Wyoming Wilderness Adventure

Designated as the world’s first national park in 1872, Yellowstone is indifferent to human timelines; it is a masterpiece of nature millions of years in the making, where bears claw at trout-filled rivers and acid-toned geysers spurt boiling jets into the crisp mountain air. Running through it all is the Grand Loop Road: a rugged, circular, 200-mile seam that rewards drivers with glimpses of eagles, elks and herds of emblematic bison.

The wild escapes do not end at Yellowstone’s border; its neighboring national park is a similarly raw adventure, where cone-shaped summits pierce the sky and cottonwood forests rustle over pristine lakes. Binoculars at the ready: Great Teton’s resident bison, bears and mountain lions are thrilling to spot on foot, but even better from a raft on the Snake River, where gentle currents allow for lazy, leisurely screenings of nature’s epic show.