Four ways to go wild in Wyoming

Wyoming's Grand Teton National Park is an outdoor playground of mountains, rivers, lakes, and meadows. Photo / Thinkstock

This state is known for its mountains, rivers, open plains and Old West history.

The parks

Yellowstone National Park includes the Old Faithful Geyser, Mammoth Hot Springs, West Thumb Geyser Basin, and Lamar Valley, plus plenty of wildlife and historic lodgings. Grand Teton National Park, including Jackson Hole, is an outdoor playground of mountains, rivers, lakes, and meadows. Wildlife includes bison, elk, and bears. Hot Springs State Park in Thermopolis has the world's largest single mineral hot spring and is home to Wyoming's central bison herd. And the Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area is a popular spot for boating, fishing, swimming and kayaking.

History

Cody's Buffalo Bill Center of the West comprises five museums. There's the Buffalo Bill Museum (remembering the life of Buffalo Bill Cody), the Cody Firearms Museum, the Draper Museum of Natural History (Wyoming's wildlife and geology), the Plains Indian Museum (Native American culture) and the Whitney Gallery of Western Art. At the National Historic Trails Interpretive Center in Casper, multimedia presentations and living history demos feature Wyoming's first people, mountain men and fur trappers, the Oregon Trail, Mormon and California Trails, and the Pony Express route. A walking tour is a good way to take in the Fort Laramie National Historic Site.

Rodeo time

Cheyenne Frontier Days' rodeo dates back to 1919 and is called the "Daddy of 'em All" recognising the quality and the quantity of its rodeo action. It happens late July with 10 days of rodeo, including major concerts, a carnival and parades. Also, the family friendly evening Cody Nite Rodeo, which runs June 1 to August 31, celebrates Western entertainment and cowboy culture.

Ranch stays

Wyoming is home to first-rate dude ranches offering home-on-the-range-style family holidays - think lots of horseback riding, hiking, fishing, campfires and relaxation. Families stay in guest cabins, eat cowboy cuisine, and unwind from busy lives with a chance to turn their back on computers and mobile phones during the break.