There’s An Intergalactic Spaceport Just North Of Wyoming’s Otherworldly Flaming Gorge

It's no secret that Wyoming is home to some pretty odd tourist attractions. We've got the Fossil House, the Smith Mansion, for starters! If you've lived here long enough, you know that we love to make visitors feel welcome, hence a ton of landmarks and memorials along the migrant trails and railroad trails that made their way through the Cowboy State. The state has even expanded their resident accommodations to fit in visitors from another world.

Wyoming's Flaming Gorge area features ruby red rocks, staggering cliffs, and truly looks like something from another plane. That makes it all the more interesting that a mysterious intergalactic spaceport sits nearby.

Way out in the middle of nowhere, five miles south of Green River, you'll find South Hill. This little mountain wouldn't be noteworthy at all, except for the fact that it's home to an Intergalactic Spaceport.

Yup - that's right! Not an airport, a spaceport! And an intergalactic one, at that!

In 1963, a small public use airstrip was established here. There's just one runway, and it's 75 feet long and made of gravel.

There are no facilities here, but in true Wyoming style, you will find a windsock. About 350 planes pass through here each year.

So, what's with the Intergalactic Spaceport thing?

In July, 1994, the comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 collided with Jupiter. It got a lot of media attention, and the Green River City Council decided to offer refuge to those seeking safety from the impact.

They designated the landing field as the "Greater Green River Intergalactic Spaceport," noting that it's for any of Jupiter's inhabitants that might wish to leave their home planet.Oddly enough, no inhabitants of the giant planet did make their way to Green River - but the spaceport still offers a sanctuary for those looking to escape any interstellar catastrophe.