.All Trips / Central USA / North America / Wyoming

Yellowstone National Park’s beautiful Hayden Valley!

00 Hayden Valley

There are many beautiful valleys in Wyoming, but this one deserves a closer look.  Hayden Valley contains the outflow of Lake Yellowstone, with its Yellowstone River continuing north to the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, then on towards the Missouri River.  The valley is named in honor of Ferdinand Hayden who did important early geologic surveys in the Yellowstone region.
The valley was known to pioneer trappers and explorers who made their way to Yellowstone Lake along the Yellowstone River.  Today it’s best known for a migrating herd of bison, which my wife and I have seen every time we’ve visited Hayden Valley.

(Bison herd, Hayden Valley)

If you’re lucky you might spot a grizzly or black bear, fox, coyote or wolf.  Elk, …

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Signs of Jackson Hole

Signs of Jackson, Wyoming (1)

Jackson — sometimes called ‘Jackson Hole’ after the valley in which it resides — is a fun town to visit.  It’s situated in northwestern Wyoming, one of the most beautiful regions in the world.  With the growth of tourism in the area the town has morphed from its cowboy and ranching roots to an upscale resort.  But it’s not gone Hollywood — there’s still a lot of “country soul” around.  Jackson’s population is just under 10,000, not counting the surrounding ranchers and the many tourists that visit.
The popularity and quality of alpine skiing and the nearby location of the National Elk Refuge and Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks have made this town a travel destination both in summer and …

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Signs of Pinedale

04 Signs of Pinedale

Pinedale is a small town in Wyoming, the southern gateway to Jackson Hole (about a hour’s drive away).  It’s situated at the base of the beautiful Wind River Mountains.  Pinedale has a population of about 2,000 residents and is an important outdoor adventure hub.  There’s a lot of natural country nearby for hiking, camping, backpacking, hunting and ATV adventures, and hundreds of lakes for fishing and water sports.  The climate is subarctic because of its high altitude so winter is long and winter sports like snowmobiling, skating, snowboarding and skiing are very popular.

An unusual local attraction is the Museum of the Mountai

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Old Faithful Inn, Yellowstone National Park

02b Old Faithful Inn 07-2015 (87)

I’d first seen the Old Faithful Inn as a youngster about 40 years ago.  It’s hard to miss it if you come to the park to watch the Old Faithful Geyser erupt — it’s been described as the world’s largest log cabin.  I remember wandering into the cavernous 5 story (76 ft high) lobby and being fascinating by its unusual log construction.   This lobby alone is worth seeing when you’re done watching Old Faithful Geyser erupt (which happens about every 90 minutes).

When my wife and I were planning where to go for our 30th wedding anniversary, we both agreed to visiting Yellowstone NP and staying at the Old Faithful Inn.  That’s not as easy at it might sound.  Unless you’re …

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“Pic of the Week”, October 2, 2015: ‘Working the Line’, Pinedale, Wyoming

02 Street Art, Pinedale, Wyo (8)

I was charmed by the small town of Pinedale, Wyoming.  Situated about an hour from Jackson Hole, it’s a place of hardy individuals — cowboys, ranchers, outdoors-men, and those who live farming the land.  The town honors those rugged individuals who preceded them with this statue of a Mountain Man, situated just outside the town’s visitor center.  It’s called “Working the Line”.

Mountain men were the first white pioneers in the area, exploring the mountains and living in the cold and isolated ranges of Wyoming, making a living trapping and trading furs.  It was a hard and lonely life, but it appealed to some.  The mountain men’s time period was in the mid to late 19th century, before the rail opened …

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“Pic of the Week”, August 14, 2015: Bison, Old Faithful Inn

46 Buffalo, Old Faithful Inn 07-2015 (60)

My wife and I recently spent our 30th wedding anniversary at Yellowstone National Park.  We stayed at the historic Old Faithful Inn and loved exploring the amazing and extensive geothermal sites of the area.  One of the most appealing natural features of Yellowstone is its wildlife.  We saw elk, deer, and herds of bison roaming freely.

Most every day we found this lone bison grazing near our parked car, enjoying the fresh grass and clover.  He seems gentle, but was very aware of our presence.  Bison can be extremely dangerous and have injured and even killed many tourists.  Be cautious around them and give them plenty of room.  Let your telephoto lens get you close, as mine did.  They are magnificent …

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Karl on | Comments Off on “Pic of the Week”, August 14, 2015: Bison, Old Faithful Inn