While spectacular, summer in Laramie is dreadfully short. Therefore, we must make the most of it. The Laramie area offers great options to enjoy the summer weather, even if you are not the type to climb a route at Vedauwoo or backpack through the Laramie Range. The following list of summer activities is far from exhaustive; so if you want to share your favorite summer activity, leave a comment below!

  • 1

    Visit a Lake

    While there are many great lakes surrounding Laramie, not all of them are swimmable (trust me, the lakes in the Snowies are much too cold…). However, one great, little, undiscovered lake is in Sybille Canyon, off Highway 34. This little reservoir provides a great way to enjoy the mountains from an inner tube. While still cold, the lake seems bearable (especially by Wyoming standards). It also has a great little rock outcropping that provides for some tame cliff jumping. However, even if you don’t want to brave the lake, the reservoir provides a great place to picnic and soak in the Wyoming summer sun.

    (Argenberg via Flickr)
    (Argenberg via Flickr)
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  • 2

    Make Dinner—Over a Campfire

    While making dinner is a fairly standard way to begin an evening, it’s easy to mix it up and make your dinner over a campfire while you enjoy Laramie’s great summer nights. If you’re groaning because you don’t like hotdogs, you need an update on what people are cooking outside. Outside, tin foil is your best friend. You can throw almost anything in it and then cover it with the coals to let it cook. It’s a great way to cook hamburgers or veggies without needing a grill. Or if you’re looking for a sweet treat, try slicing a banana and filing it with marshmallows and chocolate, wrapping it in tin foil and letting it warm up.

    (Doug Beckers via Flickr)
    (Doug Beckers via Flickr)
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  • 3

    Summit Medicine Bow Peak—or Do Another Hike

    Medicine Bow Peak is one of Laramie’s iconic natural monuments. Therefore, if you’re a local Laramie resident and you haven’t had the chance to stand on top of it, move it up on your priority list! Summiting a peak is often the end goal of many hikes, especially long and arduous ones. Fortunately, Medicine Bow Peak is very accessible and can be completed within half a day. There are two main ways up Medicine Bow; the most common way (because it’s the shortest) departs from the Sugar Loaf parking area. Details of the hike can be found on Summit Post. But Medicine Bow isn’t the only hike in the area. With Vedauvoo, Happy Jack, and the Never Summers around Laramie, you are sure to find a hike that will please everyone in the group.

    (ramesh Iyanswamy via Flickr)
    (ramesh Iyanswamy via Flickr)
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  • 4

    Downtown Patio

    Thanks to the diligent work of local residents, Laramie now has a great downtown patio where residents can grab a cup of coffee from nearby Coal Creek and enjoy the trains and mountain view. The patio has several up-scale picnic benches, as well as a fire ring. The patio, located on the corner of Grand and First Street, provides a great place to gather with friends and family. The train bridge is also nearby, making it a great time to stand over an oncoming train. Laramie is one of the last places in the nation where you can get close to the train as it rumbles beneath you.

    (srslyguys via Flickr)
    (srslyguys via Flickr)
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  • 5

    Attend a Concert at Washington Park

    Every summer the Laramie Municipal Band offers free concerts at the band shell in Washington Park. These concerts provide the perfect opportunity to grab a blanket and a Coke and sit out and relax. There also a great way to get your kids exposed to the musical world without having to make them sit quietly in a dark auditorium. For concert information, check Laramie Live or the Laramie Chamber of Commerce

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