Wyoming Recreation & Entertainment

From the Wind River Range to wondrous Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming’s geographic splendor creates a multitude of recreation options, while cities and towns host unique cultural programs and events.

The towering mountain ranges of Wyoming support numerous seasonal outdoor recreation activities. During the winter, ample snowfall provides for skiing and snowboarding at one of Wyoming’s six ski resorts, including the infamous Jackson Hole Mountain Resort and White Pine Ski Area & Resort. During the summer, the mountains retain their playground status. Popular activities include hiking, rock climbing and mountain climbing, either solo or with excellent local guide services.

Wyoming’s valleys also provide many recreation activities. In the winter, cross country skiing is available in several areas, such as Bridger-Teton National Forest. Other popular winter activities include snowshoeing and snowmobiling. In the summer, water sports are found in Wyoming’s great lakes and rivers. Fly fishing is enormously popular, as are whitewater rafting, kayaking and boating.

With an incredible and diverse landscape, sightseeing and photography are year-round options in Wyoming. Visitors flock to the splendor of Yellowstone National Park, the world’s first national park, home to bears, wolves, bison, elk, thousands of geysers and hot springs and a massive caldera, or neighboring Grand Teton National Park, an area of stunningly high mountain peaks, glaciers and animals. Devils Tower National Monument is another Wyoming treasure. The rock towers 1,267 feet (386 m) above its surrounding plains, and is a sacred Native American site. Other scenic locales include Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area and Fossil Butte National Monument.

Wyoming’s cities and towns, such as Laramie, Cody and Jackson, host events of interest to both visitors and residents. Fairs, rodeos and festivals are common, and include Laramie’s Jubilee Days, the Cody Stampede and Jackson’s Old West Days. Musical events include the Yellowstone Jazz Festival and the Laramie Peak Blue Grass Festival.

For those interested in western history you won't want to miss the Buffalo Bill Historical Center in Cody -- the Smithsonian of Western history -- offering five museums: Buffalo Bill Museum, Whitney Gallery of Western Art, Plains Indians Museum, Cody Firearms Museum, Draper Museum of Natural History, and the McCracken Research Library.

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