Wild Bunch outlaw Tom O’Day may not have entered Casper willingly (in 1903, he was tried and jailed for stealing a herd of horses nearby), but many emigrants did. They traveled through the heart of Wyoming on the Oregon, California Mormon and Pony Express Trails. Wyoming’s second-largest city is found along the North Platte River, with Casper Mountain rising 3,000 feet above. Best Place to Buy Land: East Casper; quite a bit of new development in that area. Average House Cost: $150,000-$30

April 2008