Rock Springs KOA

Seedskadee National Wildlife Refuge

Seedskadee National Wildlife Refuge has a great diversity of wildlife. Canada geese have nested along the river for centuries. A variety of ducks, including mallards, teal, pintails, and gadwalls nest on the refuge each year. Sandhill cranes, coots, shorebirds and birds of prey are abundant. Five nesting colonies of great blue herons are located on the refuge. During the dry summer, sage grouse can be seen making their way to the river for water. Pronghorns frequent the entire refuge but are most often seen on the desert uplands. Mule deer are common residents and a few moose feed in the brush and forested river bottoms. Coyotes, red fox, beavers, muskrats, badgers and rabbits also live in the refuge.

South Pass City

Built in 1868 and witness to numerous booms and busts, South Pass City is a nineteenth century town with many of the original buildings intact. You can see a hotel, jail, general store, cabins, blacksmith shop and stamp mill that date to the 1800’s. This is also the birthplace of Wyoming’s equal rights movement. Wyoming was the first government in the world to give women the right to vote. Also, South Pass City elected the first woman Justice of the Peace, Ester Morris. You can visit this woman justice’s home at South Pass City. The Ester Morris cabin has been restored and is an excellent example of a historic restoration project.

Killpecker Dune Field

A series of dirt and gravel roads loop through the area north and east of Rock Springs. This is a land of ancient volcanos and modern herds of wild horses and desert elk. Petroglyphs carved in the rocks of White Mountain tell of the passage of groups of prehistoric Native Americans while historic coal mines and stage stations reflect the passage of recent folk. Killpecker Dune Field features an off-road vehicle area for off-road enthusiasts.

Fort Bridger

Fort Bridger is one of the longest continuously occupied sites in Wyoming. In 1843, fur trapper turned trader, Jim Bridger, built this fort with his partner, Louis Vasquez. The fur traders and their wives provided needed supplies to emigrants bound for Oregon, Utah and California. In 1853 the fort became the property of the Mormon Church. In 1857, Brigham Young ordered the post burned to the ground during the “Utah” or “Mormon” War. In 1857, the military became the owners of the fort and staffed the outpost until 1890. Fort Bridger is in the beautiful Black’s Fork Valley. It is an oasis in the desert. By stopping at Fort Bridger, you can see the Pony Express and Stage Station where Mark Twain and Horace Greeley dined. You can also tour intact buildings constructed by the military and see a reconstruction of Bridger’s Trading Post. The trading post is open daily as is the fort museum.

Historic Trails driving tour

The following six sites (South Pass Overlook, False Parting-of-the-Ways, Big Sandy Crossing, Simpson’s Hollow, Pilot Butte Trail Site and Lombard Ferry) are located on Wyoming Highway 28 between the Green River (west of Farson) and the South Pass Rest Stop (east of Farson). In Sweetwater County, Highway 28 parallels the Oregon, Mormon Pioneer, Pony Express and California National Historic Trails. Intact trail ruts are visible at the False Parting-of-the-Ways, Simpson’s Hollow and Pilot Butte sites. These are some of the finest trail remains in the United States.