Drive section
Casper, Shoshoni, and Thermopolis
Central Wyoming Route 20 segment linking Casper to Thermopolis by way of Shoshoni, with city history, open-road pacing, hot springs, and canyon scenery.
Casper, Shoshoni, and Thermopolis
This segment connects Casper, Shoshoni, and Thermopolis across central Wyoming, pairing the state’s strongest practical city base with one of its most distinctive destination towns.
Segment map
This Google map keeps the geography literal. The compact rows below show optional off-route trips and add-on stops without taking over the segment.
Quick orientation
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These compact rows are optional off-route trips and add-on stops; use the larger map for the full corridor view.
Quick orientation
- Anchors: Casper and Thermopolis
- Best for: travelers who want a city overnight, a spacious central-Wyoming drive, and a hot-springs finish
- Trip fit: the second half of a Wyoming weekend or the broader central Wyoming read
Why drive this stretch
Drive this stretch when you want the route to gather into a stronger Wyoming shape. Casper is the practical city anchor, Shoshoni is the useful junction and reset point, and Thermopolis supplies a destination finish built around hot springs, paleontology, and Wind River Canyon.
Give the stretch most of a day
The drive can fit between breakfast and lunch when treated as a transfer, but the better version protects most of a day. That leaves room for one Casper attraction before departure, a short Shoshoni reset, and an unhurried Wind River Canyon arrival into Thermopolis.
Westbound, leave Casper with fuel, water, and food settled. Shoshoni is a decision point: make a brief route stop, deliberately add Boysen Reservoir, or continue toward the canyon. Boysen recreation can take several hours and should not be treated as an accidental roadside detour.
Eastbound, start after a Thermopolis attraction or an early canyon drive, use Shoshoni only as needed, and preserve enough time for Casper. A late departure from Thermopolis can turn the open run into an after-dark arrival.
Let either Boysen or Thermopolis carry the linger time
Choose Boysen for a planned reservoir, fishing, boating, picnic, or camping day. Choose Thermopolis for hot springs, paleontology, and an overnight. Trying to give both destination-level time on the same transfer usually creates a rushed canyon drive.
Wind River Canyon is part of the route, not a reason to improvise shoulder stops. Use legal pullouts, watch for wildlife and rockfall notices, and allow traffic and conditions to set the pace.
Fuel and condition checks
Casper is the strongest place for supplies and lodging; Thermopolis is the destination base at the western end. Services are thinner between them. Check Wyoming 511 for wind, winter weather, construction, and closures before leaving either anchor.
When time shrinks, skip Boysen recreation first, keep Shoshoni brief, and protect either the chosen Thermopolis attraction or the safe daylight drive through the canyon.
Wyoming overview
Wyoming
Step back to the state page to compare this central crossing with the High Plains entry and Bighorn Basin sections.
Weekend itinerary
Lusk to Thermopolis Route 20 Weekend
Use the weekend plan to combine this stretch with the eastern Wyoming approach from Lusk.
Destination stop
Thermopolis
Use Thermopolis for a half-day or overnight stop before continuing into the Bighorn Basin.