Yellowstone National Park after a fresh snowfall. 

Photo: National Park Service 

Rising above a scene rich with extraordinary wildlife, pristine lakes, and alpine terrain, the Teton Range stands monument to the people who fought to protect it. These are mountains of the imagination. Mountains that led to the creation of Grand Teton National Park where you can explore over two hundred miles of trails, float the Snake River or enjoy the serenity of this remarkable place.

Photo: D. Lehle, National Park Service 

The National Elk Refuge in Wyoming works to provide, preserve, restore, and manage winter habitat for the nationally significant Jackson Elk Herd and habitat for endangered species, birds, fish, and other big game animals (like these Bison pictured above), and provide compatible human uses associated with the wildlife and wildlands.

Photo: USFWS 

Rising above a scene rich with extraordinary wildlife, pristine lakes, and alpine terrain, the Teton Range stands monument to the people who fought to protect it. These are mountains of the imagination. Mountains that led to the creation of Grand Teton National Park where you can explore over two hundred miles of trails, float the Snake River or enjoy the serenity of this remarkable place.

Photo: D. Lehle, National Park Service 

Rising above a scene rich with extraordinary wildlife, pristine lakes, and alpine terrain, the Teton Range stands monument to the people who fought to protect it. These are mountains of the imagination. Mountains that led to the creation of Grand Teton National Park where you can explore over two hundred miles of trails, float the Snake River or enjoy the serenity of this remarkable place.

Photo: D. Lehle 

A geologic feature protrudes out of the rolling prairie that surrounds the Black Hills.  Hundreds of parallel cracks make it one of the finest traditional crack climbing areas in North America. Devils Tower National Monument entices us to explore and define our place in the natural and cultural world.

Photo: National Park Service 

Seedskadee National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1965 as mitigation for the loss of habitat when Flaming Gorge and Fontenelle dams were constructed. The riparian corridor is an important migration route and nesting area for a wide variety of migratory waterfowl and passerine bird species.

Refuge lands are rich in historic and cultural resources because the area was used by nomadic Indian tribes, fur trappers, and early pioneers. Hundreds of thousands of pioneers crossed the treacherous Green River on what is now Seedskadee National Wildlife Refuge. The Oregon and Mormon Trails, which crossed the refuge, have been designated as National Historic Trails by Congress. Jim Bridger and others operated ferries on the Green In the 1840’s and 1850’s. Diaries of immigrants often mention the crossing on the river and its difficulties. Ferries were swept away by the strong currents and lives and possessions were lost. To this day, some of the trails can be traced across the Refuge by their ruts.

Photo: USFWS 

The majority of the world’s geysers are preserved here in Yellowstone National Park. They are the main reason the park was established in 1872 as America’s first national park—an idea that spread worldwide. A mountain wildland, home to grizzly bears, wolves, and herds of bison and elk, the park is the core of one of the last, nearly intact, natural ecosystems in the Earth’s temperate zone.

Photo: Dennis Carroll, National Park Service 

140 years ago today, Yellowstone National Park became 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.

Pictured above is Old Faithful erupting, which is from Ansel Adams series of photos of National Parks and Monuments taken from 1933-1942. 

Photo: Ansel Adams, U.S. National Archives  

President Theodore Roosevelt established Devils Tower National Monument in Wyoming on September 24, 1906. The spectacular rock formation known as Devils Tower and the surrounding countryside, home to a myriad of plant and animal life, attract visitors from around the world. Climbers test their skills on vertical rock walls. Visitors delight in the beauty of the area and enjoy the activites offered at the monument. American Indians consider the area sacred, a place for prayer and renewal.

Photo: Mark McKay (2007)