From travelwyoming.comFrom Devils Tower to Grand Teton, check out the national parks and landmarks that make the Wyoming wilderness worth wandering.
Some of America’s most pristine landscapes live in Wyoming, beckoning adventure-seekers and the curious to take in their beauty. Start exploring Wyoming National Parks and monuments.
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Yellowstone National Park
Home to an incomparable combination of natural beauty, rugged wilderness, majestic peaks, abundant wildlife, and the world’s largest concentration of geysers and thermal features, it’s no wonder Yellowstone was named America’s first national park.
From hiking and horseback riding to fishing and scenic wildlife tours, there are plenty of things to do across its 2 million acres. The iconic spots — Old Faithful, Lower Falls and Yellowstone Lake — may be familiar from paintings and photographs, but seeing them in person is a humbling, enthralling experience you can enjoy year-round. When it comes to where to stay in Yellowstone National Park, you have choices, but booking early is key. From inside the park hotels and motels to campgrounds and backcountry camping with the correct permits, there’s a perfect basecamp for your wild and wonderful Yellowstone adventure.
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Devils Tower National Monument
Prepare to be awed: the laccolithic butte made up of igneous rocks known as Devils Tower is a jaw-dropping geological feature that rises 867 feet above Wyoming’s rolling prairies.
While America’s first national monument garnered significant attention as the backdrop to the 1977 Stephen Spielberg movie Close Encounters of the Third Kind, the tower is sacred to Northern Plains Indian tribes and the Black Hills region Kiowa Tribe. With oral storytelling and a history that dates back thousands of years, today, American Indian tribes continue to hold sacred ceremonies at the tower, including sweat lodges and sun dances. There is more to this monument than its rich history. You can stop at the visitor’s center to learn about one of the ranger-led programs, night sky viewing, hiking and even climbing to the top of Devils Tower. If one day isn’t enough to explore this unforgettable area, bring your camping gear to stay within the monument, or stay just outside or in accommodations at one of the nearby towns.
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Fossil Butte National Monument
Explore one of the world’s largest deposits of freshwater fish fossils at Fossil Butte National Monument.
The area’s calm water, lack of scavengers and fine sediment all worked together to create the perfect conditions for preserving these prehistoric fossils. Today, Fossil Butte National Monument protects Fossil Lake and portions of the Green River Lake ecosystem, rich with fish, alligator, bat, turtle, small horse, insect and plant fossils. During the summer, you can join the Fossil Butte Quarry Program and help search for fossils, which Fossil Butte collects for their scientific research. Be sure to visit Fossil Butte’s visitor center with over 300 fossils on display. Visitors can also take a ride along the site’s scenic drive, stop for lunch at a designated picnic area, take a hike around the area or attend a ranger program.
The area’s calm water, lack of scavengers and fine sediment all worked together to create the perfect conditions for preserving these prehistoric fossils. Today, Fossil Butte National Monument protects Fossil Lake and portions of the Green River Lake ecosystem, rich with fish, alligator, bat, turtle, small horse, insect and plant fossils. During the summer, you can join the Fossil Butte Quarry Program and help search for fossils, which Fossil Butte collects for their scientific research. Be sure to visit Fossil Butte’s visitor center with over 300 fossils on display. Visitors can also take a ride along the site’s scenic drive, stop for lunch at a designated picnic area, take a hike around the area or attend a ranger program.
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Fort Laramie National Historic Site
You can visit the actual place emigrants, U.S. Army soldiers and Native Americans once traveled, worked and met.
Fort Laramie National Historic Site preserves and interprets one of America’s most important locations in the history of westward expansion — hosting emigrants from the Oregon, Mormon and California trails — and Native American resistance. Begin your tour at the visitor center located in the restored 1884 Commissary Storehouse with an 18-minute orientation film before entering the museum and browsing the bookstore. Transport yourself in time during the summer as you walk around the grounds and see staff members and volunteers in period dress bring history alive. You’ll hear bugle calls while exploring 12 restored buildings from 1849 to the late 1880s, continuing across the fort to see more ruins. Your adventure can continue to a hike on a trail that leads from the Old Iron Bridge to the confluence of the Platte and Laramie Rivers, where spectacular views and a variety of birds and other wildlife are found.
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Grand Teton National Park
Grand Teton National Park boasts 310,000 acres of lush valley floors, mountain meadows, alpine lakes and the rising peaks of the Grand Teton Mountain Range.
Located just north of Jackson, Wyoming, Grand Teton has a diverse and long-standing history that includes human use from more than 11,000 years ago. Nomadic Indians, American Indian tribes, early American explorers and permanent settlers once called this national park home. Today, you can explore the park’s extensive history and culture through ranger-led programs, visitor centers and historical points of interest like Mormon Row and the Moulton Barns. In addition to a fascinating history, Grand Teton’s stunning landscapes and diverse wildlife provide the perfect location for nature lovers and outdoor adventurers. Delve deeper into this region’s breathtaking scenery with a backpacking trip (permits required). Or start planning and booking your stay early to reserve campsites or comfortable lodging within park boundaries. Wherever you rest your head, make sure you wake up ready to explore all the activities Grand Teton offers, including hiking, boating, rock climbing, wildlife tours and more.
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One Hour, One Day or One Weekend in Yellowstone National Park.
A dynamic volcanic hotspot that also boasts more than 1,000 miles of hiking trails, nearly 300 waterfalls and the largest concentration of mammalian wildlife in the lower 48 states? That’s what we call a national treasure. Here’s how to cash in on Yellowstone’s riches, no matter how much time you have to spend.
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