8 Gold Rush Days Activities You Need to Experience

Want to know the best budget and family activities at South Pass City’s Gold Rush Days? These are the tested and approved Gold Rush Days activities you need to know about.

Going to Gold Rush Days is super exciting, and if you’re anything like me, you are doing all the research you can to feel prepared.

My family was one of the first settlers in South Pass City, so I am providing you with a Gold Rush Days rundown that other Wyoming locals would approve of. You will learn all about Gold Rush Days activities, what to pack, and more.

This post is all about the best Gold Rush Days activities in South Pass City you need to experience.

Hours of Operation

The South Pass City State Historic Site is open from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm; however, the grounds and trails are open sunrise to sunset.

You will want to double-check the tour times of the Carissa Mine and English Tunnel.

South Pass City Address

The official address for the South Pass City Historic Site is:

125 South Pass Main Street, South Pass City, WY 82520.

South Pass City is located 34.1 miles southwest of Lander, Wyoming.

Red Canyon | Wyoming

From Lander, you will drive south and up the mountain. On the right-hand side, you will see the scenic Red Canyon.

After several miles, there will be a turn-off on the left side for the old highway, which leads to Atlantic City, and a turn-off for Louis Lake on the right.

Parking

South Pass City is a small ghost town, and parking is limited. For Gold Rush Days, you will want to park in the free designated space across from the Carissa Mine.

The Carissa Mine is located 0.9 miles north of South Pass City.

You can walk the dirt road, but there is also a bus that arrives every 15 minutes to transport you from the parking lot to the Gold Rush Days festivities. The last shuttle transport is at 5:30 pm.

If you time your arrival right, you could participate in the Carissa Mine Open House from 1:30 to 4:30 pm before making the trip to South Pass City.

What to Pack

Gold Rush Days take place every July, so anticipate warm and sunny weather. However, keep in mind that South Pass City is located at an elevation of over 7,400 feet, which can result in cooler temperatures and occasional wind.

Since you won’t have ready access to your vehicle, it’s wise to be prepared and pack lightly.

Comfortable walking and/or hiking shoes
Hat or head cover (optional)
Light jacket (optional)
Money for entrance fee and gift shop/vendors
Noise-canceling headphones for kids (optional)
Shorts or pants you can roll up for gold panning
Sunglasses (optional)
Sunscreen
Waterbottle
Waterproof shoes for gold panning in the river

Cost

In 2025, there was a $5 entrance fee per person to attend Gold Rush Days, but children under the age of two were admitted free of charge.

Wyoming is slow to catch on to trends like Venmo and Apple Pay, so it’s ideal to pay with cash.

It looks like there was an entrance fee price update:

Kids 17 and under are free
$4 for Wyoming residents
$8 for non-residents

The English Tunnel tour is free, but reservations are required. Don’t worry about packing a lunch, as there are drinks like Sarsaparilla available at the old Miner’s Exchange Saloon and food trucks.

Friends of South Pass City hosted an indoor bake sale in the South Pass Hotel, and homemade cookies were made over an old-fashioned stove behind the Sherlock House.

For $1, you can pan for gold in the creek under the Price Street Bridge and are generously provided with lessons, a specially designed black pan filled with dirt, and a small tube container for gold flakes and garnets.

Before you leave, make sure to stop by the gift store and buy one of the famous $3 jawbreakers, which are a South Pass City tourist staple and fantastic souvenir.

Gold Rush Days

1. Anvil Blast & Cannon Fire

By the Miner’s Exchange Saloon, you can grab a Sarspirilla to watch an anvil blast into the air and a cannon firing.

On the hour mark, an anvil is blasted into the air, and on the half-hour mark, a cannon is fired (the cannon is a new addition as of July 2025).

If you do the math, you can expect a loud noise every 30 minutes, so protect your ears to prevent hearing loss.

2. Carissa Mine Guided Tour

The first gold boom in Wyoming occurred in South Pass City and Atlantic City. In 1867-1868, the Carissa Mine became a thriving establishment for gold-seekers.

The gold rush was short-lived, and by 1873, the population decreased, making South Pass City a ghost town. Surprisingly, the Carissa mine wasn’t officially closed down until the 1950s.

