Casper is Wyoming's second-largest city — an oil and ranching hub on the North Platte River. The gay scene is extremely limited, but a small LGBTQ+ community exists. Wyoming is notable historically as the place where Matthew Shepard was murdered in 1998, which galvanised the national hate crime legislation movement.
What's Available
Casper does not have a dedicated gay bar scene. The city's downtown has a handful of welcoming bars — The Gaslight Social and Backwards Distillery are among the more progressive options — but nothing specifically LGBTQ+-focused.
Community
Wyoming Equality is the state's main LGBTQ+ advocacy organisation and has a presence in Casper. Casper Pride is a small annual event. The University of Wyoming (2 hours east in Laramie) has more active LGBTQ+ student groups.
Laramie
Two hours east via I-80 — home to the University of Wyoming. More progressive than Casper; the Matthew Shepard Foundation works from here. The Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Resource Center at UW is a point of community connection. The Altitude Bar and other downtown Laramie venues are gay-friendly.
Regional Options
Denver is 5.5 hours south — the nearest city with a full gay scene. Salt Lake City is 5 hours southwest. Both are feasible for a longer trip. Casper is a useful base for Devils Tower (3 hours northeast) and the Wind River Range (2 hours west).
