These 9 Remarkable Ruins In Wyoming Will Transport You To The Past

The Castle Gardens Petroglyph Site is one of the most famous in the west. These rock carvings date back to between 1000 AD and 1250 AD, and they were carved by Athabaskans, who were related to the Navajo and Apache people. The unique shield-style petroglyphs are the signature of Castle Gardens.

Kirwin is a much more recent ruin than any of the others on the list, but its story is fascinating, and this ghost town is worth visiting. It was swiftly abandoned after a deadly avalanche and much of the town is still standing as quiet, decaying ruins.

The Oregon Trail Ruts historic site is one place where you can almost walk through time. Close your eyes as you stand next to these wagon wheel ruts and imagine traveling through this barren land, hoping for a better life on the other side of your difficult journey.

Legends Rock is a remote petroglyph site in Hot Springs County that remains well hidden and off-the-beaten-path. This significant archaeological site in Wyoming shows off carvings and artwork from 10,000 years ago. More than 283 individual drawings depict thunderbirds, elk, and ceremonially-dressed people.

The Vore Buffalo Jump was discovered in the 1970s during the construction of I-90. The site was a natural sinkhole that indigenous people used in buffalo hunting. Archaeologists estimate that more than 4,000 bison were hunted here! Thousands of bones and remnants of the hunt remain.

Red Gulch is one of the most fascinating places in Wyoming! Visit to walk in the actual footprints of enormous dinosaurs that once roamed this land. This incredible gulch might be the most underrated archaeological site in the country.

Every year, thousands of history buffs visit the White Mountain Petroglyphs Site. This culturally important site is sacred to four Native American tribes, and the rock art carvings date back to nearly a thousand years ago.

Mummy Cave is considered one of the most important archaeological sites in Wyoming and the Rocky Mountains. The earliest layers of artifact from Mummy Cave date back to 7300 BC. Most of the evidence points to the conclusion that those who occupied Mummy Cave were big game hunters from the Great Plains. Many of the artifacts found point to the Shoshonean people, dating back to 2470 BC. Pottery, basketwork, and a mummified man in sheepskin were recovered here. The namesake Mummy dated back to the year 770.

Thousands of animal bones were discovered in Mummy Cave, and most could not be identified. Of the ones that could be, the majority were sheep and deer. The fact that so many sheep were discovered here, despite the odd location, revealed that Mummy Cave was most likely a gathering site for high-altitude hunters.

The Medicine Lodge Petroglyph site is near Hyattville and worth visiting if you're in the area. There are hundreds of these ancient drawings dating back 2,000 years. Wyoming's history is fascinating when you can see it through the eyes of the first residents.