The Best Small Town In The Rockies For Seniors

For seniors, finding a good place to live in the Rocky Mountains can mean something different depending on who you are. That's why Sheridan in Wyoming shines. Some people want the grandeur of the Rockies, while others are more concerned about reliable healthcare. Sheridan has both of those, and more. From the Bighorn Mountains at your back to hospitals like Sheridan Memorial Hospital, there is something valuable here that goes beyond a simple dollar number. It has safety and services that help seniors not just live but thrive. Read on to find out why Sheridan is a great town for seniors.

Town History

The land where the town sits is the ancestral land of the Crow people, who lived here long before settlers arrived. The town's history started to come into focus back in 1882, when Civil War Veteran John D. Loucks bought a claim of land alongside Goose Creek for $50. He envisioned a town in the valley, and wanted to see that come to life. He sketched up a drawing and got a man by the name of Jack Dow to come survey the site. The town that grew from those early concepts was named after General Philip Sheridan, who Loucks served with during the war. Only two years later after he had bought the land, the town was incorporated in 1884.

Sheridan began to see fast growth after 1892 with the arrival of the Burlington & Missouri Railroad. The next year, the Sheridan Inn opened up, with Buffalo Bill Cody becoming an investor. He used the hotel as his headquarters and recruited performers for this famous Wild West Show. Coal mines started to sprout up in the area, which drew a substantial amount of workers, including large groups of Polish workers. The town grew and grew, ballooning from 1559 people in 1900 to over 8400 by 1910. As the decades went on, the coal industry slowly died off, but the town continued to thrive, morphing into a regional centre for healthcare. Its downtown joined the National Register of Historic Places in 1982, and is still home to plenty of architecture built during the boom years.

Home Prices and Healthcare

According to Zillow, the median sale price for a home here in Sheridan is just over $402,000, only a touch higher than the national median sale price of $382,333. While Sheridan's prices are a bit higher than the normal home prices you will find in Wyoming, it is very affordable when compared to other Rocky Mountain towns. Lately, home prices in the Rockies have exploded, like in resort towns like Whitefish, Montana or Telluride, Colorado, where house prices have soared over a million dollars in the last few years.

Healthcare here in Sheridan is a big advantage. Sheridan Memorial Hospital is licensed for 88 beds and has a 24-hour emergency department and was designated an Area Trauma Hospital by the Wyoming Department of Health. Its Heart Center has a cardiac catheterization laboratory that deals with care like angioplasty and stent placements. The hospital also has cardiac rehab and intensive care. For veterans, VA Medical Center lies inside the old Fort MacKenzie grounds and offers primary care and mental health services, to go alongside residential and longer-term care programs.

Community and Social Life

Sheridan's population has grown to over 20,000, and seniors will find a big, welcoming community of fellow older residents to befriend. According to recent census data, around 20 percent of its residents are aged 65 years or older, so there will be no problem meeting like-minded people! One of the places to meet is at the Hub On Smith, which has fitness classes and art programs to join, while its dining room is a great place for retirees and seniors to eat and spend time together.

The Hub also has the Trailblazers program, another way for seniors and the greater community to meet and socialize. During the summer, Kendrick Pool has water exercise classes, with discounted prices for residents over the age of 60. There is also AARP's Sheridan Community Action team, another way for seniors to get involved with the community through different events, ranging from sports to movies.

Landmarks to See

The Sheridan Inn opened at the end of the 19th century, with a distinctive roofline that gave it its nickname of "the House of 69 Gables" because of the number of distinct dormer windows. Not far from downtown, Trail End State Historic Site is the former home of Wyoming governor John B. Kendrick. Finished in 1913, the Flemish Revival style house has original furnishings and gives a nuanced look at the family's life before the site was converted to a museum.

In fact, the town has lots of interesting museums to see. Sheridan County's coal mining and railroad history is covered at the Museum at the Bighorns. Or instead, if you drive 20 minutes south of Sheridan, you can reach the Brinton Museum, sitting on the roughly 600-acre Quarter Circle A Ranch. It holds items like Western and American Indian Art, with the original ranch house completed in 1893 still standing proud. Inside the home, you can see old furnishings and belongings of Bradford Brinton during his time on the property.

Outdoor Adventures

Staying active as you get older is so important. Seniors will have lots to go out and do here in Sheridan. Kendrick Park has paths along Big Goose Creek with a nearby enclosure that is home to bison and elk. For a longer walk, you can head west of downtown to reach Soldier Ridge Trail. The path is just shy of four miles and crosses through foothills with views of the nearby Bighorns. There is also Hidden Hoot Trail, a shorter three-mile loop heading through patches of forested space and open grassland.

And of course, you'll need to check out Bighorn National Forest, where Sibley Lake has some good fishing to try out. More experienced hikers can head into Cloud Peak Wilderness, where you can find alpine lakes and Cloud Peak, the highest peak amongst the Bighorn Mountains. If a slow hike closer to town is more your thing, the Brinton Museum has a nice, easy 0.7-mile natural trail through the forested areas around Trabing Creek.

Where to Eat and Drink

For days when you don't feel like staying at home, Sheridan has more than just small-town diners to eat at. For example, Silver Spur Café on Main is a breakfast and lunch favorite, with classic Americana food in a cozy setting. Not far away, Powder River Pizza has unique pizzas like Jalapeno Pepper and Polynesian-style pizzas. It also gives you the option to build a pizza using whatever ingredients you want, if you want to get creative. Also nearby is Wyoming's Rib & Chop House, offering some of the best steak in the area.

Downtown can have a bit of a different atmosphere, like at the Mint Bar, which has been around since 1907. It'll be hard to miss the neon bucking-horse sign, or its unique walls, covered with all sorts of cattle brands that reflect the region's ranching heritage. Lastly, for a nice, quiet drink, the Black Tooth Brewing Company is a good option, with its 307 Lager being a popular choice.

In Conclusion

Sheridan's appeal isn't just the Rockies nearby, because there are all kinds of towns that have that too. Its appeal is a combination of affordable housing and dependable healthcare options. It is also the community of like-minded seniors that make up a big part of the community here. If you are looking at settling down in the Rocky Mountains and are writing down potential places, make sure to underline Sheridan. It's a choice you won't soon regret.