Mountain Highs: Top 5 Sights of the Rockies
Shaped by Native
Americans, pioneers and cowboys, America’s Rocky Mountains offer a myriad of
outdoor adventures in spectacular landscapes. You’ll never be short of things
to do in the Rockies – go hiking and horse-riding in the foothills of legendary
peaks, see world-famous monuments and watch majestic wildlife such as bison, moose,
bears and wolves in some of the region’s 15 national parks.
North America’s
largest mountain range shelters a wealth of wonders – from the geysers of
Yellowstone to the iconic sculptures of Mount Rushmore. Here are the best
places to go in the US Rocky Mountains; visit them on Journeyscape’s
19-day Icons of the Rocky Mountains or tailor a private tour according to
your preferences.
Yellowstone
National Park
The USA’s
first national park remains arguably its greatest protected area, extending
across Wyoming, Montana and Idaho. With the world’s most amazing collection of
geysers and incredible wildlife including black and grizzly bears, buffalo,
elk, eagles, antelope and grey wolves, Yellowstone showcases nature at its finest. Spend
a day driving the Grand Loop Road, hike to majestic Lower Falls and see
steaming geyser Old Faithful.
Grand
Teton National Park
This Wyoming
park boasts some 310,000 acres of lush valleys, alpine lakes, diverse wildlife
and the jagged mountain peaks of the Grand Teton Mountain Range. Rising out of a
fault in the Earth’s crust, these crystalline mountains are some of the
continent’s most dramatic. Take the Aerial Tram more than 4,000 feet up the
mountainside, enjoy scenic drives, hike the Jenny Lake Trail, then explore
deeper into the park on ranger-led tours. There are over 200 miles of hiking
trails and 350 animal species, heaven for climbers and photographers alike.
Devils
Tower
America’s
first national monument, Devils Tower was made famous by Spielberg’s 1977
film, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, but it has been considered a sacred
place by Northern Plains Indians for centuries. This astonishing geological
formation towers 1,200 feet above Wyoming’s rolling prairies. Devils Tower has unique,
claw-like marks that have given it the indigenous nickname of Bear Lodge. Surrounded
by beautiful forests of the Black Hills and peaceful Belle Fourche River, Devils
Tower is a mecca for hikers and rock climbers. Visit the base of the rock at Boulder
Field, and camp here to enjoy stunning stargazing.
Mount
Rushmore
In the Black
Hills of South Dakota, sculptures of four US presidents carved into the granite
rockface of Mount Rushmore are among North America’s most famous
sites. This astonishing feat took 12 years to complete and it’s a highlight of
any North American visit to see 60-foot-high faces of Washington, Jefferson,
Lincoln and Roosevelt looking out over the Dakota hills. Learn about the
sculptor Gutzon Borglum’s work, hike the Presidential Trail and watch the
nightly lighting ceremony from May to September. Don’t miss the Crazy Horse
Memorial, commemorating the revered Sioux leader, 15 miles south-west of Mount
Rushmore.
Nearby
Custer State Park is easily combined with Mount Rushmore, where a local herd of
1,300 bison freely roam the prairies. The Needles Highway is a stunning drive through
pine and spruce forests, and you can go swimming, paddle boarding and fishing
at Sylvan Lake.
Craters
of the Moon
You’ll feel
like you’re entering another world, walking in miles of black lava formations,
craters and sagebrush at Craters of the Moon National Monument. This desolate
Idaho landscape is made up of basaltic lava fields across more than 600 square
miles. Drive along the seven-mile loop road, then hike along trails to the
Indian Tunnel and the twisted branches in the Devil’s Garden. Craters of the
Moon is a designated International Dark Sky Park, so camping overnight is
recommended for stargazing.
Image credit: Idaho Tourism