Wyoming small towns are ideal for low-key vacations when you want to relax and unwind. If you’re looking for a recommendation for a perfect place to unplug, stop by Meeteetse. Surrounded by the beauty of the Big Horn Basin, this little town offers a surprising number of things to do but it still has that small-town feel you crave when you just want to get away from it all.
Welcome to Meeteetse, a true small town with a population of just over 300 residents.
J. Stephen Conn/Flickr
You’ll find it along WY-120, south of Cody and north of Thermopolis.
Google Maps
The area is said to be where Indian chiefs met before Wyoming was even a territory.
visionwestwyoming/youtube “Meeteetse” is a Shoshone word; the two translations that are most commonly accepted are “the meeting place” and “nearby place.”
The town’s streets are quaint and tree-lined.
Google Maps
The serene, unspoiled area is perfect for raising cattle.
visionwestwyoming/youtube
In fact, the first cattle ranch in the Big Horn Basin, the Pitchfork Ranch, was established just west of the town.
U.S. Department of Agriculture/Flickr
Meeteetse has other claims to historical fame, such as its famous resident, Butch Cassidy.
Alan Levine/Flickr
Cassidy frequented the Cowboy Bar in Meeteetse.
David Cohen/Flickr The outlaw was actually arrested just outside this historical watering hole.
The Cowboy is still open and doing business today, proudly proclaiming, “Butch Cassidy drank here.”
Daniel Staniforth/youtube
The town is dotted with other historic landmarks. The bank building, for example, is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Meeteetse Museums The bank building is no longer a bank, though it has been restored and is the site of the Bank Museum.
Not everything in Meeteetse is about history, however.
Derek Bruff/Flickr
The town happens to be the center for recovery of the black-footed ferret, a species that was thought to be extinct from the planet until a colony of the critters were discovered by a Meeteetse rancher.
USFWS Mountain-Prairie/Flickr The ferrets are kind of like mascots for the museum - that’s the place to learn more about them and there’s even a link to a live ferret-cam on the museum’s website.
Additionally, Meeteetse is legendary for its Labor Day celebration over the holiday weekend. Locals enthusiastically welcome visitors to join them for a parade, children’s events in the park, music, fabulous food…
Erin Kinney/Flickr
…and an epic rodeo rounds out the weekend.
Alfredo Mancia/Flickr
All in all, however you choose to spend your time in Meeteetse, it’s a picturesque little town that delivers on the promise of a relaxing, enjoyable visit.
visionwestwyoming/youtube
What small Wyoming towns do you visit when you want to unplug and unwind?
J. Stephen Conn/Flickr
Google Maps
visionwestwyoming/youtube
“Meeteetse” is a Shoshone word; the two translations that are most commonly accepted are “the meeting place” and “nearby place.”
U.S. Department of Agriculture/Flickr
Alan Levine/Flickr
David Cohen/Flickr
The outlaw was actually arrested just outside this historical watering hole.
Daniel Staniforth/youtube
Meeteetse Museums
The bank building is no longer a bank, though it has been restored and is the site of the Bank Museum.
Derek Bruff/Flickr
USFWS Mountain-Prairie/Flickr
The ferrets are kind of like mascots for the museum - that’s the place to learn more about them and there’s even a link to a live ferret-cam on the museum’s website.
Erin Kinney/Flickr
Alfredo Mancia/Flickr
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