In Depth

Spectacular scenery combines with a genuine frontier history to create what we consider the real American West. The land is mostly uncluttered -- even the so-called cities are little more than overgrown cow towns -- and the setting is one of rugged beauty: the remote wilderness of Yellowstone's Thorofare country, the Gallatin valleys where Sacajawea led Lewis and Clark, and the sandstone arroyos of famed outlaw Butch Cassidy's Hole-in-the-Wall country.

There's a little more pavement here than there was 75 years ago, but the open horizon and hospitality -- along with a pronounced independent spirit among the locals -- still exist in Montana and Wyoming. Your first visit will likely be centered on the scenery, the outdoor recreation, and the region's Wild West history, but these two states have even more to offer.