The Great American West doesn’t get any more real than Wyoming, with its thousands of miles of pristine wilderness and where the classic cowboy culture of the American West is still alive and well.
Seeking an authentic Western holiday? You’ve come to the right place. Bunk down at a Wyoming ranch where trail rides, cattle drives and chuckwagon suppers transport travellers back to a simpler place and time. Revel in the authentic history and heritage of the Old West with a tour of the Wyoming Territorial Prison, or visit Fort Laramie to learn more about frontier life. Continue on to Register Cliff near Casper to see the landmark where hundreds of pioneers carved their names as they passed through the region on their journey west.
Devils Tower, Wyoming (Credit Wyoming Office of Tourism)
When it comes to rodeos, Cheyenne Frontier Days can’t be beat. Held each summer in Wyoming’s state capital, the world’s largest outdoor rodeo boasts 10 days of roping and riding competitions, country music concerts and Western exhibits, including a Native American Village. For more Western heritage, visit frontier towns like Cody – home to the Cody Nite Rodeo, the Cody Wild West Show Concerts and the Buffalo Bill Center of the West – or Buffalo, home to the historic Occidental Hotel and a hangout of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.
If it’s outdoor adventure you crave, Wyoming has something for everyone, including two of America’s most spectacular national parks – Yellowstone and Grand Teton. Yellowstone National Park offers nearly 3,500 square miles of unspoiled natural splendour and countless opportunities for camping, hiking, fishing, boating and more. Camp by a crystal-clear lake as a bald eagle soars overhead, observe free-roaming elk and bison in their native habitat or gaze in wonder as one of Yellowstone’s famous geysers thunders skyward.
Yellowstone’s 2 million acres of grandeur are only the beginning. Hike the mighty mountains in Grand Teton National Park, just south of Yellowstone. There, you can cruise across scenic Jenny Lake or take a float trip down the epic Snake River. Visiting during winter? Enjoy world-class skiing in the premier ski resort destination of Jackson Hole for access to more than 4,000 vertical feet of terrain.
Salt Creek Overlook, Wyoming (Credit Wyoming Office of Tourism)
If prehistoric wonders are something you fancy, make your way down to Fossil Butte National Monument to view some of the earth’s most ancient fossils. Or for world-class water recreation, go boating, fishing and jet skiing at Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area in southwestern Wyoming.
WYOMING ROUNDUP
Yellowstone National Park
From hiking to snowmobiling, the world’s first national park serves up a myriad of outdoor activities. Observe the thermal features, waterfalls, canyons and the region’s wildlife on a historic yellow bus tour, horseback trail ride or Western stagecoach tour. Learn more here: www.nps.gov/yell
Grand Teton National Park
The sharp, jagged peaks of the Teton Mountains rise more than 7,000 feet above the Snake River as it winds its way across the grassy valley below. Take a float trip down the river, hike the many miles of trails, go fly fishing with an experienced guide or take a wildlife tour through the “Serengeti of North America.” Learn more here: www.nps.gov/grte
Devils Tower
Go rock climbing or hiking at America’s first national monument, made famous in Steven Spielberg’s classic film Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Learn more here: www.nps.gov/deto
Wind River Indian Reservation
Witness ancient Native American customs at a summer powwow on Wyoming’s only reservation, home to two Native American tribes – the Shoshone and Arapaho. Learn more here: www.windriver.org
To learn more about Wyoming visit: www.TravelWyoming.com
