Lodging Scarce for August Eclipse
Written by Andrew-Rossi on June 19, 2017
Finding a place to stay in Park County on August 21st might be a problem.
A total eclipse of the sun on that date is bringing thousands of visitors to the state, thanks to Wyoming’s generally sunny climate and the fact that the path of totality cuts through the center of the state, from Torrington to Jackson.
And although Park and Big Horn Counties aren’t in that path, the communities in these counties are close enough to the event to cause lodging properties to sell out, and campsites to fill up.
According to Lisa Constantine with the Cody Chamber of Commerce Visitor’s Center, there are only a handful of properties in Cody that still have rooms available.
As of a week and a half ago, Constantine says three out of four hotels surveyed in Powell listed availability, as did the two lodging properties in Meeteetse. Additionally, there is still availability for camping at locations like the Park County Fairgrounds and all campgrounds in Cody.
However, representatives from the Shoshone National Forest say that there will be people who plan to pitch tents in areas that aren’t set up for camping, which could cause problems such as unauthorized campfires or human-wildlife conflicts.
