Hells Half Acre’s New Overlook Invites Fresh Adventures

One of my favorite things to do while living in Wyoming is explore and travel around the state. When I first got here, I was off on an adventure a couple of times per week. I wanted to get to know the state and be able to offer suggestions when people asked me about places to visit.

READ MORE: Exploring Wyoming On An Incredible Road Trip

One of my first day-trips was just west of Casper, about 40 miles along Highway 20/26, to Hell's Half Acre. It was once used by Native Americans for hunting bison, by Hollywood as the planet Klendathu in the movie Starship Troopers, and is now a "don't blink, or you'll miss it" roadside attraction, but it will still blow your mind when you take a few minutes to look out over the deep ravines, caves, rock formations, and incredible Wyoming colors.

According to reports, there was once a hotel, campground, and restaurant on-site, giving travelers a unique place to stay, but they closed in 2005 and were demolished due to a lack of business. Since then, a tall fence has surrounded the property, giving people limited access to the site.

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When I took my first trip to see the mysterious site, one of my first thoughts was "wow, this is incredible, but I wish I didn't have to look through a fence to see it all." I've thought the same thing every time I stopped or took a new visitor on an adventure. Visit Casper and Natrona County have been working together to improve the area with the help of grant money.

As I was heading west on a quick adventure to Dubois, I noticed something different and made a note to stop and see what it was on the return trip.  When I swung in to see what I could see, I was excited to notice a new feature and tool to help you see the incredible geologically odd site.

A new observation deck has been added to give you an unrestricted view of Hells Half Acre. So, next time you're looking for a quick adventure, head west on 20/26 to see what many haven't seen clearly since 2005.