Learn about tipis, handcarts and Old Wyoming at the Trails Center
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CASPER, Wyo. - Learn tipi etiquette, state history and the quandaries of handcart migration at the National Historic Trails Interpretive Center during a weekend of free programming July 7 and 8. The BLM supports working landscapes across the West through its many programs.
Realize all tipis are not created equal during the free youth program, “Tipis on the Plains,” from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Saturday, July 7. Join in the discussion of how tipis on the plains differed in size, decoration and design. Learn how to knock, sit and behave within the dwelling. Children can then construct and decorate their own miniature three-pole tipi.
Saturday youth programs emphasize hands-on learning. Parents of young children must accompany students throughout the program.
Living historians, “Mormon Handcart Pioneers,” will be on site Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday 8 a.m.through midday. The weekend will feature a recreated trail encampment and visitors will have the opportunity to join Mormon pioneer children playing trail games, pull a handcart and enlist in the "Mormon Brigade."
Two patio talks will be offered throughout the weekend as part of the summer’s lecture series on pioneer and Wyoming history. These short interpretive programs, ranging from 20 to 45 minutes, are free and open to the public.
The presentation “Lies, Legends and Lore of the American West” will feature historian David Jamiel at 1 p.m. on Saturday. Many legends pertaining to Native Americans, frontiersmen and mountain men may or may-not be true. Join Jamiel as he gives an engaging presentation for all ages concerning the settlement of the West.
Cheers to the cowboy state during “From Territory to State in Just 22 Years” at 1 p.m. on Sunday. NHTIC interpreter Reid Miller will explain how Wyoming is unique among the states as we celebrate the 150th anniversary of its territory designation in July 1868. Enjoy birthday cake on the veranda following the presentation.
NHTIC admission and weekend events are free and open to the public. For more information contact 307-261-7780.
The NHTIC is a public-private partnership between the BLM and the National Historic Trails Center Foundation. The facility is located at 1501 N. Poplar Street, Casper, Wyoming.
As we approach the 50th anniversary of the National Trails System Act, there are 30 congressionally designated National Scenic and Historic Trails in the National Trails System. National Historic Trails are extended trails that closely follow a historic trail or route of travel that is of national significance. The BLM now protects nearly 6,000 miles of 18 designated trails in 15 States, and the BLM also manages thousands of miles of trails under study for potential designation.
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.