Hell's Half Acre
May 5, 2019
revised: Oct. 4, 2020
On Hwy. 20/26 40 miles west of Casper is a fantastic spot called Hell's Half Acre. One can only view it through a fence as the entire 330 acres belonging to Natrona County has been fenced off. It is frustrating to not be able to go down and wander among the weird formations. Most of the information on the internet about this place is out of date. The restaurant and motel were torn down in 2005 and the picnic area is closed. About all one can do is gaze though the fence at the amazing sights below. Binoculars would help here and the place is certainly worth a look.
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A look into Hell's Half Acre.
I used my telephoto lens many times at Hell's Half Acre. It was the only was to see things a bit closer. I had to aim my camera through the links of a tall fence topped with razor wire.
Some of the many tall thin hoodoos in the bottom of Hell's Half Acre.
Looking west. Relatively flat land above Hell's Half Acre extends off into the distance.
The mouth of a large cave cut into the eroded rock.
More small caves can be seen.
Panorama of Hell's Half Acre toward the southeast.
Another view looking into Hell's Half Acre.
A weird tall spire or hoodoo jutting up from the bottom of the valley that is Hell's Half Acre.
Another view of the weird spire.
A storm was coming. In the old days people said sulphurous smoke issued from the rocks here. Geologist think the smoke was from coal burning under the surface of the ground. That smoke and the dark skies we saw would have given this place an eerie feeling.
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Storm clouds contrast with sunny skies.
