What I love about HSC Hot Springs State Park

My first memory of Hot Springs State Park is about 75 years ago when our parents brought us up from Cheyenne to play in the water and ride the wooden sleds into the pool. I loved it then and have loved it for all the ensuing years. Even during all the years I lived in Colorado, I brought my husband, my sons and my grandsons to our Hot Springs State Park and when I retired in 2000, I came home to stay in our wonderful Thermopolis.

I live three blocks from the park and spend part of everyday enjoying its beauty and taking advantage of the healing mineral hot waters that keep old Arthur Ritis at bay. I’ve walked the paths, wondered at the beauty of the terraces and the swinging bridge, watched the turtles from the bridge, the marmots over by the railroad tracks and even spotted a school of very large fish in the runoff stream below the TePee, probably just a bunch of big old carp, but they were still fun to watch. I’ve watched the turkeys, the turkey buzzards and of course our resident deer, fed the schools of goldfish in the ponds, even saw a solitary bobcat down by the river one early morning.

My family has many get-togethers in the park, many joyful and happy times and memorial picnics for the loved ones we have lost. We always enjoy 4th of July together in the park and this year we’ll have another full-fledged family reunion with members coming from Colorado, Utah and Arizona.

Just to show what Wyoming and our park means to me and mine, none of my children or grandchildren were born in Wyoming, but as of today, most of them have come “home” to live in Wyoming. Even big sister Donna and her hubby retired here from Denver several years ago.

All this rambling is my way of sharing all the reasons to enjoy our park and all it has to offer. Did you know it is the most visited of all the state parks in Wyoming, it is one of the few that does not charge an entrance fee, the State Bath House is free, the park offers wonderful concerts during the summer and hosts many other events. Our park staff even raises, plants and tends all the lovely flowers that are there for us to enjoy. Just a simple picnic with good friends is made special by sitting under a tree in our park.

Mary E. White