Wyoming National Parks

Wyoming national parks have massive dams, monolithic formations, fossils, spectacular mountains and wildlife which leave the visitor in awe of nature's beauty. Visit the crossroads of American westward expansion, walk the paths taken by those exploring this land, or walk over a massive geothermal landscape and hope for a glimpse of elusive wildlife.

Visit these Wyoming National Parks:

Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area: At first glance, time seems to have stopped at Bighorn Canyon. The lake and the steep-sided canyons provide a peaceful setting for those seeking a break from the daily routine. The focus of the area is 71-mile-long Bighorn Lake, created by Yellowtail Dam near Fort Smith, Montana. Dedicated in 1968, the dam provides electric power, water for irrigation, flood control, and recreation. Boating, waterskiing, fishing, swimming, and sightseeing are main attractions.

Bighorn Canyon Weather     Bighorn Canyon Ratings

California National Historic Trail: The road to California carried over 250,000 gold-seekers & farmers to the gold fields & rich farmlands of California during the 1840's and 1850's - the greatest mass migration in American history. More than 1,000 miles of trail ruts and traces can still be seen in the vast undeveloped west – reminders of the sacrifices, struggles, and triumphs of early American travelers and settlers.

California Trail Ratings

Devils Tower National Monument: Devils Tower rises 1267 feet above the Belle Fourche River. Once hidden, erosion has revealed Devils Tower. This 1347 acre park is covered with pine forests, woodlands, and grasslands. Deer, prairie dogs, and other wildlife are seen. Also known as Bears Lodge, it is a sacred site for many American Indians. President Theodore Roosevelt proclaimed Devils Tower the first national monument in 1906.

Devils Tower Weather

Fort Laramie National Historic Site: As America expanded westward, this outpost in the Wyoming wilderness played a crucial role in the transformation of the West, first as fur-trading center, then as military garrison.

Fort Laramie Weather

Fossil Butte National Monument: The fossils of Fossil Lake are remarkable for their abundance and the broad spectrum of species found here – plants, insects, reptiles, birds, mammals, and more than 20 kinds of fish.  

Fossil Butte Weather

Grand Teton National Park: Located in northwestern Wyoming, Grand Teton National Park preserves a spectacular landscape rich with majestic mountains, pristine lakes and extraordinary wildlife. The abrupt vertical rise of the jagged Teton Range contrasts with the horizontal sage-covered valley and glacial lakes at their base, creating world-renowned scenery that attracts nearly four million visitors per year.

Grand Teton Weather

John D Rockefeller Jr Memorial Parkway: Located in northwestern Wyoming, Grand Teton National Park preserves a spectacular landscape rich with majestic mountains, pristine lakes and extraordinary wildlife. The abrupt vertical rise of the jagged Teton Range contrasts with the horizontal sage-covered valley and glacial lakes at their base, creating world-renowned scenery that attracts nearly four million visitors per year.

John D Rockefeller Jr Weather

Mormon Pioneer National Historic Trail: Led by Brigham Young, roughly 70,000 Mormons traveled along the Mormon Trail from 1846 to 1869 in order to escape religious persecution. The Pioneer Company of 1846-1847 established a route from Nauvoo, Illinois, to Salt Lake City, Utah, covering about 1,300 miles that would include construction of new ferries and bridges, and the placement of markers for others to follow.

The Oregon Trail: A History: On to Oregon! It all began with a crude network of rutted traces across the and from the Missouri River to the Willamette River that was used by nearly 400,000 people. Today the 2,170-mile Oregon Trail still evokes an instant image, a ready recollection of the settlement of this continent, of the differences between American Indians and white settlers, and of new horizons.

The Oregon Trail: The Journey West: In book or pamphlet form, guidebooks were soon available for emigrants. Some provided good, solid, reliable information. Others contributed to the "Oregon Fever" that swept the country in the 1840s describing the land in almost Biblical terms.

Pony Express National Historic Trail: The legend of the "the Pony," as it was affectionately known, may overshadow its brief history, but the bold founders and brave riders of the Pony Express helped spread important news, shrink a continent, and bind a nation that was being torn apart by civil war.

Life of the Pony Express Riders: Hires ranged from teenagers to about age 40. Weight restrictions were strict.

History of Mail Delivery Before and After the Pony Express:  Officially the Pony Express ceased operations with the completion of the transcontinental telegraph on October 26, 1861. The Pony made its last run on November 20, 1861. It completed some 300 runs each way over 600,000 miles and carried more than 33,000 pieces of mail.

Pony Express Ratings

Yellowstone National Park: Established in 1872, Yellowstone National Park is America's first national park. Located in Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho, it is home to a large variety of wildlife including grizzly bears, wolves, bison, and elk. Preserved within Yellowstone National Park are Old Faithful and a collection of the world's most extraordinary geysers and hot springs, and the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone.