(Thermopolis, WY) – In a social media post that has been shared over 300 times since first being published on April 22, a Facebook profile based out of Pampa, Texas claimed that the Star Plunge hot spring facility in Thermopolis has been purchased by the Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho Tribes.
“Big News Star Plunge has been SOLD to the Eastern Shoshoni (sic) and Northern Arapahoe (sic) Nations,” the Facebook post reads. “That is why Eastern Shoshoni (sic) and Northern Arapahoe (sic) flags are displayed at Star Plunge. The flags are also featured at Micky’s Theater in Thermopolis. This all makes perfect sense. And any of my friends that read this please share as well thanks!”
After receiving numerous inquiries about the validity of the post, County 10 has since confirmed that the information being shared is false.
“The Shoshone Business Council confirmed that this is false information,” Alejandra Robinson, Director of the Eastern Shoshone Tribe Public Relations Office, shared. “The Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho Tribes have not purchased the Star Plunge.”
(Note: The Northern Arapaho Tribal offices did not immediately reply to County 10’s phone calls Wednesday afternoon.)
Brooks Jordan, Wyoming State Parks District Manager for the Bighorn District, also confirmed as much.
“Yes, we don’t have any knowledge that that has occurred and that has not been something that has been discussed with us, and we don’t believe it to be true,” Jordan shared.
The Star Plunge facility closed in January, and Jordan shared that Wyoming State Parks remains in litigation with C&W Enterprises, the facility’s last operators/concessionaires.
Jordan explained that litigation would need to “run its course” before a new concessionaire is named.
“I think it’s safe to say that if the lawsuit weren’t occurring, there’s a good chance the Star Plunge facility would be open and operated by a different party,” Jordan added. “There still could be, you know, a potential sale between the current ownership and the prospective future operator, which we would be interested in supporting or learning more about, but those are pretty much the two outcomes that we see right now.”
“If the facility were to change hands, then whoever were to purchase it would still need an agreement with us to be able to operate it in the future,” Jordan also clarified.
Wyoming State Parks can be reached at (307) 777-6323 for any further questions.