Thermopolis: Wyoming's Hot Water City

Consider a visit to a fairy tale setting where the geological surroundings resemble Fred and Barney's Flintstone Village and the multi-colored terraces around a pool beckons to take your cares away.
That is the type of reaction many visitors have on their first trip to Thermopolis, Wyoming's Mineral Hot Springs. It's a very real place where a few cares roll away after a short in the therapeutic waters.
The first report of Thermopolis's wonder springs was by a white man was made in 1776 by Dr. Thomas Maghee who wrote," An unfortunate rattlesnake had fallen into the reservoir and was thoroughly cooked."

Maghee visited the springs two years earlier while accompanying a U. S. army group escorting surveyors laying out the boundaries of the Wind River Reservation. The springs were obtained from the Shoshone Tribe 20 years later. An annual pageant, "The Gift of the Waters" commemorates the acquisition.
The largest spring in the world combines with four other springs to create "Rainbow Terraces," formed of mineral deposits. The big spring flows 18,600,000 gallons every 24 hours at a temperature of 135 degrees Fahrenheit.

The Teepee Fountain at the entrance to Hot Springs State Park dates from 1907-11. When a hot water distribution line was laid, it was discovered that with it came heavy backpressure in the pipes. Consequently, a standpipe was built in a gulch and the park superintendent had a rock base built to support it. Travertine deposits built up over the years, eventually covering the pipes and the base to make the teepee-like fountain.
Visitors come to Thermopolis for a variety of reasons, to swim, to relax, picnic, watch the bison in the park or visit such local attractions as the historic Plaza Hotel, built in 1918. The legend behind the site where the hotel sits is of two young Shoshone lovers who often strolled together through nearby Wind River Canyon.
It is said that one day an eagle father blew loose from the girl's hair and floated into the ravine. The couple chased the feather to its resting spot beside a gushing fountain on the site of the present-day hotel. The Shoshone people believed that the waters helped the tribal warriors to have strong, healthy bodies.
Hot water and legends are not the only attractions in Thermopolis. This town even has some relatives of Dino, Fred Flintstone's dinosaur friend.

The Wyoming Dinosaur Center is known for some of the largest dinosaur fossils in the world. Paleo-technicians continue to uncover large Jurassic dinosaurs. The Center contains 19 full-sized mounted skeletons, including 8 dinosaurs such as Allosaurus Triceratops and Tyrannosaurus Rex.
The center also has displays on geology and prehistoric life.
If teddy bears, rather than dinosaurs, peak your interest, visit the Dancing Bear Folk Center. There you'll find a world-class collection of everything from artists' bears to soft sculptures, as well as dioramas of nursery rhymes and fairy tales that fascinate adults and children alike. The Folk Center includes a quilting bee textile studio with displays of spinning, weaving, quilting, knitting, crocheting and a variety of Victorian needle arts.