Wyoming has it all – populated cities, Alpine meadows, Aspen and pine-filled forests, and plenty of wide-open spaces. Touring the Cowboy State is like visiting another world, especially if you travel through certain areas.
Take the Gooseberry Badlands, for example. Once a tropical environment, time and erosion has turned the area into a stark but beautiful land. Scanning the horizon from the scenic overlook, you’d swear you’d been transported to an entirely different planet.
Sometimes referred to as the Painted Desert, the Gooseberry Badlands in Wyoming are a spectacular natural work of art.
Living Coast 2 Coast/YouTube
Located on WY-431, the Gooseberry Badlands Scenic Overlook and hiking trail are about halfway between Meeteetse and Worland.
Google Maps
Up top, the overlook provides an incredible panoramic view of the badlands.
Uwe R/TripAdvisor
It’s also a terrific place to learn interesting things about the area, like the fact that fossils found in the badlands reveal that it used to be a lush, tropical climate.
Living Coast 2 Coast/YouTube The badlands were practically a Garden of Eden that was home to a variety of mammals including carnivores, primates, and hoofed animals that are thought to be the ancestors of the pronghorn antelope and mule deer that live in the badlands today.
After millions of years of environmental evolution, the land is more like a desert, though it still supports animal life. These days, however, there are fewer species.
Dan S/TripAdvisor Animals living in the Gooseberry Badlands today include an assortment of rodents such as chipmunks, rabbits, kangaroo rats, and mice. Other species live in the area, too, such as rattlesnakes, foxes, bobcats, coyotes, and birds of prey.
The rock formations in the Gooseberry Badlands are fascinating. Some appear to be giant petrified mushrooms and others look as if they’re the ruins of human-built structures. The amazing thing is that it’s all constructed by nature.
Dan S/TripAdvisor
You can see a lot from the overlook, but there’s nothing like getting right down into the badlands to see them up close.
Bureau of Land Management
Fortunately there’s a 1 1/2-mile hiking trail that takes you on a sight-seeing tour of the place.
Living Coast 2 Coast/YouTube
One really amazing feature of the Gooseberry Badlands is that the vibrant colors of the soil change from season to season, kind of like the way the foliage turns colors in other areas of the state. That means you’ll be treated to a gorgeous new view every time you visit.
Living Coast 2 Coast/YouTube
It’s just one more reason to come back to the badlands again and again.
Living Coast 2 Coast/YouTube
Living Coast 2 Coast/YouTube
Google Maps
Uwe R/TripAdvisor
The badlands were practically a Garden of Eden that was home to a variety of mammals including carnivores, primates, and hoofed animals that are thought to be the ancestors of the pronghorn antelope and mule deer that live in the badlands today.
Dan S/TripAdvisor
Animals living in the Gooseberry Badlands today include an assortment of rodents such as chipmunks, rabbits, kangaroo rats, and mice. Other species live in the area, too, such as rattlesnakes, foxes, bobcats, coyotes, and birds of prey.
Bureau of Land Management
With all the stunning landscape Wyoming has been blessed with, there are several scenic spots across the state. Which one is your favorite?
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