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Voykit pocket guide · United States
Gillette
Gillette, Wyoming
Stay one night as an I-90 stop between the Black Hills and Yellowstone; skip it as a destination unless you want coal-mine overlooks and free sculpture walks.
Gillette is an energy town of about 30,000 on I-90 in northeast Wyoming, halfway between the Black Hills and Yellowstone. It has no public transport and almost everything needs a car. Most travellers use it as a bed for one night; two nights only if you want the mine overlook, the Rockpile Museum and the sculpture walks without rushing.
- Country
- United States
- Local name
- Gillette, Wyoming
- Best months
- Jun–Sep (warm, dry, all sights open)
- Avoid
- Dec–Feb (cold, wind, black ice); late May and September can still snow
- Stay
- 1 night
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- USD
- Money
- Currency is the US dollar (USD, $). Cards and phone payments work almost everywhere; carry a little cash for tips and small vendors.
- Daily spend
- Budget $70–110 excl. bed · Mid $110–180 excl. bed · High $180+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile cover the country; prepaid SIMs at their stores and Walmart/Target (passport required), or an eSIM before you fly.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 911
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 120 V · 60 Hz · Chargers are dual-voltage; hair dryers and straighteners from 230 V countries need a converter.
- Tipping
- Sit-down restaurant: 18–22% of the pre-tax bill.; Bar: US$1–2 per drink or 20% of the tab.; Taxi / ride-hailing: 15–20%, in the app.; Hotel housekeeping: US$3–5 a night.; Porter / valet: US$2–5 per bag or car.; Tour guide: US$10–20 per person for a day tour.; Counter service / tablet prompts: Optional; 0–15%.
- Water
- Tap water is drinkable nearly everywhere; boil or treat water from streams in parks.
- Toilets
- Free public toilets are scarce in big cities; use cafés, department stores, libraries, stations. Rest areas on highways are free.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | $2–5 |
| Diner breakfast | $10–18 |
| Burger and fries | $12–20 |
| Draught beer in a bar | $5–8 |
| Rockpile Museum entry | $10 |
| Fuel, per gallon | $3–4 (check) |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | $10–30 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- GCC · Northeast Wyoming Regional Airport
- United to Denver only; free parking; 4 AM to last evening flight
- CPR · Casper, Wyoming
- About 2 h by car; often cheaper than flying into GCC
- RAP · Rapid City, South Dakota
- About 2 h by car; useful if you are coming from the Black Hills
Typical fares
- GCC airport → downtown, taxi
- about $20–30, 10 min (check)
- Gillette → Rapid City by car
- about 2 h, fuel about $25 (check)
- Greyhound stop
- 106 N Hwy 14-16, outside the convenience store; no indoor waiting room (check)
Get around
No public transport. A car is required: business areas sit along Hwy 59, Lakeway and 2nd St, and the city is spread out. Parking is free and street parking outside downtown is usually easy. Taxis exist but can be slow and run-down; rent at the airport or downtown.
See and do
Known for
- Coal mining and the Energy Capital nickname
- Campbell County Rockpile Museum
- Avenues of Art sculptures
- Eagle Butte coal mine overlook
- CAM-PLEX events and rodeos
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Moorcroft | I-90 east about 35 min by car | About 45 min |
| Buffalo, Wyoming | I-90 west about 1 h 15 min by car | About 1.5 h |
| Sheridan | I-90 west about 1 h 45 min by car | About 2 h |
| Aladdin | Hwy 14/16 east then Hwy 24, about 1 h 15 min by car | About 1.5 h |
| Devil's Tower | I-90 east to Hwy 14/24, about 1 h 45 min by car | About 2 h |
Sleep
- I-90 exit 126 area (2nd St / Hwy 14-16)
- Chain motels, truck stops and fast food; easiest for one night with a car.
- Downtown / Gillette Avenue
- Old post office, murals and a brewery; a few independent motels, quieter at night.
- CAM-PLEX area (Reata Dr)
- RV parks and event parking; best if you are here for a rodeo or rally.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Thank you | Thank you |
| Where is the restroom? | Where is the restroom? |
| Can I pay by card? | Can I pay by card? |
| Is this the road to Yellowstone? | Is this the road to Yellowstone? |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake and 'hi, how are you?' — reply 'good, thanks'; avoid: Treating the question as a real health enquiry
- Restaurants: Tip 18–22% and wait for the check; avoid: Leaving without tipping
- Personal space: Keep an arm's length in queues; avoid: Standing close to strangers
- Politics and religion: Listen more than you speak; avoid: Opening with hot-button topics
- Smoking: Smoke only in marked areas; avoid: Smoking near doors or in parks where banned
Scams and watch-outs
- Deer on the road at night and early morning; they freeze in headlights. Pronghorn usually move.
- Black ice and hard-packed snow on highways and city streets in winter.
- High wind any month; occasional big hail storms dent cars.
- No public transport: without a car you are stuck.
- Bike lanes and paths are not cleared in winter and are often blocked by parked trucks.
Gillette is a quiet family town and violent crime is low; the real risks are driving — deer at dawn and dusk, black ice, high wind and long empty stretches of I-90.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Gillette yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Coal mining and the Energy Capital nickname
- Campbell County Rockpile Museum
- Avenues of Art sculptures
- Eagle Butte coal mine overlook
- CAM-PLEX events and rodeos
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- City of Gillette: www.gillettewy.gov/
- Visit Gillette: visitgillettewright.com/
- Northeast Wyoming Regional Airport: www.iflygillette.com/
- CAM-PLEX: www.cam-plex.com/
- Campbell County Rockpile Museum: www.campbellcountywy.gov/2169/Rockpile-Museum
- Wikivoyage: Gillette, revision 5204031 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5204031
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
GilletteGillette, Wyoming
To this address, please
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police, fire, ambulance911
No consulates in Gillette; nearest are in Denver. US visitors: your own embassy is in Washington, DC.
Tipping is expected: 18–22% at sit-down restaurants, $1–2 a drink, 15–20% taxis.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/gillette). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.