Destination:
Wyoming

Yellowstone National Park

The world's first national park, Yellowstone was established in 1872 and despite its popularity today, most of the park still remains an undeveloped wilderness of magnificent mountain scenery, waterfalls, alpine lakes and rivers. It is renowned for its geothermal wonders and abundance of wildlife. Spilling over into Montana and Idaho, the enormous park is situated on top of the Yellowstone Caldera, a collapsed volcanic crater that was formed 600,000 years ago and holds within it the greatest geothermic area in the world. This unique environment includes features such as exploding geysers, thousands of steaming fumaroles, hot springs and bubbling mud pools, and is where the park's most famous attraction, the Old Faithful Geyser is to be found, drawing thousands of tourists to witness its regular eruption of steaming water. Yellowstone is also home to the largest concentration of wildlife in lower USA, including grizzly and black bears, wolves, moose, and large herds of bison and elk. The two narrow waterfalls of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River cut a striking picture in the yellow-coloured rock that gives the park its name, with superb views and hiking trails for all abilities. The large alpine Yellowstone Lake fills the eastern part of the caldera and offers opportunities for boating and fishing expeditions in summer. All places of interest are accessible along the loop roads, but the intensity of visitors in summer, especially between July and August, means that one needs to hike away from the main paths to experience the true wilderness of Yellowstone National Park.

Grand Teton National Park

Occupying the valley of Jackson Hole, Grand Teton National Park's identifying feature is the sharp granite peaks of the impressive Teton Range, with the dramatic Cathedral Group known as 'Les Trois Tetons' or 'The Three Beasts' towering above the valley floor. At their centre is the Grand Teton, the 13,770-foot (4,197m) peak that defines the skyline and dominates almost every view within the park. The mountains are popular with climbers and hikers, as well as photographers who can capture a variety of different angles from the park's scenic winding road or on one of its numerous trails that forms part of a vast network of hikes starting from the valley floor. Beneath the Teton Range lie a string of lakes and the scenic Snake River that meanders the length of the park, offering numerous opportunities to kayak, fish and raft. The stunning scenery can be easily seen and enjoyed from a drive through the park, but taking to the mountain trails or waterways is the best way to appreciate the spectacular views and experience the beautiful backcountry. A great abundance of large wildlife roams the valley floor, including moose, elk, bison, and grizzly and black bears.

Buffalo Bill Historical Center

The Buffalo Bill Historical Center is an immense complex containing five world-class museums and a research library, including the Buffalo Bill Museum, Plains Indian Museum, Cody Firearms Museum, Whitney Gallery of Western Art, and the Draper Museum of Natural History. The Buffalo Bill Museum focuses on the personal and public lives of William 'Buffalo Bill' Cody within the American West, with artefacts tracing the years of the Pony Express, Indian Wars, Civil War and his Wild West Shows. The Cody Firearms Museum contains the most complete collection of American weapons in the world, the Whitney Gallery features masterworks of the West, and the ecosystem of the Yellowstone area is presented at the Natural History Museum. The Plains Indians Museum highlights the story of the lives of the Plains Indian people, their culture, history, values and traditions, and their lives today through one of the country's largest and finest collections of art and artefacts.

Mill Iron Ranch

What good's a visit to Cowboy Country without a little trail riding thrown into the mix? At Mill Iron Ranch, the Wheeldon family - led by the charismatic cowboy-proprietor, Chancy - boldly claim to 'run the best huntin', fishin', ridin' and eatin' outfit in [Jackson]'; and the scores of glowing Internet reviews of the ranch, suggest that they might just be telling the truth about that. Offering the 'number one two-hour trail ride in the USA' - at the end of which, visitors can return to the farmhouse for a bit of western swing dancing, and a steak dinner 'with all the fixings', prepared by the Wheeldons themselves - visitors to Wyoming who are keen to experience a little ranch-life, could hardly do better than making a trip out to Mill Iron Ranch.