6 Best Small Towns to Visit in Wyoming — With Cowboy Charm, Stunning Views, and Lots of Outdoor Adventures According To Reddit
Wyoming is a state where most travelers rush straight to Yellowstone or Grand Teton and never stop to look sideways. That's their loss — and, quietly, your gain. The Cowboy State's small towns are some of the most genuinely atmospheric places left in the American West: working ranches, real rodeos, steakhouses that have been feeding trail hands since the 1890s, and mountain views that cost nothing to admire.
Reddit threads on r/Wyoming and r/travel have been directing travelers toward these six towns for years. Here's what the locals keep recommending.
1. Cody — The Rodeo Capital of the World
Population: ~10,000 | Region: Northwest Wyoming, gateway to Yellowstone's East Entrance
Cody earns the title. Founded in 1896 by William "Buffalo Bill" Cody himself, the town has never stopped performing — and Reddit users are unanimous: it's the real deal, not a theme park.
The Buffalo Bill Center of the West alone is worth the trip — five museums in one complex covering Western art, firearms, Plains Indian culture, and Buffalo Bill's own life. Redditors describe spending a full day there without running out of things to see.
From June through August, the Cody Nite Rodeo runs every evening — the longest-running nightly rodeo in the US. Tickets are cheap and the crowd is local. The town also sits 52 miles from Yellowstone's East Entrance, the quietest and most scenic park approach, along the stunning Wapiti Valley.
Reddit verdict: "Cody is the most authentically Western town I've visited in America. The Buffalo Bill museum alone is worth a full day."
2. Lander — Wyoming's Adventure Capital
Population: ~7,500 | Region: Central Wyoming, Wind River Mountains
Lander is where Wyoming's outdoor community actually lives. Climbers, fly fishermen, and mountain bikers converge here for access to the Wind River Mountains — Reddit's adventure threads treat it as a near-sacred destination.
Sinks Canyon State Park, three miles south of town, is the first stop for every visiting Redditor. The Middle Fork of the Popo Agie River disappears into a limestone cave — "the Sinks" — and emerges a quarter mile later in a calm pool filled with enormous trout. The geology is mysterious and the canyon trail is one of Wyoming's finest.
Downtown Lander is functional and friendly without being touristy. Good restaurants, an excellent local brewery, and the NOLS (National Outdoor Leadership School) headquarters give it an energy unusual for a town this size.
Reddit verdict: "Lander is my favorite Wyoming town. Sinks Canyon is unreal, the climbing nearby is world-class, and the town itself is actually great."
3. Dubois — The Authentic Old West Town Reddit Can't Stop Talking About
Population: ~1,000 | Region: Wind River Valley, 80 miles east of Jackson
Dubois sits in a painted canyon where the Wind River carves through red, orange, and terracotta badlands before opening into a broad valley beneath the Absaroka Range. It's genuinely one of the most beautiful settings for a small town anywhere in Wyoming — and almost nobody outside Reddit knows it.
The National Bighorn Sheep Center runs guided tours to see bighorn sheep in their natural habitat on the surrounding ridgelines — a wildlife experience that Redditors rate higher than many more-famous encounters elsewhere in the state. In winter, the sheep descend to lower elevations and can be spotted easily from the road.
Dubois maintains the atmosphere of a working Western town without the boutique polish of Jackson, 80 miles west. Redditors consistently use the phrase "what Jackson used to feel like" to describe it, and they mean it as the highest possible compliment.
Reddit verdict: "Dubois is what Wyoming actually looks like. The canyon drive in and the bighorn sheep experience are both extraordinary."
4. Thermopolis — World's Largest Mineral Hot Springs in a Town Nobody's Heard Of
Population: ~2,800 | Region: Central Wyoming, Hot Springs County
Thermopolis has one of the most legitimately impressive natural features of any small town in America — and Reddit users are always surprised they'd never heard of it before visiting.
