Weston County: History, Trails and the Black Hills

Weston County lies on the western slopes of the Black Hills, providing access to their northern and southern areas. Museums and historic sites offer different ways to explore the region: the Anna Miller Museum brings together natural and regional history, while Old Town and Cambria show traces of early settlements. There are also trails of varying lengths and uses, as well as activities at Osage Pond.

Museums and Traces of Earlier Places

The Anna Miller Museum is open year-round, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; from June through August, it also opens on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to noon. Check the hours before your visit. Exhibits include artifacts of Indigenous peoples, dinosaur fossils and textiles, as well as displays about Cambria and the pioneer era of Weston County. The collection also includes a Burlington Northern caboose, a settler’s cabin, a rural schoolhouse, a log cabin and several wagons. The collection may change over time.

A sandstone stable dating from the mid-1930s has served as the museum building since 1966. The Red Onion Museum is in Old Town, at the site where Iron Town was established in the 19th century. Old Town is the reconstructed site of the former settlement of Irontown. Visitors can see restored wagons and relocated historic buildings and structures, including cabins, a blacksmith shop, an icehouse, a fire station and a water tank.

Near Newcastle, several preserved houses are among the remnants of Cambria; 365 steps lead to the former school and residential area. Cambria was a coal-mining town that flourished between 1890 and 1928. A trail system crosses wooded slopes around the ghost town. Physical access to the remnants may vary.

Trails with Different Profiles

The Serenity Trail is two miles north of Newcastle and is a relatively easy, 3.5-mile loop through ponderosa pine forest and across weathered limestone formations. The Mallo Trail is about 22 miles northwest of Newcastle and is also 3.5 miles long; it is open to hikers, mountain bikers, horseback riders and hunters. The two trails of equal length differ in their loop format, scenery and designated uses. Conditions and access for both may change seasonally.

The Flying V Trail System starts about eight miles north of Newcastle. It currently includes around nine miles of connected trails open to mountain bikers and hikers. The trail network is being expanded; check current conditions before mountain biking.

Landscapes and Time by the Water

Thunder Basin National Grassland covers most of eastern Weston County and spans 547,499 acres. This vast grassland landscape is part of the region’s character, alongside its connection to the Black Hills.

Osage Pond in Weston County offers boat access and seasonal fishing. Facilities include a gravel parking area, a basic boat ramp, a swim dock and a wooden fishing pier. Regulations, fire conditions or water conditions may affect access. Check conditions before your visit, especially if you plan to fish or launch a boat.

Discover more destinations: Newcastle, Carbon, Hot Springs County, Platte County, Teton, Laramie, Campbell, Uinta County.

For the main travel overview: Wyoming.