After 1:30 pm, you can ride the shuttle to the Carissa Mine for the Carissa Mine Open House from 1:30 to 4:30 pm.

3. Gold Panning

Nestled to the side of the Exchange Building and the Price Street Bridge on South Pass City’s main street, you will be able to pan for gold.

After paying $1, you will receive a specially designed pan filled with dirt, gold panning lessons, and a small tube container for gold flakes and garnets.

Above is what your gold pan will initially look like before you add the water from the creek.

You will use the circular edge of your black pan to rotate and shake your pan back and forth. The dirt in your pan will muddy the water, so you simply drain it into the river and scoop clean river water into the pan.

It’s a repetitive process, but after carefully picking out the rocks and slowly washing away the dirt in the creek, you will be able to spot the gold flakes and garnets with your fingertips.

Once you have successfully placed the flakes on your fingertip, place them on the bubble on top of the tube filled with water, which creates a suction. Ta-da, you have a memory keepsake of panning for gold.

4. Hike to the English Tunnel

After walking west past the historic buildings on Main Street and up the hill past the schoolhouse, you will find the start of a two-mile hike on the Hermit Creek Trail to the English Tunnel.

Please note that if you choose to hike the English Tunnel, reservations are required, as it’s a candlelit tour designed to make the experience authentic and comparable to what miners experienced in 1870.

Trail to the English Tunnel in South Pass City

The English Tunnel tour is free, but it’s limited to 10 people, and children under seven are not allowed for safety reasons.

If you are unable to make it on the English Tunnel tours during Gold Rush Days, it’s available at 11:00 am every:

Friday
Saturday
Sunday

In the summer months:

June
July
August

5. Vintage Baseball Tournament

Formerly known as the “Old Timer” baseball game, you can watch the vintage baseball tournament at the baseball field. Baseball players wear old-fashioned uniforms and use equipment from the 1800s.

Old Timer Baseball Game in South Pass City

The first day is the opening ceremony in the morning, followed by three games in the afternoon, and the second day is the championship.

6. Pony Express Reactment

South Pass City became a landmark for early settlers, offering a gradual passageway with wide trails through the Rocky Mountains, and it’s also the halfway mark for the Oregon Trail.

South Pass City was a central location for:

California Trail | 1841 to 1869
Oregon Trail | 1843 to 1857
Mormon Trail | 1846 to 1869

Pony Express Re-Enactment South Pass City

In April 1860, the Pony Express, an old-fashioned mail service where horseback riders delivered mail pouches by exchanging with other riders, was created to deliver mail across the United States.

Sadly, the iconic Pony Express was short-lived and ended 18 months later in 1861 after the invention of the transcontinental telegraph line, but there were 40 Pony Express stations located in Wyoming.

Small men and young boys weighing 125 lbs became the designated riders chosen to deliver mail from St. Joseph, Missouri, to Sacramento, California, in 10 days. Every 10 miles, the riders traded out fatigued horses, and every 30 miles, they exchanged mail pouches with the next rider.

You can experience the Pony Express Demonstration during Gold Rush Days on Saturday and Sunday at:

11:00 am
12:30 pm
2:00 pm
4:00 pm

7. Tour the South Pass City Historic Buildings

South Pass City is arguably one of the best restored ghost towns in the West and one of the most famous ghost towns in Wyoming from the 1860s to the 1870s (Wyoming did not become a state until 1890).

You have to check out the historic reconstructed buildings, ranging from bars, hotels, pool rooms, and saloons.

Old Sweetwater County Jail

If you wander over to the Old Sweetwater County Jail, you can view various quilts on display.

In the back of the jail building is a wood-burning stove, but I can only imagine how cold the prisoners felt in the wintertime. The jail doors have locks that require a key, and each cell has a small barred window.

Carissa Saloon

While you can’t enter the building, you can peek inside the window to get a glimpse of 1890, which is when the Carissa Saloon was established.

Ore Wagon

Parked in front of the Carissa Saloon is this old-fashioned, authentic pioneer wagon.

South Pass Hotel & Restaurant

The Friends of South Pass City bake sale is located at the South Pass Hotel and Restaurant.

Next to the South Pass City Hotel and Restaurant is the white building pictured below.

