Crook County, Wyoming
Jackson, Wyoming
Sheridan County, Wyoming
Yellowstone, Wyoming
Devils Tower National Monument
A rock climber's paradise, Devils Tower is more than four football fields in height and is made up of columns that take the shapes of cubes, pentagons, hexagons or heptagons.
The monument received its name from a Native American name that was misinterpreted as "Bad God's Tower." It was declared the first national monument by Teddy Roosevelt in 1906, and was misspelled without the apostrophe.
Although there are over 150 climbing routes, there are also two hiking trails for the less risky travelers (including myself): the first, Tower Trail, is simple. It goes straight to the base of the tower, and is a little bit over one
mile; the second, Red Beds Trail, is almost three miles. So depending on how much time and energy you have will decide your route, but either one offers a nice break from sitting in the car.
With no set itinerary, I chose the Red Beds Trail. It took me out into the prairie where I ran into red rocks that offered a breathtaking view of the valley beyond the tower.
Because the trail leads hikers into the valley, the strenuous part is the hill leading back to the tower. But once you reach the top, you can cut over to Tower Trail and get the 3D view of the mountain, with its gray and yellow columns bulging out of the sides, which is sure to make a climber reconsider.
Grand Teton National Park
One word: free. Because this amazing landscape is home to Jackson, Wyoming, there is no fee to get in. This trip can be made year round; in the summer there is hiking, white water rafting, swimming and canoeing; in the winter there is cross-country skiing and other winter sports.
Approximately 100 years ago, an enormous earthquake thrust these mountains into the sky. Rumour has it, if an earthquake similar in size were to happen again, that would end life as we know it.
Entering the park, visitors have two options: Interstate 191 or Teton Park Road. While both routes are scattered with overlooks of the mountains, 191 follows the Snake River while Teton Park Road gets closer to the moutains
and is lined with a few lakes.
If you're looking for a peaceful drive with minimal travelers, kayaking in the river or preserved settlers' houses, continue on interstate 191. If you're looking for populated lakes, a chance to meet a lot of people or go boating, take Teton Park Road.
If you're indecisive, you're in luck; the map might seem intimidating, but the park is not that big. In fact, it might take you two hours tops to drive down interstate 191, giving you plenty of time to take a trip to one of the many lakes on Teton Park Road. And if you do end up losing too much time, there are plenty of places to camp.
Either way, you'll never lose sight of the mountains.
Big Horn National Forest
Just like Yellowstone or the Black Hills, this drive is dense with dark forestry and lined with a variety of rolling hills and tall mountains. The best part is that there is barely any people.
Although there's not many people during the day, it should be a priority to enter the park at five-thirty or six in the morning. For all nature lovers, this is crucial if you want to see any wildlife that you wouldn't catch during the day. Moose, bears, elk and more are all nocturnal, so as soon as the sun rises, they begin to make their way back into the forest.
It's also wise to head in early if on a tighter schedule in order to fit in the hike to the Medicine Wheel. Located up on one of the mountains is a mysterious rock formation that ages back to 700 years. It is made up of
many small rocks, formed into the shape of a wheel. Native tribes all tell different myths based on the same story: a boy, Burnt Face, who fell into a fire and was severely burned, hiked the mountain and laid out the rocks.
The Native Americans use it for spiritual purposes, but there is only a two month time frame that the wheel can be reached; therefore, the Native Americans have a ritual during the summer solstice where they pray for healing of Mother Earth, and they tie things (bandanas, string, dream catchers, etc.) around the wheel in form of prayer.
Throughout this drive, I just kept thinking this is like Into the Wild. This can’t be real. From start to finish this route reaching from Devils Tower to Yellowstone will keep you from falling asleep at the wheel.
Yellowstone National Park
Famous for its wide variety of scenic views, from geysers to waterfalls to buffalo, Yellowstone attracts over four million people a year. Although it is crowded with slow walkers and drivers, it's a stop that can't be passed up.
Entering from the East and exiting the South, my route was an incomplete circle through the park. I arrived at two in the afternoon, and started with the Museum and Visitor Center bordering Yellowstone Lake, and worked my way up to Tower Roosevelt before shooting over to the North entrance by Mammoth Springs where I found lodging in Montana. The original plan included camping, but arriving late in the afternoon meant all the campsites were full.
The original plan also included peanut butter sandwiches for dinner, but because the hotel was in Gardiner, Montana, I decided to try out Yellowstone Pizza Company which had seating on the roof that offered a nice view of the mountains. The thin crust pizza was delicious, but the server only checked in on me once. I had to take the bill to the bar when I
was ready.
On the second day, I started making my way down the west side of Yellowstone at five-thirty in the morning. The sun was just rising, so the elk were moving towards the forests. It was a beautiful experience rolling down the windows and listening to a cow (female elk) and her calf call to each other when they were separated.
The West was mainly geysers and basins, so the time of travel was shorter as I grew tired of seeing the same things repeatedly. But the last stop before heading down to the Tetons was the Old Faithful geyser which shoots water to a maximum of 184 feet. Although it was an hour wait, seeing it in action was the perfect end to a short, life changing trip.
Unfortunately I only had a total of one day in Yellowstone so I didn’t get to explore all the hidden trails, but another visitor who’s been every year for the last three years and stays for a week at a time said he still hasn’t seen it all. So while it can be done in one to two days, this national park is going to leave you wanting more.
View from Red Beds Trail
Red Beds Trail
View from Tower Trail
Grand Tetons
Snake River
Cunningham Cabin Historic Site
Interstate 90
Big Horn National Forest
Medicine Wheel Trail
Medicine Wheel
Medicine Wheel Prayer
Exiting Big Horn
Yellowstone Lake
Buffalo Herd
Upper Falls
View from Upper Falls
Artist Point
Yellowstone River
Mammoth Hot Springs
Great Fountain Geyser
Geysers