Kirwin Historic Mining Townsite
Highway 290 east of Meeteetse, the south on Wood River Rd.
Turnoff is just east of Lower Sunshine Reservoir
4 wheel drive high clearance vehicle required for last 9 or 10 miles

William Kirwin began prospecting in the area high in the Absaroka Mountains of the Shoshone National Forest in 1885. Gold, silver, copper, zinc and molybdenum were all found here during that time. Kirwin, Harry Adams, and sixteen others officially formed the Wood River Gold Mining District In 1891. In 1897, the first ore was shipped from Kirwin. By the turn of the century the Shoshone Mountain Mining Company, Wyoming Mining Company, and Galena Ridge Company had developed the site into one of the West’s most promising mining camps. In late 1905 and early 1906 the population of Kirwin was around 200. The town had 38 buildings including a a general store, hotel, and a post office. The townfolk hoped for the construction of a smelter to process the ore and an extension of the Burlington Railroad to service the mines at Kirwin. These developments never materialized. The high altitude climate and the lack of significant quantities of ore combined with the factors above spelled the eventual end of the community.

In 1907 an avalanche nearly wiped out the town. Several buildings were buried and three people died. The town never fully recovered and eventually passed away.

Located at 9,200 feet in the base of a bowl, the townsite is surrounded by peaks rising to 12,500 feet. In addition to many old buildings and remnants of the mining days, steep slopes, a high mountain meadow, and several waterfalls make this a unique and beautiful place.