Wide Open Spaces: Wyoming
By: Joe Volz and Kate Bird Source: AARP.org Date Posted: 2007-06-21 15:28:18.131669-04:00
Most people don't think of Wyoming as a premier travel destination. It's definitely a sleeper. But Wyoming is home to two well-known national parks, Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons. It also offers excellent outdoor sports and indoor activities in the city of Jackson Hole.
Part of Wyoming's attraction is what isn't there—people. The state's population is less than half a million, fewer than the cities of Los Angeles, New York or Miami. Half of the state's land mass is owned by the U.S. government while the state owns another 6 percent.
That means there's plenty of land for you to roam in and enjoy the plentiful wildlife - pronghorn antelope, jackrabbits, elk, wild horses, coyotes, bobcats and sage grouse.
Try the Off-Season
The off-season can be the best time to visit Wyoming too, though most people concentrate their visits in the three summer months, when the weather is at its most attractive. The colder months, though, have their own rewards. In Jackson Hole, for example, the winter season opens in early December.
For one, there are far fewer travelers on the road then so you have the opportunity to explore at leisure, without worrying that you must hustle along to make room for the next group.
Here are some of Wyoming's treasures.
Jackson Hole
Located 75 five miles from Yellowstone National Park and five miles from the Grand Tetons, Jackson Hole was once a lonely cowboy town whose claim to fame lay in its town square of four entry arches made entirely out of elk antlers. The arches offer mute testimony to the wealth of hunting still available in the area.
Today, the town is better known as a rich person's paradise and is open year round. Its excellent resorts and stellar sports facilities attract movie stars such as Robert Redford and well-to-do business people as well as many with less claim to fame.
Year-round activities include hunting and fishing and people gazing. Indoor sports for the less actively inclined include art galleries, fine restaurants and designer boutiques. Specific winter sports include snowboarding, skiing, dog sledding and sleigh rides.
Yellowstone National Park
The U.S. government created Yellowstone as the nation's first national park in 1876 to preserve its unique attractions for all time. Yellowstone reigns today as the crown jewel of the nation's parks and attracts visitors from throughout the world. It is in the northwestern corner of Wyoming and borders both Montana and Idaho.
Formed out of a volcano that literally blew its top millions of years ago, Yellowstone is one of the few places on earth where hot water and steam come bubbling and seeping out of the earth through thousands of mineral-encrusted hot springs and vents.
Especially beautiful in winter, the park's geysers draw bison and other animals to warm themselves on frigid days. The bison are remainders of the thousands of herds that once freely roamed the West.
Most roads are closed from November through March, but you can enter the park through guided tours by snow coach, snowmobile (in strictly limited numbers) and on skis or snowshoes.
Old Faithful remains the park's number-one One geyser attraction, drawing visitors to gaze in wonder at its regular eruptions every 90 minutes. Other favorite activities are backpacking, hiking and horseback riding.
Grand Teton National Park
The southern border of Yellowstone National Park leads straight into Grand Teton National Park. Typically fewer tourists find their way into the Grand Tetons - but those who do exult in its beauties and wilderness and often end up calling it their favorite of the nation's park system.
The heart of the Grand Tetons, the youngest mountain range in the country, is a massive 40-mile-long mountain range that includes eight peaks over 12,000 feet each. Lakes abound, including more than 100 alpine lakes in the backcountry. Seven lakes lie at the base of the Teton Range.
In the summer, you can enjoy tent camping at Jenny Lake within the shadow of the Teton peaks. Here recreational vehicles and trailers are forbidden.
Sightseeing, wildlife viewing, photography, hiking and backpacking are activities available in the park. You can drive to the top of Signal Mountain (7,593 feet) for spectacular views of Jackson Hole, Jackson Lake and several other Teton peaks.
Snake River, which splashes and roars through the Tetons, offers white water rafting as well as rafting on calmer waters for the less adventurous.
Online Resources
National Park Service: Yellowstone National Park
Books
Find these books online at www.BarnesandNoble.com.
Hidden Wyoming: Including Jackson Hole, Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Park
By John Gottbert, Ulysses Press, 2005
Frommer's Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks
By Eric Peterson, 4th Edition, Wiley, John & Sons, Inc., 2006
preview