Hot Springs State Park, right in the center of town, contains the world's largest mineral hot springs. Wyoming state law mandates that a portion of the mineral water must remain free to the public forever — so the Star Plunge and Tepee Pools offer soaking access at essentially no cost, a fact that shows up in nearly every Redditor's post about the town.
The nearby Wind River Canyon is the secret bonus. The drive south from Thermopolis through the canyon — where the highway and the river squeeze between 2,500-foot walls of Precambrian granite and limestone — is one of Wyoming's most dramatic scenic roads. Many Reddit users call it better than more famous canyon drives elsewhere in the West.
The Wyoming Dinosaur Center adds another layer: fossil excavation tours that let visitors participate in actual digs, with a museum that houses one of the finest dinosaur collections in the Rocky Mountain region.
Reddit verdict: "Thermopolis has free hot springs, an incredible canyon drive, and a world-class dinosaur museum. I don't understand why nobody talks about it."
5. Buffalo — History, Bison, and the Bighorns
Population: ~4,600 | Region: Northeast Wyoming, at the foot of the Bighorn Mountains
Buffalo sits where the High Plains meet the Bighorn Mountains, and the transition happens visibly from Main Street — you can watch the landscape climb from rolling grassland to pine-covered slopes without moving your feet.
The Occidental Hotel, built in 1880, is the centerpiece of downtown: it still operates as a working hotel and saloon, still has its original tin ceiling and bar, and its guest register once included the signatures of Calamity Jane, Butch Cassidy, and Theodore Roosevelt. Redditors describe staying there as one of the most atmospheric accommodation experiences in the West.
Crazy Woman Canyon just outside of town offers a dramatic drive through a narrow red-walled gorge, and the Cloud Peak Wilderness beyond is a backpacker destination with over 189,000 acres of high alpine terrain. In winter, Meadowlark Lake in the Bighorns becomes a quiet snowmobiling and cross-country skiing destination that Reddit's winter travel community returns to repeatedly.
Reddit verdict: "Staying at the Occidental Hotel in Buffalo is one of the best decisions I've made in Wyoming. The town is genuinely historic and the Bighorns right there are incredible."
6. Pinedale — Underrated Base Camp for the Wind Rivers
Population: ~2,200 | Region: Sublette County, southwest Wyoming
Pinedale is Wyoming's best-kept secret in Reddit's outdoor community. Sitting at 7,175 feet in the upper Green River Valley with the Wind River Mountains visible from literally every street corner, it's the launchpad for one of the best wilderness areas in North America — and it remains almost completely unknown outside of those who've been.
The Bridger Wilderness to the east contains over 428,000 acres of roadless terrain including over 1,300 lakes. Reddit hikers describe the approach to Elkhart Park and the Fremont Trail system as among the finest high-altitude wilderness routes in the lower 48, with fewer people per trail mile than anywhere comparable.
Downtown Pinedale is compact but functional — good outfitters, a solid brewpub, and the Museum of the Mountain Man dedicated to the fur trade era when Pinedale's Green River rendezvous was the annual gathering point for trappers across the Rocky Mountains.
Reddit verdict: "Pinedale is genuinely one of the most underrated places in Wyoming. The Wind Rivers from there are staggering and the town is affordable and friendly."
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the best time to visit Wyoming's small towns?
June through September for hiking, fishing, and outdoor adventures. Cody's Nite Rodeo runs June through August. Thermopolis is excellent year-round for hot springs. Dubois is best in September–October when bighorn sheep descend.
Are Wyoming's small towns family-friendly?
Yes. Cody, Thermopolis, and Buffalo in particular offer strong family activities — rodeos, dinosaur museums, hot springs, and wildlife viewing that work for all ages.
How do I get around Wyoming?
A rental car is essential. Wyoming has no significant public transit between towns, and the distances between highlights are substantial. Fly into Casper, Jackson, or Billings (Montana) for the best access to these six towns.