The view below is the opposite side of the street from the Exchange Building and the South Pass City Hotel and Restaurant.

Sherlock-Smith Store and Fort Bourbon in South Pass City

“The Cave” or “Fort Bourbon”

“The Cave” or “Fort Bourbon” is a cold storage building built in 1868 for alcohol and a designated space to hide women and children should safety concerns arise.

The inside view of the cold storage, and it’s definitely cooler compared to the warm July temperatures outside.

Smith and Sherlock Store

In 1898, the Smith and Sherlock store was built by the Smith family, one of the most influential pioneer residents in South Path City.

In 2020, South Pass City received a grant to restore and rejuvenate this historic building, allowing it to be preserved and enjoyed for many years.

Smith and Sherlock Company Store South Pass City

You can’t buy anything in this store, but it’s fun to look at the setup and buying options in the late 1800s.

The vintage packaging had so much character in comparison to modern-day items.

Walk west past the historic buildings on Main Street and up the hill to see the view pictured below.

Schoolhouse

The schoolhouse at South Pass City was built in 1910 and has only one room.

The school house features a wood-burning stove, which was the primary source of heat in the winter, conveniently located by the teacher’s desk.

Libby Cabin

Located below the schoolhouse is the historic frontier Libby cabin built in 1869.

The measles epidemic wreaked havoic in 1890 dubbing the Libby cabin as the “Pest House” because it was used for quarantine purposes.

Sherlock House

The Sherlock house was built by members of the pioneer Sherlock family in 1898, which is the same year as the Smith-Sherlock store.

The original cabin only had two rooms but in the 1900’s, a kitchen, additional bedroom, and a porch were added.

Located behind the Sherlock House pictured above, you can get cookies made in an old-fashioned burning stove.

Blacksmith

Exterior of the blacksmith building.

Interior of the blacksmith building.

Printing Press

Esther Hobart Morris Cabin

Did you know that Wyoming was the first state to grant women the right to vote in 1869? Did you also know that South Pass City is home to the first female justice of the peace in the United States, in 1870?

William Bright, a saloon owner and South Pass City legislator, presented a bill during Wyoming’s first territorial legislature that would allow women the right to vote, and it was later signed by governer Campbell.

South Pass played a significant role in the fight for women’s suffrage, ultimately securing the right for all American women to vote.

In 1870, at the age of 58, Esther Hobart Morris (1812-1902) became the first ever female judge in the United States, serving for eight months and overseeing two dozen court cases.

Esther was born in New York City, and she and her husband moved to South Pass City, Wyoming. She later moved to Cheyenne, Wyoming (the state capitol), and there is an honorary statue in front of the Capitol building.

This statue alone is the best reason to visit South Pass City, Wyoming, and it gives me chills every time I see it. Such a monumental historic moment in American history, and I am proud to hail from the state that first granted women the right to vote.

I am biased, but this was my favorite part to see during school fieldtrips growing up, and it was a bonus that she became the first female judge on my birthday.

8. Gold Rush Days Vendor Booths

There are a couple of food trucks that offer Indian tacos, Smash Burgers by the baseball field, and the Sweetwater County Jail. You can listen to live old-timer music by the Price Street Bridge.

Some of the vendors dress up like pioneers or mountain men to add an extra festive touch.

Several vendor booths sell unique and old-fashioned items, such as soap and fur trappings.

1800s Games & Old-Fashioned Kite Making

Gold Rush Days is definitely a family-friendly event. Your kids will have the opportunity to explore various toys and games played by children in the 1800s, such as Jacob’s Ladder, jump rope, and yo-yo.

Another kid-friendly activity is learning how to make an old-fashioned kite at the Sherlock Barn.

BONUS: Farson Mercantile

Address: 4048 US-191, Farson, WY 82932

45.8 miles outside of South Pass City, there is a small town called Farson, Wyoming. If you are willing to make the drive to the Farson Merchantile, reward yourself with some delicous ice cream and a Wyoming souvenir.

References:

Prentzas, G. S. (2014). Wyoming (Revised edition). C. Press/F. Watts Trade.

https://tile.loc.gov/storage-services/master/pnp/habshaer/wy/wy0000/wy0089/data/wy0089data.pdf

https://www.southpasscity.org/town

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