owl in the Attic, and AM’s Back of the Wagon feature gifts, vintage fashion, and plenty of antiques. All of these shops and more invite you to spend the day, or several days, exploring everything that Laramie has to offer.
Thermopolis
Thermopolis means "hot spring," and there is a very good reason for the name. This beautiful area holds the largest hot springs in the world, which you can visit at Hot Springs State Park. The landscape around the hot springs has been carved and shaped over time into incredible and colorful formations that have to be seen to truly be believed.
The vibe of Thermopolis itself is relaxed and energized, no doubt thanks to the free mineral bathhouse open to the public and the natural beauty and intrigue of the landscape. Between dipping in springs at Hellie’s TePee Pools and digging shoulder to shoulder with actual paleontologists at dig sites, Thermopolis is all about relaxing, exploring, and enjoying.
Downtown Thermopolis provides plenty of ways to have fun, and do a little shopping while at it. Montana Buffalo Robes, which sells leather goods, and Merlin’s Hide Out, a fur coat boutique, both give you a chance to dress like a real cowboy, while Ava’s Silver & Rock Shop and Thermopolis Fly Shop can outfit you for your next geological or fly fishing expedition. Hot Springs Thrift, the Discover Thermopolis variety store, and Aunt Teak and Uncle Junk antiques are perfect ways to pass an afternoon inside, rather than at a dig or on a trail.
Whet your whistle, and appease your appetite, at Black Bear Cafe, 7 Lazy S Cafe and Bar, 148 Bistro, Audra’s Copper Coo coffee shop, Taco John’s, One Eye Buffalo Brewing Company, and oh so many more incredible cafes, diners, and restaurants. Local food markets like Mack’s Market and the health food store Nature’s Corner Featuring the Crow Bar, have a wide selection of local goods and yummies to take with you.
Lander
Home to Sinks Canyon State Park and the Wind River Mountains, Lander is a bonanza of outdoor adventures. Every year the International Rock Climbers Festival draws newbie and experienced rock climbers to this world-famous climbing area, where climbers challenge themselves, and each other.
If you are not a climbing enthusiast, you will just have to settle for miles and miles of hiking, incredible fishing, wildlife sanctuaries, beautiful camping sites, and more. Lander is ranked as one of the best outdoor towns in the country, so you are sure to find plenty of adventures no matter what kind of activity interests you the most.
Downtown Lander offers a rich experience for visitors as well. Historical architecture and museums walk you through the rich Indigenous and Wild West heritage of the town, and year-round festivals invite you to join the party.
For local eats, check out the locally-sourced menu at The Middle Fork, the goodies at Lander Bake Shop, Whitebark Cafe’s specialty coffee drinks, The Oxbow, and the Maverick Restaurant and Lounge. Many of these restaurants source their ingredients locally, supporting food markets and growers like Dandelion Farm, Lander Valley Farmers Market, and more.
Other fun downtown local businesses to visit include The Savvy Shopper, Hello the House home goods, Neat Repeat thrift shop, Rhoads’ Jewelry, Wind River Outpost, and the tons of good-smelling candles at Radiant Arts.
Green River
Green River is yet another outdoor lover’s paradise, with rafting, biking, and world-class fishing among just some of its top attractions. The Green River has plenty of water sports for professionals and enthusiastic amateurs, as well as couples and families looking for more fun, like inner tubing and boat tours.
Nearby Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area, Expedition Island Park, and other recreational parks provide plenty of outdoor fun, whether you are an adrenaline junky or looking for slower, more low-key amusements. You can also spot roving wild horses on a rambling drive and visit Seedskadee Wildlife Refuge to fill out your wildlife bingo card.
The town of Green River is lovely and engaging, with lots of museums and heritage exhibits for history buffs. Unique boutiques downtown include Apricot Lane Boutique, Busy Bee Bath Essentials, the popular store and gallery Red White Buffalo, St John’s Thrift Shop, and Twisted Timber Apparel, among many others.
Good eats include Get Real Coffee, delicious Mr Waffles and Crepes, The Hitching Post, Penny’s Diner, Gudino’s Cafe, and Daily Knead baked goods. Locally owned R & B Meats & Catering will keep your grill full during cookouts and camping trips all year round.
