Lying in the shadow of its 11,156-foot namesake, the settlement of Elk Mountain is a quiet community of cottonwood- lined streets, picturesque buildings, with world class trout fishing right downtown. Much of the historical significance of the Elk Mountain area lies in the development of a transportation network linking the east and west coasts. The Medicine Bow River crossing was used by the John C. Fremont expedition of 1843. On August 2nd of that year, Fremont’s party camped in the proximity of the “Medicine Butte”, an early name for Elk Mountain. The river would become a major crossing for immigrants and stage travelers.
In 1850, the Stansbury expedition, led by famed mountain man Jim Bridger, crossed the Medicine Bow farther north seeking a route for wagon travel. Later, in 1856, Lt. F.T. Bryan, discovered regular use of Stansbury’s route and suggested it be used for the Overland Stage started by Ben Hollady. By 1862, the operation was imperiled by constant Indian attacks. Holladay chose to move the line southward, back to the Medicine Bow River Crossing, where he built a stage stop. In 1862, Fort Halleck was built on the Overland Stage route a few miles west of Elk Mountain to protect travelers passing through this region. The fort was named after Major-General Henry G. Halleck, a key military aide to President Lincoln. The government maintained the fort from 1862 to 1866 when it was decommissioned because the Indian threat was diminishing. The owner of the stage stop found a sufficient volume of trail traffic to maintain a toll bridge, although eventually stage traffic waned.
The Historic Elk Mountain Hotel is an elegantly restored Folk Victorian hotel built in 1905. The hotel offers a hot complimentary American breakfast with any of our beautifully decorated guestrooms appointed with period antiques. Features the elegant “1905” Dining Room. Nearby activities include cross country skiing, snowmobiling, seeing a working Wyoming buffalo ranch, mountain biking, hiking, blue-ribbon trout fishing, bird watching and mountain-top picnics, or to the ranch for trophy elk and buffalo hunts. Visit Website
The Elk Mountain Museum is a a museum dedicated to preserving the rich local history of Elk Mountain, Wyoming and the Medicine Bow Valley. Come and see our collections and remember the Famous Garden Spot Pavilion, the Historic Elk Mountain Hotel, Old Carbon, Percy, Ft. Halleck, The legendary tie-hacks, The Elk Mountain School(s), Pioneer Ranches the Kleen Dairy etc etc. and the characters that made it all happen. Come learn of obscure events such as the airliner crash one snowy night on Elk Mountain that claimed the lives of all 20 passengers or maybe the bar that had the town bathtub and other quirky stories from the past. Visit Website
Originally called “Medicine Butte,” the mountain and surrounding areas served as sacred Indian hunting grounds. In the late 19th century, it was a way-point for early American settlers heading west along the Overland Trail and other routes. In more modern times Elk Mountain Hotel served as home to the infamous Garden Spot Pavilion. It was here that performers like Louis Armstrong, Lawrence Welk and Tommy Dorsey inspired hundreds to “jump on and ride” the magical dance floor. Visit Website
Elk Mountain Outfitters is a full-time family operation that has been in the outdoor recreation business since the early 1970's, offering hunting, summer pack trips and trout fishing. Hunting at Elk Mountain and Wheatland is done primarily from 4x4 vehicles and on occasion we use horses and mules. (307) 322-3220
Johnson’s A Bar One Ranch - 307-326-8267
Elk Mountain is a Mecca for the snowmobiles Surrounded by two of the best snowmobiling areas in the state, The Snowy Range and Shirley Basin, Elk Mountain has some of the best powder you will find anywhere. Visit our snowmobiling page for more information. Snowmobile Tours 307-348-7720
The Medicine Bow River crossing, now the site of the bridge to the hotel and on the National Register of Historical Places, was used by the John C. Fremont expedition of 1843.
