Laramie, WY

Wyoming's fully vegetarian restaurant, doing scratch comfort food since the late '90s in a downtown room that wins over plenty of meat-eaters. The cauliflower wings and the seitan dishes are the orders people come back for.

The local institution formerly known as Jeffrey's Bistro, rebranded by the same long-time owners into a deli format with a broader menu spanning American, Thai, and Indian dishes alongside the scratch sandwiches that built the original reputation. Same local sourcing, same vegetarian-friendly ethos, same downtown room.

Downtown burger-and-bourbon joint that locals will tell you does the best burgers in town, with bold combinations and a deep whiskey list. It pulls a student-and-townie crowd and gets loud on game nights.

A downtown burger-and-comfort-food spot that landed a Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives feature, known for stacked burgers and loaded 'barnchos.' Casual, busy, and a reliable crowd-pleaser for a group.

A downtown bar and grill that's been doing casual American comfort food for nearly two decades, named for Laramie's pioneering auto inventor. Burgers, steaks, and sandwiches with a big beer and cocktail list.

Family-run Thai kitchen downtown that locals consider some of the best in Wyoming, run by the same family that started in Rawlins. Curries and noodle dishes done with real heat if you ask for it.

A family-owned Japanese spot on Grand Avenue serving sushi rolls, teriyaki, and a full bar, often named the best sushi in landlocked Wyoming. The specialty rolls and the happy hour are the draws.

Long-running family Mexican restaurant on the east side, the go-to for sit-down enchiladas, fajitas, and chile verde. Generous portions and a full bar make it a reliable group dinner.

Downtown brewpub and chophouse that's a cornerstone of Laramie's beer scene, with award-winning house ales (its altbier has taken World Beer Cup gold) and a steak-forward kitchen. The nicest sit-down option among the downtown breweries.

A Laramie institution that roasts its own beans, with a downtown cafe that adjoins a craft tap room. The roastery does serious coffee and the space is the default work-and-meet spot in town.

A bookstore-cafe near campus where students and faculty linger over coffee, pastries, and used books. The kind of low-key spot you settle into for an afternoon rather than grab-and-go.

A pink-walled downtown diner doing hearty breakfast all day: big breakfast burritos, pancakes, and chicken-fried steak with eggs. The retro room and the regulars make it the classic Laramie morning stop.

A British-leaning downtown sweets shop doing gourmet cupcakes, scones, and proper tea, with savory sausage rolls and stew on the side. A cozy stop for a treat or an actual afternoon tea.

A small Thai spot regulars rate among the best in the state, with a coconut-mushroom soup and fresh rolls that get specifically name-checked. Tight on space, big on flavor.

The signature Vedauwoo hike: a roughly three-mile loop winding through the area's famous wind-sculpted granite, aspen groves, and beaver ponds. Mostly easy with a few rocky stretches, and moose are a real possibility.

The big one in the Snowy Range: a roughly four-mile climb to the 12,013-foot summit, the high point of southern Wyoming, with alpine lakes and ridgeline drop-offs the whole way. A serious half-day above treeline.

A short, gentle walk from the Snowy Range byway to a waterfall below Medicine Bow Peak, with the granite face towering overhead. The easy payoff hike of the Snowy Range for families and casual walkers.

The high overlook on the Snowy Range Scenic Byway at around 10,000 feet, with a stone shelter and a sweeping view from Medicine Bow Peak to Colorado's wilderness ranges. A short stroll from the car for an enormous payoff.

A network of trails on the limestone ridge just east of town, with sweeping views over Laramie and the valley and the easiest scenic overlook close to home. Open prairie hiking and biking minutes from downtown.

A four-mile trail in the Happy Jack/Pole Mountain area east of Laramie, rolling through ponderosa pine and aspen with open meadow views. Popular for hiking, biking, and Nordic skiing in winter, and it connects to a wider trail web.

A flat paved path running nearly six miles along the Laramie River through Optimist Park and the west side of town. The in-town walk-jog-bike route, with river access for dipping your feet or casting for trout.

A demanding climb west of town that gains about 1,300 feet in the first few miles up a long ridge, rewarding the effort with wide views of the Laramie plains and the Snowies. A workout that thins out the crowds.

The state's flagship art museum on the UW campus, with rotating exhibitions and a permanent collection spanning 15th-century works to contemporary art in a striking modern building. Free admission makes it an easy cultural stop.

A restored 1920s theater inside the Laramie Plains Civic Center, the town's main stage for touring concerts, community theater, and film. The 850-seat room hosts everything from local productions to national acts.

A surreal cluster of wind-rounded granite formations 15 miles east of town, world-known among climbers and a playground for everyone else: picnicking, scrambling, and easy hikes among the boulders. The name is Arapaho for 'earth-born.'

A small, uncrowded ski hill about 30 miles west in the Medicine Bow Mountains, with affordable lift tickets and short lift lines. The anti-resort: no glitz, just laps without the wait.

A 30-mile mountain drive over the Snowy Range on WY-130, cresting around 10,800 feet past alpine lakes, the Medicine Bow Peak headwall, and the Libby Flats overlook. One of the highest paved roads in the region and a half-day in itself.

The town's bowling alley, a reliable indoor option for a rainy day or a low-stakes night out with a group. Classic lanes, snacks, and the kind of place that fills with students and families alike.

The 1872 federal prison that once held Butch Cassidy, restored with furnished cell blocks, a working broom factory, and a reconstructed frontier town on the grounds. The self-guided audio tour walks you through the warden's house, women's quarters, and the dining hall.

Free campus museum anchored by a 75-foot Apatosaurus and 'Big Al,' the cast of the most complete Allosaurus ever found. There's a windowed fossil-prep lab where you can watch technicians work and a fluorescent-mineral room kids gravitate to.

A restored 1892 Queen Anne mansion that doubles as the county history museum, packed with pioneer-era furnishings, frontier artifacts, and the original woodwork. Visits are by guided tour, which is how you get the stories behind the rooms.

A century-old downtown saloon on the National Register, with a back-bar mirror still cracked from a bullet and walls of taxidermy and dollar bills. It's a working dive, not a museum, so order a drink and take in the history.

A 60-foot granite pyramid stranded on the high plains east of town, built in the 1880s by railroad architect H.H. Richardson to honor the Ames brothers who financed the transcontinental line. It once marked the highest point on the railroad, now a lonely landmark off a gravel road.

A campus greenhouse run by the UW botany department, with rooms staged as desert, tropical, and American-West biomes. It's a warm, green escape that locals lean on during Laramie's long cold months.

A self-guided walking trail of large-scale murals across roughly eight blocks of historic downtown, depicting Wyoming heritage, wildlife, and whimsy. It turns a stroll between coffee and a brewery into a low-key art hunt.

A National Natural Landmark west of town: the second-largest wind-eroded basin in the world, a vast shallow depression scoured out of the plains. It's a geology curiosity more than a developed site, best appreciated for the strange scale of it.