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Voykit pocket guide · United States
Thermopolis
Give Thermopolis one full day and one night: soak at the free state-park bathhouse, see the Dinosaur Center, then drive on. Two nights only if you add Legend Rock.
Thermopolis is a small hot-springs town in Northwest Wyoming, built around Hot Springs State Park and one of the largest mineral springs anywhere. Most travellers stop for a night between Yellowstone and Casper, soak in the free bathhouse, and see the dinosaur museum. The town is walkable; the surrounding sites need a car.
- Country
- United States
- Best months
- May–Sep
- Avoid
- Dec–Feb (cold, some sites key-access only)
- 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 · Hospital ER (24 h) +1 307 864-3121
- 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 | $3–6 |
| Brewpub burger with a beer | $18–28 |
| Bathhouse soak | Free |
| Dinosaur Center entry | $12–18 (check) |
| Motel double, summer weekend | $120–220 (check) |
| Tank of gas | $45–70 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- COD · Yellowstone Regional (Cody)
- Nearest commercial airport, about 1 h 30 min by car
- CPR · Casper–Natrona County
- Next nearest, about 2 h 30 min by car
Typical fares
- Bathhouse soak
- free, daylight hours (check)
- Dinosaur Center entry
- about $12–18 (check)
- Cody (COD) → Thermopolis by car
- about 1 h 30 min, roughly 90 miles
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
The town centre is walkable in 15–20 minutes. Hot Springs State Park is a short drive or a 20-minute walk from downtown. Legend Rock and Wind River Canyon need a car; there is no useful local bus.
See and do
Known for
- Hot Springs State Park and its free bathhouse
- Wyoming Dinosaur Center
- Legend Rock petroglyphs
- Wind River Canyon drive
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Wind River Canyon | Drive US 20/WY 789 south toward Shoshoni | About 1 h each way |
| Boysen Reservoir | Drive about 20 miles south on US 20 | About 30 min |
| Legend Rock State Petroglyph Site | Drive 29 miles northwest via W Cottonwood Rd | About 45 min each way |
| Cody | Drive WY 120 north | About 1 h 30 min |
Sleep
- Downtown / Broadway
- Walk to the museum, brewpub and cafés; a few minutes' drive to the park.
- Park-side (E Park St)
- Hotel on the state-park grounds, walk to the bathhouse and bison pasture.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Thank you | Thank you |
| Where is the bathhouse? | Where is the bathhouse? |
| Is it free? | Is it free? |
| Can I pay by card? | Can I pay by card? |
| Where is the restroom? | Where is the restroom? |
| Is the road open? | Is the road open? |
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
- Bison in the state park: view only from inside a vehicle, never on foot.
- Legend Rock is key-access October–April; pick up the key at the bathhouse, chamber or county museum.
- Winter driving on US 20/WY 789 can close with snow; check Wyoming road conditions before you set out.
- Cell coverage is patchy on the drive to Legend Rock and through Wind River Canyon.
A quiet, low-crime small town. The real risks are bison in the state park, hot-spring water above body temperature, and winter roads; the hospital ER is open 24 hours.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Thermopolis yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Hot Springs State Park and its free bathhouse
- Wyoming Dinosaur Center
- Legend Rock petroglyphs
- Wind River Canyon drive
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Thermopolis visitor information: thermopolis.com/
- Wyoming Dinosaur Center: wyomingdinosaurcenter.org/
- Hot Springs County Museum: thermopolismuseum.com/
- Wikivoyage: Thermopolis, revision 5239106 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5239106
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Thermopolis
To this address, please
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police, fire, ambulance911
- Hospital ER (24 h)+1 307 864-3121
No embassies here; nearest consulates are in Denver. US travellers: your state's services apply.
Tipping is expected in restaurants and bars; 911 works everywhere.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/thermopolis). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.