Lodging Crunch During Eclipse | Big Horn Basin Media

Lodging Crunch Expected During Eclipse

Written by on May 11, 2017

Although the solar eclipse that will pass over Wyoming in August won’t be visible in its totality in Park County, lodging in cities that have the best view are already at capacity.

State Homeland Security estimates that about 350,000 people could visit Wyoming to watch the first total solar eclipse to be seen from the mainland U.S. in almost four decades.

Jackson, Casper and Riverton will have the best and longest view, over two full minutes. Lodging in those communities are already maxed out, which means visitors will have to stay the night elsewhere. So towns in the Big Horn Basin can expect record numbers of overnight guests around the eclipse date of August 21st.

Wind River Casino Marketing Director Jackie Dorothy says their lodging was booked up months ago, because the entire reservation is in the path of totality for the eclipse. However, she says they’ve been working with other entities on the reservation to provide more overnight camping spots to visitors.

Tourism officials say the eclipse should give the state’s economy a much needed boost, after the financial hit that has affected the state’s funding due to the downturn in the oil and gas industry. But tourism officials aren’t putting all their focus on this one-time event. Wyoming Office of Tourism director Diane Shober says she hopes eclipse tourists will like Wyoming so much that they’ll return and encourage others to visit.


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