In this guide · 4 sections
Casper, Wyoming's second-biggest city, is an oil and ranching town on the North Platte River. Its gay scene is tiny, but there is a small LGBTQ+ community. Wyoming is infamous as the place where Matthew Shepard was murdered in 1998, an event that jump-started the national movement for hate crime legislation.
What's Available
Casper doesn't have a gay bar. Downtown, you'll find a few bars that are generally welcoming. The Gaslight Social and Backwards Distillery are two of the more progressive spots, but none of them are specifically for LGBTQ+ people.
Community
Wyoming Equality, the state's main LGBTQ+ advocacy group, has a presence in Casper. Casper Pride is a small annual event. The University of Wyoming (two hours east in Laramie) has more active LGBTQ+ student groups.
Laramie
Laramie is two hours east on I-80. It's home to the University of Wyoming and is more progressive than Casper. The Matthew Shepard Foundation works out of Laramie. The Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Resource Center at UW is a community hub. The Altitude Bar and other downtown Laramie spots are gay-friendly.
Regional Options
Denver is 5.5 hours south; it's the closest city with a full gay scene. Salt Lake City is five hours southwest. Both are doable for a longer trip. Casper itself makes a good base for Devils Tower (three hours northeast) and the Wind River Range (two hours west).
