Wyoming
Vacation Guide
General
Info | Parks | Summer
Events | History | Climate
Yellowstone
Area Visitors Guide | The Home
Page
General
Information
The
capital of Wyoming is Cheyenne, located in the lower SE
corner
of the state. The population of Wyoming is roughly 350,000,
making
it the least populated state in the nation. Over ten times
that
number of tourists visit Wyoming each year, making tourism
one
of the state's main industries. Wyoming is nicknamed the
"Cowboy
State." Wyoming is home to the world's first national
park,
Yellowstone National Park, established
in 1872; the first
national
monument, Devils Tower; and the first national forest,
Shoshone.
With 97,914 sq. miles, Wyoming is the ninth largest
state.
Wyoming was the first state to grant women the right to vote,
earning
Wyoming yet another nickname, "The Equality State."
Agriculture
and mining are important economic industries in
modern
day Wyoming. The state bird is the Meadowlark, the
state
flower is the Indian Paintbrush, the state mammal is the bison,
the
state tree is the Plains Cottonwood, and the state gem is Jade.
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Parks
and Recreation
Yellowstone
National Park | Grand Teton National
Park
Devils's
Tower National Monument | Fossil
Butte National
Monument
| Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area |
Fort
Lamarie National Historic Site | Hot Springs State Park |
Sinks Canyon State Park
| Keyhole Lake State Park |
Seminoe Lake State Park
| Alcova LakePark | Saratoga Hot
Springs | Glendo Lake
State Park | Guernsey Lake State Park |
Curt Gowdy State Park
| Boysen Lake State Park | Point of
Rocks Stage Station
| Hell's Half Acre | Fort Bridger
Bighorn
Canyon National Recreation Area | John
D.
Rockefeller,
Jr. Memorial Parkway
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Summer
Events
JUNE -- Jackalope
Days (Douglas), Frontier Festival (Cody),
Days of '49 (Greybull),
Hulett Rodeo (Hulett), Chili Cook-Off
(Evanston), Chugwater
Chili Cook-Off (Chugwater), Wood
choppers Jamboree (Encampment),
Indian Days (Fr. Washakie),
Mustang Days Celebration
(Lovell), Ft. Fetterman Days (Douglas),
Black Powder Rendevous
(Laramie)
JULY -- Cody
Stampede Rodeo (Cody), Pioneer Days (Lander),
Parade and Rodeo Night
(Afton), 4th of July Celebration (Laramie),
Legend of Rawhide Re-enactment
(Lusk), Flaming Gorge Days
(Green River), Mountain
Artist's Fest Rendezvous (Jackson), Grand
Teton Music Festival
(Teton Village), Lamarie Jubilee Days
(Lamarie), Green River
Rendevous (Pinedale), Sheridan Rodeo
(Sheridan), Saragota
Craft Fair (Saratoga), Memorial Youth Rodeo
(Sundance), Medicine
Bow Days (Medicine Bow), Wright Roundup
and Rodeo (Wright),
Homesteader Days (Powell), Cheyenne
Frontier Days (Cheyenne),
Fossil Discovery Day (Kemmerer),
Old Timers Rodeo (Gillette),
Red Desert Rodeo (Rock Springs)
AUGUST-- Central
Wyoming Fair (Casper), Platte County Fair
(Wheatland), Turn of
the Century Days (Kemmerer), Gift of the
Waters Pageant (Thermopolis),
Carbon County Fair (Rawlins),
Goshen County Fair (Torrington),
Keyhole Expo (Moorcroft),
Fair and Rodeo and Klondike
Rush (Buffalo), Wind River
Rendezvous (Dubois),
Grand Targhee Music Festival (Jackson),
Wyoming State Fair (Douglas),
Apple Festival (Lander)
SEPTEMBER --
One Shot Antelope Hunt (Lander), Cowboy
Days Rodeo (Evanston),
Fort Bridger Rendezvous (Ft. Bridger),
Labor Day Rodeo (Meeteese),
Cowboy Allweather 1000
(Cheyenne), Jackson
Fall Arts Festival (Jackson)
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History
What
is now Wyoming came to the attention of the world in the
1800s,
as western pioneers trekked across the area on their quest
for
what awaited beyond the prairie's and the mountains. Prior to
that
time, Native Americans called the area home. Some
of
the more famous trails that were blazed across Wyoming were
the
Oregon Trail (1843-45), the Mormon Trail (1847), the Bridger
Trail
(1864), the Texas Trail (1876-1897), the Overland Stage
route
and the original Pony Express route. Rumors of a very
mysterious
wonderland (Yellowstone) also
helped bring notice
to
the area, as did the beautiful but harsh Jackson Hole Valley.
Wyoming
became the 44th state on July 10, 1890. The state's
economy
has historically centered on ranching and farming, with
mining
and logging playing a large role as well. The rugged land-
scape
and harsh winters have kept the population low, while at the
same
time beckoning millions of visitors each year. Indeed, today
Wyoming
is heavily dependent upon the tourism industry.
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Climate
Wyoming
has the second highest mean elevation in the United
States
at 6100 feet above sea level. The climate is semiarid, but
the
topography ensures climate diversity. Average annual pre-
cipitation
ranges from 5-45 inches per year. Summer temper-
tures
can range between 85-95ºF and nights are usually cool.
Winter
temperatures can be frigid, with lows below 0°F quite
commonplace.
The winter visitor should come prepared.
