Rock Springs Overview
Rock Springs gives visitors a chance to enrich their knowledge of Wyoming’s mining and railroad history. However, no one expects to find such a culturally diverse melting pot in this high-desert oasis. Surprised? You haven’t seen anything yet.
Named for a former spring that babbled through town, Rock Springs sprung from the growth and development of the area’s coal mining industry. In 1868, the coal mined here powered the steam engines of the Union Pacific Railroad, which laid hundreds of miles of track, allowing surrounding towns to thrive.
The railroad’s conversion to diesel and oil power in the mid-1900s drove out many of the city’s coal mines. But today, Rock Springs thrives with trona mines and a booming oil and gas industry, keeping the city vibrant and making it a local hub for dining, shopping and attractions.