Uinta County is best explored through its pioneer and cultural history. The county is a crossroads of pioneer trails, overland stagecoach routes, Pony Express routes, the transcontinental railroad, and the Lincoln Highway. As you plan your trip, it’s worth considering the historical sites according to their individual focus: Fort Bridger represents the supply of wagon trains, while museums and preserved structures convey other aspects of the region’s history.
Fort Bridger and the History of the Pioneer Trails
Fort Bridger State Historic Site was an important supply point for wagon trains on the Oregon, California, and Mormon Trails. Fort Bridger State Park covers 37 acres and includes 27 historic buildings and four historic replicas. The offerings listed there include self-guided tours, living history demonstrations, ongoing archaeological excavations, museum exhibits, and a civilian cemetery. These provide different ways to explore the site: you can look at the buildings and replicas, view an exhibit, or learn about history through a demonstration.
Another way to explore the region’s past is through the Uinta County Museum. It collects, preserves, and shares the history of Uinta County and the surrounding region. The museum is housed in a historic Carnegie building completed in 1906. The building itself thus connects the museum’s work with a tangible historic structure.
Museums and Historic Sites
The Chinese Joss House Museum focuses on the history of Chinese immigrants who lived and worked in Uinta County from the 1870s through the 1930s. The museum is a replica of a Chinese temple built in 1874 and destroyed by fire in 1922. Its collection also includes a scale model of Evanston’s Chinatown. The temple replica and the model offer different perspectives: one tells the story of a destroyed building, while the other depicts Chinatown to scale.
The Piedmont Charcoal Kilns were added to the National Register of Historic Places on June 3, 1971. They stand beside the remains of a train station, about 10 miles southwest of present-day Evanston. The approximate distance and nearby station remains help put this historic site in context; the distance is not an estimate of travel time.
Events offer another focus. Evanston’s annual Roundhouse Festival takes place at the historic Union Pacific Roundhouse. Evanston Cowboy Days has been an Evanston tradition for more than 70 years. If you’re planning your trip around one of these events, check the dates for your travel period.
Trails and Activities in Evanston
For outdoor recreation, the BEAR River Greenway offers a different experience from the historic museums. The Greenway features six miles of paved trails, bike trails for experienced and beginner riders, and the BEAR Ponds. Bear River State Park is connected to the Greenway, which links downtown Evanston with natural landscapes. Exhibits at the park’s visitor center feature wildlife specimens from Wyoming. Trails, ponds, and exhibits can therefore appeal to different interests during a stay in Evanston.
A stay at the Uinta County Youth Camp offers other specific options: the fishing reserve includes picnic tables and hiking trails. Campers can reserve canoes to use on the Youth Camp pond or at Meeks Cabin Dam. The Blacks Fork River is near the campgrounds. The Uinta County Blacksfork Campsite, on the other hand, is accessible only on foot and has no trash or water service. If you’re considering this camping option, take both limitations into account when planning.
Discover more destinations: Evanston, Platte County, Sheridan, Park, Natrona, Crook County, Johnson County, Teton.
For the main travel overview: Wyoming.
