Wyoming is the least populous state in the US and one of the most dramatic in landscape. The Rocky Mountains run through the west; the Great Plains extend across the east; and the Continental Divide crosses the state. Two of America's great national parks — Yellowstone and Grand Teton — occupy the northwest corner, making that area the most visited part of Wyoming and one of the most popular outdoor destinations in the country.
Yellowstone is the world's oldest national park and the site of half the earth's geothermal features — geysers, hot springs, mud pots, and fumaroles across a landscape shaped by one of the largest volcanic systems on the planet. Jackson Hole is the valley south of Grand Teton and the main base for both parks, with skiing at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort in winter and world-class hiking and wildlife watching in summer. Moose, elk, bison, and grizzly bears are regularly seen in both parks.
Away from the northwest, Wyoming rewards those who explore. The Oregon Trail, California Trail, and Mormon Pioneer Trail all crossed the state, and wagon wheel ruts are still visible in places. Historic forts along these routes — Fort Laramie, Fort Bridger — preserve the frontier era. Devil's Tower, in the northeast, is an extraordinary rock formation and the first US National Monument, declared by Theodore Roosevelt in 1906. Cheyenne, the capital, hosts Cheyenne Frontier Days each July — one of the largest outdoor rodeos in the world. Cody, founded by Buffalo Bill, has the Buffalo Bill Center of the West (five museums in one complex), described by the New York Times as the Smithsonian of the West.
