Wyoming Carbon County Encampment

Once called Grand Encampment by French-Canadian trappers who
rendezvoused along the Encampment River, this small town has a rich
history. In 1897, copper was discovered in the Sierra Madre
Mountains just above this quiet settlement, and soon hundreds
flocked to the area to get their share of the mined riches. A
smelter was built along the river, and an incredible (for its time)
tramway was built. This tram ran for sixteen miles from the mining
sight in the mountains down to the smelter. The tram could carry
almost a thousand tons of ore a day! Part of this tram is now on
display at the Encampment Museum, which is a must see when
visiting here. Other wonderful displays (including the infamous
two-story outhouse!) are set up there, and volunteers offer tourists
a wealth of information on the area’s history.

Population: 442
Elevation: 7,323 feet

Today Encampment has a population of approximately
500 year-round residents. It rests at the base of the Sierra
Madres, and is the gateway to the Medicine Bow Forest
on the south end of the county. The Grand Encampment
Opera Hall is over one hundred years old. Melodramas are
still performed there at least twice a year by the Grand
Encampment Opera Company and are highly entertaining
for the whole family. One performance is held during the
Woodchoppers Jamboree and Rodeo. This event is held
every year on the third weekend in June, and is located at
the Encampment Rodeo Grounds. In addition to the
melodrama, visitors will enjoy woodchopping events
and a rodeo.

http://www.grandencampmentmuseum.org
http://www.saratogachamber.info

Pine Lodge Bar and Restaurant 518 McCaffery Ave Phone: 307-327-5203 Bear Trap Bar Cafe & Cabins 120 Riverside Ave.	Mountain Market, Inc. Located in the historic E&H Building in downtown Encampment, Mountain Market is a family owned and operated grocery store featuring a wide selection of deli meats, cheeses, and custom cut meats. 702 Freeman Encampment, WY 82325 Phone 307-327-5048 Riverside Garage and Cabins Gas station, convenience store, movie rentals, hardware store and more! Our cabins are located in the little town of Riverside, at the foot of the Sierra Madre Mountains, close to outdoor activities, but far from the crowds. 107 Riverside Avenue, Riverside, WY 82325 Phone: 307-327-5361 Trading Post Encampment / Riverside Junction Cross Country ski rentals are available at “The Biggest Little Store in the Country”. Outdoor clothing, hunting, gas, groceries, fishing licenses, and maps are also available here. 307-327-5720	The Willis House is a two-story modified American Four Square style house built in 1908. It is the only two-story masonry clad residential building in the town of Encampment. The house was built by Mrs. Lydia M. Willis to be a deluxe house of prostitution and the headquarters of the Willis business empire. Mrs. Willis never finished the inside of the house.

Quick Fact
Encampment has a curiosity for the books. The two-story outhouse
located at the Grand Encampment Museum was built for deep snow
plumbing. To overcome the problem of deep drifting snows this and
other similar outhouses were erected high atop a base of cribbed up
logs approached by wooden steps leading up five or six feet.

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Vacations in Wyoming

Justin Carbon

Once called
Grand Encampment by
French-Canadian
trappers who
rendezvoused along
the Encampment
River, this small town
has a rich history. In
1897, copper was
discovered in the
Sierra Madre
Mountains just above
this quiet settlement,
and soon hundreds
flocked to the area to
get their share of the
mined riches. A
smelter was built
along the river, and
an incredible
(for its time) tramway
was built. Part of this
tram is now on display
at the Encampment
Museum.