Around Town and Local To-Do's

Living in Wyoming- Info and Tips for Future Students

Student housing is provided by the IHS clinic and located in Ft. Washakie (pronounced WAH-sha-key) The house contains three rooms with two twin beds each, one full bath, and a shared kitchen and common space. When Lauren, Autumn, and I were there, our roommates included two students from the University of Tennessee pharmacy school and one optometry student. They graciously gave us the larger room so we could move and fit a third bed to stay together.

                                       

*Note: There is no dishwasher- be a good roommate and wash your dishes in a timely manner!

The house is about a 30 minute drive from the Arapahoe Clinic (main clinic), 45 minutes from the Riverton Clinic, and 10 minutes from the Ethete (E-tha-te) Clinic (which we never went to). In Lander (about 20 minutes away) is where we did most of our grocery shopping at SafeWay. There is also a Walmart in Riverton which we went to less often because it was further away, but still a good option to have! Gas was pretty expensive and only available in "larger" cities, so be conservative when you can and never let it get too low.

Gym: I was fully prepared, albeit not looking forward to, doing home workouts for 5 weeks. HOWEVER, only about a 5 minute walk from the house in Rocky Mountain Hall is a FREE gym called The Zone. When you go the first time, you have to fill out a few pages of paper work but after that you're home free. This gym is equipped with two peloton treadmills, two peloton cycles, other treads/row machines, free weights, mats, cable machine, squat racks and more. We loved it and were very thankful to have a place to go.

      

Restaurants: 

Bar Ten - Riverton, WY - food was good but service was slow - trivia on Wednesdays starting at 7pm

With Meagan and Michael from UT Pharmacy, before we did terrible at trivia.

Gannett Grill/Lander Bar - Lander, WY - we went three times we liked it so much - drink specials daily from 5-6pm - also have trivia (not sure when- we never went)

The Mercantile - Atlantic City, WY - Atlantic City is an historical town, along with nearby South Pass City, that was a part of the gold rush days. It is now a city of "about 57 people" and residents that ride horses around town. We caught the Mercantile right as it was reopening post-COVID and it was...an experience. Overall food was decent, but one visit to Atlantic City is all we needed.

El Sol De Mexico - Lander, WY - I hated the salsa but meal was good - margaritas were also good - overall a little pricey

The Ethete Store - Ethete, WY - the big blue store in Ethete - you are required to go and order the Texas Pretzel (NOT the regular, they are different) - it comes with a cup of cheese and heartburn - pro tip: bring some plastic bags to put the box in or you will end up with butter all over the car and/or your clothes

Hikes/Activities:

Sinks Canyon State Park: Popo Agie (puh-POE-zha) Falls Trail - 3.3 miles - 35 minutes away - 4/5 stars

*Note: We started at the Sinks Canyon Campground which adds on another trail and 2 more miles, but it did not have much scenic wise so unless you want more length to the hike head straight to Bruce's Parking Area. Make sure to stop at the visitor's center to see the "sinks" and the "rise."

Hot Springs State Park, Thermopolis, WY: We did not do any hikes here, but stopped for a dip in the community bath house, drove around looking for bison, and took a walk across the suspension bridge. The drive there has a beautiful route through a canyon and is just under 2 hours away. We stopped at One Eyed Buffalo Brewing Company for a snack and a drink before we headed home.

*Note: The bath house is open from 8am-1pm. It's a hot spring, so it smells like sulfur. The bath house has showers so bring a change of clothes and some soap so you don't smell like a boiled egg all day. Don't spend too long looking for bison- there are hundreds in Yellowstone.

Johnny Behind the Rocks Trail - 7.7 miles - 30 minutes away - 2/5 stars

*Note: Multiple trail options but we went with what was listed on AllTrails. Also used for biking trails which I would have definitely enjoyed more. It was hot and little to none tree cover that provided shade. The "falls" was not impressive. I felt like we were walking through the desert. Lauren liked this trail better than I, but you're getting my opinion.

Lake Louise Trail - 5.1 miles - 1 hour away - 5/5 stars

*Note: Definitely my favorite local trail. The trail itself was interesting and Lake Louise was beautiful. To get here, you drive a few miles down a dirt road off Highway 26. The turn off is for the Dubois Fish Hatchery, but you will go left at the fork and keep on driving until it dead ends at the trailhead. Right at the tail end of the trail, it becomes very rocky and there is not a clear path. Look for the big stick surrounded by rocks and heads towards it to find the trail again (pictured above).

Over and out.

-Lauren, Autumn, and Jordan