It can be hard to do things as a family. At best, a family excursion usually ends up with bored teens and pre-teens staring at their phones while their parents get increasingly frustrated. It can also be pretty expensive. Thankfully, there are actually a lot of fun ways to spend an afternoon with your family that won’t break the bank. The ideas below are all free things to do in Wyoming to keep in mind. Just make sure to get everybody to ditch the phones!
We could fill up this whole list with hiking in Wyoming’s national parks, but instead we’re going to just throw them all under one blanket. The cool thing about hiking is that it’s essentially just walking where it’s really inconvenient to walk, so as long as you don’t go anywhere too far off the beaten path, you won’t have to buy more than a few bottles of water and sunscreen.
You could technically go fishing for free every day if you really wanted to, but we wouldn’t advise going without a license. However, in June, Wyoming has a free fishing day where you don’t need a license to fish. A simple search of "Wyoming free fishing day" will tell you when the next one will be held.
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3. Take a road trip down one of Wyoming’s scenic byways.
Next up on our list of fun day trips in Wyoming is The Pryor Mountain Wild Mustang Center. The center is a wildlife reserve for Wyoming’s mustangs and the institution seeks to inform people of the social dynamics within a mustang herd as well as their place alongside Wyoming’s other species.
5. University of Wyoming Geological Museum - Laramie
Geological Museum, 200 N 9th St, Laramie, WY 82072, USA
You know what kids love? Dinosaurs. So, take them down to the University of Wyoming's Geological Museum which is home of the Allosaurus Big Al as well as many otheri nteresting dinosaur and prehistoric related creature gallery spaces and exhibits. This museum is one of the sure-fire fun day day trips in Wyoming.
The Grand Teton Music Festival in Jackson Hole features some of the most respected classical musicians in the world. Now, most people don’t really like classical music, but if you’ve never actually heard it live being played by a good orchestra, you have no idea what you’re missing. Classical music is kind of like the Grateful Dead; it's alright off of a recording but phenomenal live.
In 2017, for the first time in almost 100 years, a total solar eclipse came to the state of Wyoming. The eclipse was notable through the state’s center, basically cutting a line from Jackson to Torrington. If you missed it, you can still look to the skies at to experience other planetary phenomena.
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8. Intermountain Speedway (formerly called the Big Country Speedway) - Cheyenne
Intermountain Speedway, 4820 S Greeley Hwy, Cheyenne, WY 82007, USA
The Intermountain Speedway is a relatively inexpensive race track that hosts amateur race car drivers. It is a hugely popular activityt and tickets are nominally priced, so a family outing could easily be both very fun and budget friendly at the same time, even when you include drinks and some snacks for everyone in your group. If you're looking for family friendly activities in Wyoming, this is definitely one of the best!
9. Fort Laramie Historical Site - Fort Laramie
Fort Laramie National Historic Site Parking, 6C3R+JG, Fort Laramie, WY 82212, USA
Fort Laramie was established in 1834, eventually going on to become an economic force in the area through trading with local Indian tribes. The fort was eventually purchased by the United States Army in order to offer military support to emigrants heading west. The fort has been maintained since it was decommissioned and today serves as one of the main historical attractions in Wyoming.
10. Cheyenne’s Depot Plaza
Cheyenne Depot Plaza, 1 Depot Square Capitol &, W 15th St, Cheyenne, WY 82007, USA
Cheyenne’s Depot Plaza is home to a variety of events all year-found, including live music, art shows, winter farmer’s markets, and other activities.
If you were to do a search for “free things to do near me,” some of these will most certainly appear at the top of the list!
What did you think of these ten ways to spend an afternoon? If you have any family friendly activities in Wyoming to add, tell us about them in the comments below!
