America’s least populated state provides untamed landscapes, including plains, majestic mountains, and Yellowstone.
Sometimes hidden gems are in the places where you least expect it. That description suits Wyoming, America’s least populated state. The state is large, but is still overwhelmingly undeveloped. Miles of desolate land is what Wyoming is, but the state contains nice scenery, such as the Rockies, Grand Tetons, and the famous Yellowstone National Park. My family and I drove through the eastern chunk of the state in a massive trip that covered the Interior West. Venturing through Wyoming was like driving through the West typically shown in the media, expansive and full of natural landscapes, sans the tumbleweeds and scorching heat.
Solitude
Driving through Wyoming is peaceful to say the least. My family drove about 200 miles north through the state, and highway bottlenecks were infrequent and any commercial complexes were virtually nonexistent. In fact, the only noises that I could honestly hear was the wind blowing. Other than that, it was a peaceful drive through diverse landscapes.
Plains/Mountains
Wyoming’s eastern half was full of mostly plains. In the distance, the light-yellow landscape of the plains looked foreign to me, as this was my first time driving in them. Driving back south, I could see the majestic Rocky Mountain Range. It was like seeing a perfectly-structured line of snow covered armor that seemed impenetrable to cross. The most mind-numbing aspect was the stretch into the distance when looking to the left and right from the car.
On a side note, I got a little too comfortable and suggested we take a state route driving back south. What was intended as a shortcut turned into a drive through a barren road littered with loose pebbles and that would eventually lead into the mountains. The drive was 30-40 miles, and no car was in sight, either way. My family got a bit nervous due to the pebbles hitting our tires and truly being entrenched in a remote country. It shows Wyoming’s unexplored landscape and the roads less driven are for the most adventurous, in this case, for my family.
Yellowstone and Grand Tetons
In Northwest Wyoming lies natural exquisiteness, Grand Teton National Park and Yellowstone National Park. Grand Teton is known for its jagged, tall, sharp-looking mountains. The snow adds a certain luster to their appearance, making them a natural magnificence as part of the Rocky Mountains.
Yellowstone National Park is a wonder of nature, something that showcases Wyoming’s rugged landscape and ranks among the top-tier Western scenery. The park is gargantuan, encompassing a 140-mile loop, and is among the most visited national parks in the country. A true symbol of Mother Earth in its wildest form, full of bears, bison, elk, wolves, and birds.
The park’s chief attractions represent the best of nature and all in an untamed geographic region of the country, from the rare sighting of geysers, to a multi-colored hot spring, to a massive ravine known as the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone, along with lakes, other hot springs, mountain peaks, and waterfalls. Yellowstone has the best and rarest of natural sights in one area. Perhaps the most colossal feature of nature is the presence of the Yellowstone Supervolcano, a gargantuan juggernaut sleeping underneath the park. The Supervolcano’s visual presence may be a bit hazy, but the power is of epic proportions and it makes a regular volcano look like a mini wave of water gently nudging your feet at the beach. Visiting Wyoming makes you see the magnificence of nature in its most rugged and serene landscapes. It’s a state that’s for adventure seekers who want to go off the beaten path.
