Rock Springs

Thousands of acres of public land attract people to this area to see wild horses, hike, and explore 19th-century emigrant trails. Coal mining has always defined the community of Rock Springs, established when the Union Pacific Railroad pushed through the area in the late 1860s. The mines drew laborers from a variety of nationalities, making this a real melting pot of cultures. Sprawled at the base of White Mountain, Rock Springs, population 24,000, is the site of Western Wyoming Community College, a facility known for its paleontological resources.

The Red Desert to the north and east is home to hundreds of wild horses; you can often catch a glimpse of them from area highways.