Cody
Founded by none other than "Buffalo Bill" Cody, a legendary Wild West figure, the town of Cody, Wyoming, has been and remains an incredibly popular tourist destination.
The Cody Nite Rodeo is one of the longest-held professional-level rodeos in the country, and it has been held every summer for almost a century. It and the Cody Stampede are summer staples and draw tons of visitors and competitors every year. The Royal Rendezvous Art Festival is another large yearly draw, and it has been for well over 20 years. The Buffalo Bill Center of the West has five museums in one location, right in downtown Cody.
The rest of downtown Cody is filled with fine dining, fun shopping, and more. Popular boutiques include Monies Boutique, Pretty Buffalo Boutique, The Cowboy Place, 2nd Hand Rose thrift store, Cody’s Native Images jewelry store, the Custom Cowboy Shop’s western apparel, and The Thistle gift shop.
Annie’s Soda Saloon features an old fashioned soda fountain experience, while Beta Coffee House, The Station by Cody Coffee, and Cody Coffee Roaster will feed your need for caffeine. Irma Restaurant Grill, Heart Mountain Bar and Grill, The Breadboard, and Granny’s Restaurant are all great places to get your fill of good eats. And don’t forget to check off your grocery list at the Cody Farmer’s Market and Mountain High Health Foods.
Jackson
Jackson’s slogan is "Stay Wild," and it’s not hard to see why. Nestled between the Grand Tetons and Gros Ventre mountain ranges, the town is central to both Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks.
A valley made up of charming, rugged, and adventurous small towns, Jackson Hole is famous for its natural beauty, vibrant downtown areas, and a focus on keeping this wild region as untouched as possible. Camping, hiking, wildlife safaris, kayaking, and more all focus on having fun, while leaving no trace behind.
Once you unlace your hiking boots, however, there is plenty to see and do. Gather, a fine-dining restaurant, boasts killer cuisine with a local, sustainable focus. Healthy Being Cafe & Juicery is a great place to eat green and healthy, while both the Persephone Bakery and The Bunnery Bakery & Restaurant offer plenty of sweet treats.
Many restaurants and bars feature booze and brews from local distilleries and breweries, including Wyoming Whiskey. Cafes and eateries also often source from local food markets like People’s Market and Pearl Street Market.
Fun shopping abounds with boutiques and shops like Jackson Hole Jewelry Co, Penny Lane, MADE, Gaslight Alley, Jackson Hole Traders, and more.
Ten Sleep
Recently voted one of the top ten small towns in Wyoming, tiny, oddly named Ten Sleep is a gateway to big-time outdoor adventures.
Snuggled into the foothills of the Bighorn Mountains, Ten Sleep draws visitors every year looking for adventures in rock climbing, cave exploring, hiking, fishing, camping, skiing, and more. And they find it. From Bighorn National Forest to Meadowlark Ski Lodge, there is something worth getting outside for all year long around Ten Sleep.
The small town is utterly charming, maintaining many examples of historical architecture dating back a century or more. More modern draws to town include Dirty Sally’s variety store, Painted Desert Threads, and Black Sheep Boutique and Arts. Dirty Sally’s is a grocer as well.
For more good eats, check out The Daily Bread Cafe, The Sleep Coyote, 1 Cow, Ten Sleep Brewing Co, and Ten Sleep Saloon & Steakhouse.
Named by Indigenous locals for the distance between larger settlements, Ten Sleep is a small, cozy town with big-time adventures in store.
Wyoming is a wide-open state that invites visitors and locals alike to roam to their hearts’ content. Everywhere you go, there are incredible mountain ranges to hike or camp, ski slopes and resorts, rivers to fish or kayak, and much more.
Yet though it’s widely known for the beauty and bounty of its great outdoors, Wyoming’s small towns have just as much to offer the traveler hungry for charming villages, downtowns full of personality, and lots of good eats.
From locally roasted coffee at funky cafes to adventurous ales brewed just down the road, Wyoming knows how to fill your glass with happiness and cheer. Carb load at local bakeries, and get your fill of locally-grown deliciousness at restaurants that focus on sustainability and supporting the businesses around them. And shop till you drop at unique boutiques that sell everything from local fossils to quirky antiques, handmade jewelry, authentic Western apparel, and more.
When you set out to explore Wyoming, make sure to check out the thriving local businesses, and all the many fun small towns in between.
