3 Best Sights in Centennial, Cheyenne, Laramie, and Southern Wyoming

You can hike, picnic, fish, ski, snowmobile, and take photographs in the 400,000 acres of Medicine Bow–Routt National Forest, Laramie District, and that is the short list. The Laramie District has 20 developed campgrounds, although some are closed for tree removal; dispersed camping is also allowed. Although the Laramie District administrative office is in Laramie, several of the most easily accessed campgrounds are along scenic Route 130, just west of Centennial. Lodgings such as cabins, forest guard stations, and even a fire lookout tower high in the Snowy Range are available for rent in summer. Pole Mountain, located north of I–80 between Laramie and Cheyenne, is a popular area for recreation and is approximately 55,000 acres in size.

The former Centennial Railroad Depot now houses this museum at the eastern edge of town. The museum displays ranching, farming, and mining equipment, plus artifacts typical of what you'd find in a pioneer home; there's also an outdoor-equipment exhibit. Most of the items have been donated by local families. The museum is open Memorial Day through September.

Route 130 between Centennial and Saratoga is known as the Snowy Range Scenic Byway. This paved road, which is in excellent condition, crosses through the Medicine Bow–Routt National Forest, providing views of 12,013-foot Medicine Bow Peak and access to hiking trails, 10 campgrounds (six right near the road), picnic areas, and 100 alpine lakes and streams. Gravel roads lead off the route into the national forest.

At the top of the 10,847-foot Snowy Range Pass, about 10 miles west of Centennial, take a short walk to the Libby Flats Observation Site for views of the Snowy Range and, on clear days, Rocky Mountain National Park to the southwest in Colorado. Lake Marie, a jewel of a mountain lake at an elevation of approximately 10,000 feet, is also here. On the Saratoga side of the mountain, the road passes through pine forest and descends to the North Platte River Valley, with cattle ranches on both sides of the highway. Note that the byway is impassable in winter and therefore is closed between approximately mid-October and Memorial Day.