Things to Do in the Mountain West

The Intermountain west is comprised of theMontana in which the local people gathered
states Mo.,Id.,Wy.,Co.,Nv.,Ut. Although all of theseparaphernalia from their area spanning a century
places are famous for their natural beauty thereand a half. Of course, some of the more famous
are a lot of aspects of this region that mostmuseums are worth making a special trip for as
people do not often tour but are definitely worthywell, such as the Buffalo Bill Museum in Cody just
of attention. If you have the desire and abilityoutside Yellowstone Park. This museum delves
then visit these on your next trip..into western history for example Old Guns of the
1. Visit the Hot Springs- This geographic area hasWest or Modern Western Art.
a large amount of thermic activity which has5. Go Skiing- The Mountains are famous for its
resulted in a many bathing hot pools in this region.sunny weather, but we also have the best snow
These pools vary greatly in how much they havearound. For those of you that are not interested
been developed and there is a pool to fit all typesin trying downhill skiing, you should consider
of tastes. For those that are like simplicity thenx-country skiing. Sun Valley, Idaho has great trails
White Sulfur Springs Hotel has the perfect springan addiotion top pick is the Beaverhead-Deerlodge
and motel for you. Those that like more of a spaNational Forest in Montana.
feel, check out some of the ones that Colorado6. Explore a Mountain Lake during the beautiful
has to offer.summer weather- The beautiful moutains of the
2. Hunt for Pictographs- The archaic Nativewestern US are full of beautiful alpine lakes. A
Americans of the Mountain west were verygreat many of these are well known but some of
expressive, and a a lot of there 4000 year old artthe most most interesting are off the main
can remains even today, chipped into rocktourist track and often require a rewarding hike to
surfaces across the area. For a quick tour,get to. One of our favorite picks is Seneca Lake
Fremont State Park in Utah has a rewarding trailin the Wind River Mountains. This mountain lake is
and interpretive center, for those that like hikingcircled by steep ledges and jagged mountain
Grand Gulch in Utah is a great place to explore.peaks that were created by glacier ice. The Wind
3. Tour the Smaller National Parks- If you haveRiver mountains are known for fishing and hiking
not been to Glacier, then certainly you should visitopportunities. Another spectacular lake in the Wind
there first, but for those who have experiencedRiver Mountains is known as Lonsome Lake and is
the most popular parks in the region you couldfound in the Cirque of the Towers region in the
think about stopping by the underestimated ones.southern half of the Wind River Mountains.
All together, this region has over 53 National sites,As you can see, there are a number of things
and most of the state have exemplarystate parkthat you should try to do in the mountain west,
systems as well.beyond the boringgroup tour. Any of the above
4. Drop by the Small Town Museums (as well asiteneraies will not only take you to the heart of
the more famous ones)- Many of the bestthe true West but will provide you with many
museums are those that are in the middle ofhappy memories for years to come.
nowhere, like the city museum in Three Forks,