Moving away from ranches, Wyoming and Montana are home to some truly spectacular national parks. First and foremost is Yellowstone, the first national park not just in the USA but the world. Way back in 1860, President Ulysses S Grant (number 18) protected 500 geysers, innumerable big-horn bisons and itty-bitty pikas – along with 500+ other species of mammals, 318 different types of bird and an impossible to quantify number of creatures and critters – by law, and for the enjoyment of the people. It isn't hard to see why, the first tourist to visit, one Warren Angus Ferris, back in 1834, was drawn to the spot by descriptions of rocks the colour of sweets and craters spouting boiling water. Sunrise and after sunset are the best times to see this spectacular spot, but a visit at any time of day has left visitors awestruck at its magnificence. Further north, straddling the US-Canadian border, Glacier National Park's 37 glaciers host myriad outdoorsy activities – from cross-country skiing in the winter months to hiking and water-sports in the summer. Grand Teton National Park, meanwhile, is home to some of the most arrestingly beautiful mountains in the Americas. The pristine eco-system within the park hasn't changed since pre-historic time so walking around here truly does feel like stepping back in time (woolly mammoths not included) there are mountains aplenty to climb – during the summer months – or ski during the winter.
Close to both Yellowstone and Grand Tetons National Parks, Jackson is an old ranching town turned ski-hotspot where cowboys in Stetsons and spurs still walk the streets. This is a town where preservation (97% of the surrounding land is protected by the US Government) and a reverence for the way things were are paramount. Don't think that this means Jackson is backwards facing though, some of the coolest hotels we know in North America – including Amangani – are close by and the city's art galleries display Georgia O'Keefe and Andy Warhol. There are also some excellent eateries and salubrious spas, not to mention all of the outdoorsy fun to be had year-round (even if you don't ski).
