Don’t assume that a Yellowstone trip must be confined to within park boundaries. Here are a few area attractions worth checking out.
- In Cody, Wyoming: The Buffalo Bill Historical Center (tel. 307/587-4771) is the best museum in the region—make that five museums, as you can check out exhibits in wings dedicated to natural history, art, firearms, Native Americans, and Buffalo Bill Cody himself.
- In Jackson, Wyoming: Glimpse some of the finest artistic interpretations of the natural world at the fantastic National Museum of Wildlife Art (tel. 307/733-5771), which houses 1,300 pieces within its red-sandstone walls. At the top of the Jackson Hole Aerial Tram (tel. 307/733-2292), at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, you can see the Tetons from an elevation of more than 10,000 feet. On busy summer days, the tram whisks sightseers and hikers up the mountaintop in just 12 minutes.
- In West Yellowstone, Montana: The Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center (tel. 406/646-7001), a nonprofit sanctuary for bears and wolves, lets you see the magnificent animals up close while learning about their lives, habitats, and the threats they face. It’s no mere roadside wildlife park.
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.