Wyoming's Natural Wonders

One of the largest states in the lower 50, just over a 500,000 people have chosen to call Wyoming home, making it the least populated state. Its open ranges as well as vast mountain ranges make the state diverse in it attractions.

In the northwest corner of the state, Yellowstone National Park (www.nps.gov/yell) boasts geysers and hot springs as well as many geothermal features. Old Faithful Geyser draws millions of visitors each year. The park is also home to free ranging animals such as buffalo and elk and is home to grizzly bears and wolves.

On the other side of the state, in the Black Hills in the northeast corner, a towering rock formation called Devil's Tower (www.nps.gov/deto) draws visitors by the millions each year as well as several Native American tribes who return to the area for annual rituals. It came under the National Park Service in 1916. Mountain climbers began their quest for the top in the 1930's with records of climbs kept since 1937.

The state capital of Cheyenne (www.cheyennecity.org) is located in the SE corner of the state just off I-80 with I-25 running north and south near the capital. Wyoming is an arid state receiving only about ten inches of rainfall each year. It is unique in that no water from any source in the state makes it to either ocean. The water from rain either evaporates or is absorbed into the ground. This is not a farm-friendly environment yet many ranches are established near the mountain ranges on all four sides of the state.

The ski areas in the northwestern part of the state does enjoy significant show fall with precipitation often approaching 200 inches a year in the mountainous region of the Teton Range. In order to enjoy some of the best snow skiing in the country you will have to get off the beaten path, read that interstate highways, as I-80, I-90 and I-25 carry you mostly through the eastern and southern part of the state, the mountains of the Grand Teton National Park (www.nps.gov/grte) is located in the NW part of the state and has some of the highest peaks leading into the Rocky Mountains (www.nps.gov/romo)

Route 287 and 189 will take you into the Bridger-Teton National Forest (www.fs.fed.us/r4/btnf) for some of the best natural scenery in North America, located in the western section of Wyoming and in the north central, leave I-90 on Route 14 and travel through the Big Horn National Forest (www.fs.fed.us/r2/bighorn). The Wind River Indian Reservation (www.ohwy.com/wy/w/windrese.htm) also draws visitors to view Native American life, located off Routes 134 and 26 to the west of Casper. Continue on to the northwest and pay a visit to the Shoshone National Forest (www.fs.fed.us/r2/shoshone) for some of the finest photography opportunities in the state.

travelnett.com is your directory source for discount travel deals, hotels, motels, inns, and resorts.