Wyoming is one of the least populated states in the entire country, and its wide-open landscapes hide some truly tiny, hard-to-reach towns. From windswept plains to mountain valleys, these communities sit far from busy highways and big-city conveniences.
Whether you love history, nature, or just the idea of getting away from it all, these remote Wyoming towns offer something special. Get ready to explore places most people have never even heard of.
1. Lost Springs
With only 6 residents counted in the 2020 Census, Lost Springs holds the title of Wyoming’s least populated municipality. Back in the early 1910s, the town buzzed with nearly 200 people thanks to a nearby coal mine.
When the mine closed in 1930, almost everyone left.
Today, just three housing units are occupied. The nearest high school is a 30-minute drive away, making daily life a real adventure in self-reliance.
2. Van Tassell
Van Tassell wears a rare triple crown of remoteness: it is the least populous town in the least populous county in the least populous state in the U.S. Located in Niobrara County, just 20 miles east of Lusk near the Wyoming-Nebraska border, it feels like the edge of the world.
With a population of 22 and a median age of 50, this is a place where neighbors truly know each other by name.
3. Esterbrook
Tucked inside the Medicine Bow National Forest in Converse County, Esterbrook feels like a secret only the trees know. With a population that dropped to just 31 by 2024, this census-designated place is about as off-grid as it gets in Wyoming.
Access comes via the scenic Esterbrook Road, winding through pines and wildlife-rich terrain. It is the kind of place where you might spot a deer before you spot another person.
4. Manderson
Manderson sits quietly in Big Horn County, covering less than a square mile of Wyoming rangeland. Originally called Alamo, the town was later renamed and has stayed small ever since, with just 88 residents as of 2020.
Tourists heading to Yellowstone National Park sometimes pass through and are surprised by the town’s well-known speed trap. It is a reminder that even tiny places have their own way of making an impression on visitors.
5. Bondurant
Bondurant is a place where wide skies meet wide-open space. Nestled in Sublette County with a population of 124, its median age is around 58, hinting at a community of long-time residents who chose quiet over convenience.
Students travel about 35 miles to Pinedale for school, and the nearest hospital is over 30 miles away. Life here demands independence, but rewards you with some of Wyoming’s most breathtaking mountain scenery.
6. Albin
Albin is technically part of the Cheyenne Metropolitan Statistical Area, but do not let that fool you. With only 169 residents and a self-described suburban rural mix feel, it operates more like a frontier outpost than a suburb.
Incorporated in 1930, Albin sits in Laramie County on the southeastern edge of Wyoming. Quiet streets and wide-open prairie surround it, offering a laid-back lifestyle that city dwellers can only dream about on a Monday morning.
7. Chugwater
The name alone makes you curious, and Chugwater delivers on that intrigue. Located in Platte County, about 45 miles north of Cheyenne, this town of 175 people had a median age of 69 in 2024, making it one of Wyoming’s oldest communities by average age.
Surrounded by rolling ranchland between Cheyenne and Wheatland, Chugwater moves at its own unhurried pace. Its famous chili company put the town on the culinary map long before food blogs existed.
8. Wamsutter
Wamsutter once served travelers on the historic Lincoln Highway, but Interstate 80 eventually took the traffic elsewhere. Today, this Sweetwater County town of 203 people runs on natural gas extraction rather than passing road-trippers.
With a population density of just 311 people per square mile back in 2010, it is surrounded by enormous stretches of high desert. The landscape is stark and beautiful in its own rugged way, especially at golden hour.
9. Meeteetse
Say it out loud: Meeteetse. The name comes from the Shoshone word for meeting place, and this Park County gem lives up to it.
Wedged between the Wind River and Absaroka Mountain ranges, the town of 309 feels like it belongs in a Western painting.
Log buildings line the streets, local shops keep old traditions alive, and the surrounding wilderness is genuinely unspoiled. Meeteetse is where history and nature shake hands every single day.
10. Centennial
Perched at the foot of the Snowy Range Mountains in Albany County, Centennial is about 30 miles west of Laramie and completely wrapped in Medicine Bow National Forest. With roughly 270 residents, it is a place where the seasons dictate the schedule.
The Snowy Range Scenic Byway passing through town closes seasonally due to heavy snowfall, cutting the town off even further. That kind of natural isolation is exactly what draws adventurous visitors to explore it.
11. Dubois
Around 1,000 people call Dubois home, but the wilderness surrounding it feels truly boundless. Tucked between the Wind River and Absaroka Mountain ranges, this town thrives on timber and tourism while offering some seriously spectacular hiking and fishing.
Dubois has a rustic, welcoming charm that keeps visitors coming back every season. Whether you are casting a line in a clear mountain stream or hitting a backcountry trail, this remote gem rewards every kind of outdoor enthusiast.
12. Savery
Sitting along Highway 70 in southern Carbon County near the Wyoming-Colorado border, Savery is the kind of place you stumble upon and never forget. Vast open land, rolling hills, and wide valleys surround it on every side, creating a sense of timeless solitude.
Getting there means driving through miles of unspoiled landscape, which honestly feels like part of the reward. Savery is a hidden gem for anyone wanting to genuinely step away from the modern world for a while.
13. Ten Sleep
Ten Sleep earned its quirky name from Native American trail measurements, counting sleeps between camps. Nestled in the Big Horn Basin along the western foothills of the Big Horn Mountains, this town of about 254 people is a favorite among rock climbers and canyon explorers.
The nearby Ten Sleep Canyon draws adventurers from across the country, yet the town itself stays refreshingly quiet. Small-town diners, local ranchers, and stunning geology make it an underrated Wyoming treasure.
14. Encampment
Encampment sits near the Continental Divide, where the Encampment River provides some of Wyoming’s finest fishing. The town was once a roaring copper mining boomtown, and the Grand Encampment Museum keeps that wild history alive with fascinating exhibits and artifacts.
Today, it is peaceful and unhurried, surrounded by wilderness areas that beg to be explored on foot or horseback. History buffs and outdoor lovers alike find Encampment to be a surprisingly rich destination for its tiny size.
15. Atlantic City
Atlantic City sounds like it should be bustling, but this tiny Wyoming outpost is about as far from neon lights as you can get. Once a gold mining town, it carries that rough-and-tumble frontier spirit in every weathered plank and dusty trail nearby.
Located near the Wind River Range, it is a true off-the-beaten-path escape where unplugging from technology feels completely natural. History, solitude, and stunning high-desert scenery make Atlantic City a genuinely one-of-a-kind Wyoming stop.