Get outside in Upton, WY

Get outside in Upton, WY Main Photo

28 Jul 2022


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Visitors head to northeast Wyoming for popular tourist attractions like Devils Tower National Monument, the Vore Buffalo Jump and the Black Hills National Forest. Amidst these natural features is Upton - a small town with ample recreation opportunities! There are many unique activities and historical sights in Upton and the surrounding area that are worth exploring as well!

Recreation in Upton

There are year-round recreation opportunities for Upton residents and visitors to enjoy the outdoors with families, friends and others.

Upton City Park is one of Upton’s best recreation spots in the community. It features a nine-acre site with new playground equipment, picnic shelter, basketball court, walking path and plenty of green areas for any activity. 

The Cedar Pines Golf Course is a volunteer-built and operated nine-hole golf course located on WY Hwy 116 N in the beautiful Black Hills of Wyoming. With a full bar and restaurant, the clubhouse is a favorite with golfers before or after a round on the links. The course features 2,995 yards of golf from the longest tees for a par of 36. The course also has a driving range and putting area to master your skills. Enjoy our slice of green heaven right here in Upton!

The Upton City Pool is a school-run community swimming pool where residents and visitors come to Upton for swimming lessons, lap swimming, daily swimming and night swimming. The Upton City Pool hires lifeguards locally, providing high school and college students with an opportunity to work during the summer. 

Upton Events

Upton has a lively calendar of events each year with entertainment for all ages.

Upton Fun Days is Upton’s main event as an annual celebration of the businesses, residents, their families, and friends that make Upton special. Each year, the Upton Chamber of Commerce plans and develops the event to give back to the community for its loyal dedication and support of working to make Upton the “Best Town on Earth.” During the event, there is a parade, cornhole and golf tournaments, class reunions, activities for children and kids, a junior rodeo and a free barbecue, which feeds over 500 people each year. 

September is time for the Rocky Mountain Enduro Circuit to visit locally for the Inyan Kara Enduro, as the town hosts an enduro race in the community pasture. Enduro is a motorcycle race that runs on a challenging route, where groups of three to five are flagged off in one-minute intervals to be timed throughout the circuit. Participants test themselves in each section on roads, trails and everything in between. Scores are collected in-between intervals, and the results are posted once all riders finish. 

Upton begins the fall season with the Fall Festival and Rose Classic Show and Shine, a festival in Upton City Park, where the Chamber of Commerce hosts a car show, vendors and live music. Since 2003, the park has welcomed local and visiting owners with their cars to participate in the show. 

On the water

Water skiing in Wyoming? Absolutely! Keyhole State Park is on Keyhole Reservoir, with nearly 15,890 acres of summer fun! In addition to water skiing, locals and visitors head to the Park in Pinehaven, just six miles north of I-90, to swim, boat and fish. The park is open year-round and has ten campgrounds with 286 sites and a picnic area.

Hunting

The Thunder Basin National Grassland is west and south of Upton, with approximately 550,000 acres of U.S. Forest Service land. While the area draws visitors for many reasons, hunting is among the most popular. Mule deer, antelope and elk are the main attraction, while the varied landscape provides opportunities for waterfowl and turkey. 

Crook County’s Bearlodge Mountains, often accessed through Hulett, feature whitetail deer, mule deer, elk, turkey and ruffed grouse hunting. 

Out & About

Upton is home to the Community Pasture, public land owned by the State of Wyoming. Residents in Upton take advantage of Community Pasture for various outdoor recreation activities. In the summer, residents on the community pasture trails ride dirt bikes, 4-wheelers and ATVs. In the winter, you can find residents snowmobiling, cross-country skiing, sledding and snowshoeing. 

One of the most recognizable tourist draws throughout the West is located a short drive North of Upton - Devils Tower National Monument. While visitors from across the country may be familiar with its unique geologic shape or the fact it is sacred to the Northern Plains Indians, its presence far from urban areas offers unbelievable glimpses into the starry skies above. Park rangers run stargazing programs that will leave the young and young-at-heart looking skyward with amazement!

Further east from Upton will take the traveler to the iconic Black Hills National Forest of Wyoming and South Dakota. Visitors travel to the area for the wonderful camping, hiking and off-road riding through the forested wilderness. 

Several nationally-recognizable tourist attractions exist within the Forest as well. The Mount Rushmore National Memorial is a short ride from Rapid City. 

Deadwood is a historical town within the Black Hills, which got its start with the South Dakota Gold Rush and attracted Old West figures, such as Wild Bill Hickok. Deadwood is known for its casinos, breweries and wineries, historical attractions, concerts, events and recreational activities each year. 

A winter recreation favorite located just outside of Deadwood is the Terry Peak Ski Area. With over 30 trails and 600 acres of skiiable terrain, Terry Peak offers skiing and snowboarding recreation to those who seek the thrill.  

Located just over an hour from Upton, Sturgis, SD, is known for the largest motorcycle rally in the world, the Sturgis Rally. Bikers and tourists travel from all over the world to attend.

Regional culture

For those who want history and culture with their recreation, northeastern Wyoming has those opportunities too!

Old Town is a collection of old homesteads and buildings relocated to Upton from around northeast Wyoming to preserve buildings essential to the area’s development in the late 1800s. At Old Town, visitors can see old cabins, log houses, Upton’s old fire hall and water tank, barn, corral and blacksmith shop.  

Upton is home to the Red Onion Museum and the famous Two-Headed Calf. The exhibits depict the early settlers' lives in the region, the history of Upton and surrounding areas, Indian artifacts and featured artwork by local artist Dave Paulley.

The Crook County Museum & Cultural Center in Sundance gives visitors a glimpse into the old West with more than 7,000 artifacts housed in the renovated “Old Stoney” house. The town is where the legendary Sundance Kid got his name, so expect to learn much about him in this museum. 

The Hulett Museum and Art Gallery offers visitors a unique combination of history told through artistic treasures. It contains many historical artifacts and hosts traveling exhibits, like Black Hills photography collections, Native American displays and more. 

Experiencing the outdoors in Upton is readily available through many different recreational activities. Contact the Upton Economic Development Board for more information on these opportunities and more awaiting you today!

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