On South Pass, new owner revives Wyoming’s historic Rock Shop Inn

In a remote corner of Wyoming, where the winds sculpt the pines at 7,000 feet elevation along Highway 28, a revival story is unfolding at the Rock Shop Inn. On a typical Saturday night, locals gather under the glow of bottle lights, sharing news and beers near an antique pot-bellied stove, while occasional visitors arrive with the tinkle of the front door chime.

The Rock Shop Inn’s unlikely location—nestled among rock outcroppings alongside Willow Creek—belies its rich history and newfound popularity. What began decades ago as a simple one-room gem store evolved into a thriving establishment in the ’70s and ’80s, complete with live music, a restaurant serving hunters and outdoor enthusiasts, and camping facilities that attracted visitors to the southern Wind River Range.

After years of closure to the public under private ownership, the 5-acre property has found new life thanks to Anthony Prate, who since 2019 has worked alongside his father on an ambitious renovation project. Their efforts have transformed the space into an elegant saloon featuring antique furniture, custom artwork, and a meticulously restored player piano. The five guest cabins have been renovated to luxury standards, and the property once again provides access to cross-country ski trails, snowmobile tracks, and hiking paths.

“It’s beautiful,” says John Mionczynski, an ethnobotanist from nearby Atlantic City who performed at the Rock Shop decades ago with his band, The Buffalo Chips. “I think it’s going in a really good direction to be a permanent sort of hangout for the locals. But also being on one of the highways to Yellowstone, once he gets a restaurant in there, I can almost guarantee it’s going to be a popular place.”

Prate, who grew up in Illinois learning construction from his father’s roofing business, came to the Rock Shop after serving five years in a U.S. Marine Corps reconnaissance unit. He had never visited Wyoming before his father invited him on a fateful road trip in 2019 to see a property with potential as a family enterprise.

“It was dark when we arrived, and we nearly drove past it,” Prate recalls. “It was a little beat up, but I saw the potential immediately.” His father outlined a vision for revitalizing the business, offering his son a chance to create a family legacy in Wyoming’s dramatic landscape.

The property required extensive work before it could welcome guests again. Prate removed “no trespassing” signs and gates, prioritized safety improvements, and began renovating the cabins to generate income while simultaneously working on the saloon. His father made frequent visits, bringing pieces from his antique collection and helping with construction projects.

Meanwhile, Prate faced the challenge of changing local perceptions. He began patronizing Atlantic City’s restaurants to meet residents and spread the word about his plans. “A lot of it was just working on reversing the reputation that this place had, trying to tell people that, ‘Hey, we’re bringing this back to the public,'” he explains.

Winning over the self-reliant local population required more than words. Bob Townsend, an Atlantic City resident, recalls his first visit to see Prate’s work on the cabins. “When he took me into the one that was finished, I looked at him and said, ‘You’re gonna out-Jackson-Hole Jackson Hole.'”

Prate promised the luxury without Jackson Hole prices, a balance he appears to have achieved. The cabins now feature warm wood, custom log furniture, western artwork, and modern amenities, all accented by thoughtful details like locally made ceramics. This attention to quality extends to the saloon, with its elaborate wood stove, Mark Maggiori cloudscape paintings, and log-cabin-style pool table.

The aesthetics reflect Prate’s deliberate choices: understated quality, warm colors, and notably, no televisions. “The point is to welcome all to a space where they can engage with one another,” he says. “We cater to everybody. I don’t care if you are a muddy, bloody hunter coming out of the field, or you are a New Yorker coming for a mountain stay in our cabins.”

Prate’s vision includes dog-friendly accommodations and discounts for veterans and public service workers. The lodgings have proven popular, though many visitors and locals eagerly anticipate the restaurant’s reopening—a project currently underway but without a firm completion date.

“I have every confidence that it is going to be the most beautiful restaurant in the state of Wyoming,” Townsend says, noting Prate’s exacting standards and unwillingness to rush any aspect of the renovation.

This patience reflects the long-term vision Prate shares with his father. “We’re not just going to turn and burn this place,” he says. “This is going to be our legacy forevermore. This is very much a labor of love.”

For a property that has seen multiple iterations over the decades, from gem shop to popular gathering place to private retreat and now to renewed community hub, the Rock Shop Inn seems poised to recapture its place in Wyoming’s rich tapestry of destination establishments—where the welcome is as vast as the surrounding Wind River Range.