The Cowboy State, also known as the Equality State since it was the first to grant women the right to vote, is a big, beautiful state with a lot to see and do. Depending on the season and how much time you have, you might not be able to go everywhere on this list. That’s okay, though, because it just gives you a reason to go back!
1. Yellowstone

The world’s first national park, Yellowstone, occupies the northwestern corner of Wyoming and spills over a little into Montana and Idaho. Its principal claim to fame is being home to the world’s largest concentration of geysers and other geothermal features, but it’s also known for its waterfalls, mountains, wildlife, and more.
2. Grand Teton

Just south of Yellowstone is Grand Teton National Park. The best way to appreciate these famous mountains towering above Jackson Hole is to hike one of the very steep trails up into them, but if that’s not on your agenda, you can still admire them from any number of roadside turnouts and lakeshores.
3. Snake River Canyon

South of Jackson, the Snake River takes a westward turn and races through Snake River Canyon for about 20 miles. This is one of the best stretches of whitewater in the country, and you can sign up with outfitters who provide experienced guides, rafts, and other gear to help you safely enjoy the run. Hang on tight through the Big Kahuna, the biggest rapid on the river!
4. Pinedale

Pinedale is a small town about an hour southeast of Jackson. For outdoor enthusiasts, it’s a major gateway and supply point for trips into the Wind River Range, Wyoming’s highest mountains, but it’s also a fun town with a young, vibrant feel and good restaurants and brewpubs to enjoy.
5. South Pass

South Pass was a desperately needed break for westward pioneers needing a way between the wall of the Wind River Range and the foreboding desert terrain south of it. You can explore historic Atlantic City and South Pass City, and you can also drive a well-maintained dirt road south for about half an hour to the Oregon Buttes, major landmarks for the pioneers.
6. Sinks Canyon

Just outside Lander, Sinks Canyon is a nationally popular rock climbing destination that hosts a climbing festival each summer. However, what it’s really known for is the Sinks, where the Popo Agie River plunges into a cave and disappears, only to reemerge about a quarter-mile downstream.
7. Cody

Cody can be a little touristy, but it’s an important gateway community for Yellowstone, and you can also learn a lot about the Old West there. The surrounding scenery isn’t bad, either. Theodore Roosevelt proclaimed the highway between Cody and Yellowstone as the most beautiful drive in America, and there’s also the Chief Joseph Scenic Byway, which winds and climbs through a gorgeous mountainous country and ends at the even more spectacular Beartooth Highway.
8. Thermopolis

Thermopolis is home to Hot Springs State Park, where you’ll find the world’s largest mineral hot springs. The surrounding countryside is also beautiful to explore, and you can end the day at a nice restaurant overlooking the Bighorn River.
9. Bighorn Mountains

Buffalo and Sheridan are fun towns that make good bases for exploring these mountains via various roads that penetrate them. Check out places like Ten Sleep Canyon, West Tensleep Lake, Shell Canyon, Powder River Pass, and Medicine Wheel National Historic Site.
10. Devils Tower

The movie Close Encounters of the Third Kind introduced this fantastic formation to many who had never heard of it before. It’s an ancient volcanic plug with columnar basalt on its sides, but the old Native American legend about it is better: a massive bear raked the mountainside with its claws as two children took shelter from it up top.
11. Cheyenne

Cheyenne is the state’s capital, and it’s a place to get a taste of authentic Wyoming culture while having all the modern amenities you could want. Make your visit by going to a rodeo if one’s in town.
12. Vedauwoo

Right off Interstate 80 between Cheyenne and Laramie, Vedauwoo is a wonderland of granite peaks and outcrops. Outside the central area, there are few established trails and no developed campgrounds, and you can wander and camp on the public land here pretty much to your heart’s content.
13. Snowy Range

West of Laramie and the historic town of Centennial is this small alpine range named not for the snows that linger well into summer but for the white quartzite that comprises most of the range and gives it a gleaming-white appearance. Trails start at high elevations, making access to the heights a lot easier than it is in many other parts of the Rockies. Glistening mountain lakes and wildflower-filled meadows make the area even more beautiful.
14. Flaming Gorge

Flaming Gorge Dam is actually in Utah, but most of the Flaming Gorge Reservoir it creates out of the Green River is in Wyoming. Summers are hot here, and the National Recreation Here offers respite with boating, swimming, and other water activities.
15. Fossil Butte

Tucked away in the lesser-known southwestern corner of the state near the small town of Kemmerer, Fossil Butte National Monument is a special place. For starters, Fossil Butte itself rises like an island above the surrounding plains, and a steep hike up its trailless slopes yields sweeping views and the likelihood of finding elk antlers (illegal to remove). And then there are the fossils. The National Park Service calls this site “America’s Aquarium in Stone,” and the area has some of the world’s best-preserved fossils. They tell the story of a wide variety of species that thrived in and around a large freshwater lake that once existed in this now-arid region.
15 Must-Dos on Your Next Trip to Lake Tahoe

Lake Tahoe on the California-Nevada border makes a lot of lists of the most beautiful places in America. There’s also a lot to do there, with a wide range of outdoor recreation, great dining, resorts, nightlife, and more. If it’s your first time going or if you’re going back, consider adding some of the following places to your itinerary.
15 Must-Dos on Your Next Trip to Lake Tahoe
The World’s 5 Friendliest and 5 Unfriendliest Cities

Some cities welcome visitors and want them to be there. Other cities are rude to visitors and would just as soon see you leave. It can be jarring to be in an unfriendly city, though some of the world’s most enticing cities rank high on the rudeness scale.
When you visit a friendly city, it’s much easier to soak in the culture and meet the locals. Rough Guides readers voted on the cities for their level of friendliness. According to Rough Guides, these are the world’s friendliest and unfriendliest cities.
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