Southeast: Trailhead country
BAGGS Wyoming Highway 789 crosses the Continental Divide between Creston Junction and Baggs, which is about 150 miles, as a crow flies, from the state capitol in Cheyenne. The highway is part of a multi-state route that passes through Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming and Montana. Baggs is another locale that claims Butch Cassidy as a prodigal son and the Gaddis/Mathews cabin on Highway 789 was a local hangout of Butch and his gang. Long after his reported death in Bolivia in 1909, local residents insisted that Butch made several visits to Baggs during hunting trips with friends in 1929 and 1930. Of course this is still hotly debated. Baggs is especially proud of its place as the gateway to the Red Desert, a vast expanse of dry red soil. The Red Desert is a land of wild horses, roaming herds of antelope, and ever-present red-tail hawks. It is also the largest area of unfenced land in the forty-eight states. Livestock operation (ranching) was directly responsible for the earliest permanent settlement of the Little Snake Basin. Many of the towns and other features carry the names of the early ranchers in the valley. Oil and Gas exploration, development, and production have become an increasingly important component of the local economy and tax base in the Little Snake Basin area. Wyoming Travel and Recreation Guide
The first discovery and production of oil in the basin occurred in 1954. For more information contact: Baggs Visitor Center P.O. Box 300 Baggs, WY 82321 (307) 383-7335 www.townofbaggs.com CENTENNIAL Situated at the foot of the Snowy Range mountains, Centennial is only one mile from the Medicine Bow National Forest and five miles from the Snowy Range Ski Area. This majestic range mountains feature deep glacial lakes, pastoral meadows, rushing trout streams and inspirational granite peaks. The vast recreational opportunities of the Centennial area, excellent both in summer and winter, attract tourists from all over the world. You may want to try your hand at fishing for elusive brook trout, which is abundant in the surrounding waters. Also, there are many fine restaurants and accommodations in the area. If you are looking for the real Wyoming that your soul cries out for and not the usual tourist trap, give us a try. You won’t be disappointed. 5