Anticipatory jackalope

by Angus M. Thuermer Jr. May 25, 2018May 31, 2018

The giant Jackalope outside Dubois’s Jackalope Travel Stop appears to look longingly up the highway for the first tourists of the season. The giant statue lures travelers inside where they can climb onto another giant version of the mythical critter, this one covered in fur, for a photograph. (Angus M. Thuermer Jr./WyoFile)

You can’t miss them.

The giant bear, the big bighorn sheep, the huge cow skull and the monster fish wound around the fishing rod. All are landmarks in the small town of Dubois, where millions of travelers slow down to make a 90-degree turn toward Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks.

And then there’s the “world’s largest” jackalope. A statue of the mythical horned rabbit stands proudly outside the recently renamed Jackalope Travel Stop and gas station downtown.

The statue lures visitors inside where they can buy all manner of jackalope memorabilia. Visitors can even take a photograph of friends astride another giant jackalope — this one covered in fur — tucked behind the bags of Doritos and other highway snacks.

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Not every gas station and convenience store is worthy of reviewing on Trip Advisor, but the Jackalope Travel Stop (formerly Exxon Country Store) merits attention.

“Giant Jackalope was big but not as big as I had thought it would be,” one disappointed traveler wrote. “The store has lots of tourist stuff to buy but the highlight is the giant zombified bunny with antlers,” wrote another.

Not everybody is mesmerized. “The ‘Jackalope’ was covered in what appeared to be several disintegrating glued-on rabbit skins,” a critic wrote of the indoor attraction. “Totally gross!”

Trip Advisor ranks the jackalope second among top things to do in Dubois, behind the National Bighorn Sheep Interpretive Center and ahead of the Dubois Museum: Wind River Historical Center.

Angus M. Thuermer Jr.

Angus M. Thuermer Jr. is the natural resources reporter for WyoFile. He is a veteran Wyoming reporter and editor with more than 35 years experience in Wyoming. Contact him at angus@wyofile.com or (307)... More by Angus M. Thuermer Jr.

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