Atlantic City, Wyoming

Flickr album link: Atlantic City

Two previous articles feature the South Pass Historic Mining Area, which is a vast Wyoming park managed by the BLM. There are endless dirt roads and trails that go to dozens of old west gold mines throughout this area and there also are a few ghost towns to explore. Atlantic City is one of the main attractions in this mining district and this community was founded back in the mid 1860s when the Wyoming placer gold rush was going fill tilt. Atlantic City was originally a mining camp, but after the powdery gold played out in this region, most of the residents headed toward new horizons. Innovations in mining techniques helped to keep this town on the map into the 1960s, then iron mining in the local hills soon took over as a steady stream of income. The local summer tourism trade became a viable industry in recent decades and the creation of the historical park definitely helped to add some stability.

Atlantic City is a living ghost town, so respecting property rights is important to do. This town was never completely abandoned, but the population in modern times only numbers around 50. Many of the old original structures are still intact and there are a few local heritage sites that offer a unique learning experience. Vacation lodges, an old west hotel and a few places to grab a bite to eat can be found here. For those who spent all day touring the abandoned mines, the Atlantic City skyline will certainly be a sight for sore eyes. That is if you like skyline views of rolling hills that stretch out forever, because Wyoming is about as far away from the Jersey shore as one can possibly be!