Pine Bluffs, Wyoming

Pine Bluffs, Wyoming is the first town westbound I-80 travelers pass through as they enter Wyoming. Pine Bluffs bills itself as "The Crossroads of the Plains" and there is evidence that people as far back as 11,000 years ago passed through the area. Local archeological digs turned up Clovis points dating back to 9,000 BCE. Teepee rings dot the bluff tops and smoke stained rock shelters are evident along the bases. Cattle and cowboys passed through along the Texas Trail, giving rise to the town site. Long before I-80 cut through, the Union Pacific Railroad and its army of workers made its laborious way west.

Pine Bluffs boasts two museums. The High Plains Archeology Museum, run by the University of Wyoming and staffed by local volunteers, overlooks the interstate. The building covers a dig site representing the area's long history. Much of what is visible are remains from the town's late 19th century midden. Patent medicine bottle, pot shards, horse shoes and other items from life in early Pine Bluffs are excavated, examined and returned to the dig. Lower levels boast fire pits, grinding stones, arrowheads and other evidence of Native America occupation. Museum displays offer a basic interpretation.

Teepee rings remain on the bluff top and are accessible via a trail from the rest area. The trail is steep and scree covered. Because the rings are unmarked and the trail is not for the faint of heart, it is not worth the effort to climb to the bluff tops.

There are two ways to access the museum, One is a 10 minute walk from the rest stop, one of the nicest along Wyoming's I-80 corridor. The walk is pleasant but with steps and steep sections. For those wanting drive-up access, take the interstate exit 401, turn toward town on Parson Street,  turn left on Hwy 30 and left on Muddy Creek Drive. This road leads under the interstate and to the museum.

Within Pine Bluffs is the Texas Trail Museum. Not one building but eight, this is a very pleasant small town museum. The main building is the old UP electric generator building with machinery intact. This building offers a nicely laid out selection of local artifacts from prehistoric to present day. Also included is St. Mary's Church from nearby Burns, a school building, children's bunkhouse, a nicely appointed boarding house, and a turn of the century doctor's office. A large steel building houses a teepee, fire engine and a selection of tools that give mute evidence of the plains' hardscrabble life. Ask to see the pig snouter!

To get to the Texas Trails Museum, take exit 401 and turn toward town on Parson St. Turn right on Hwy 30 and then right on east 3rd Street.

If the choice is between the two, visit the Texas Trail Museum for knowledgeable, passionate docents and a selection of touchable artifacts. A leisurely visit to both will take a couple hours.

  

 www.pinebluffswy.gov

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http://www.wyomingtourism.org/thingstodo/detail/High-Plains-Archaeology-Museum/3244