Northwest Wyoming is mountain country, where high peaks—some of which remain snowcapped year-round—tower above deep, glacier-carved valleys. In addition to the tallest, most spectacular peaks in the state, there’s a diverse wildlife population that includes wolves, grizzly bears, Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep, and pronghorn antelope. Here you can hike through mountain meadows, challenge white water, explore Native American culture, and trace the history of westbound 19th-century emigrants.

From skiing, to hiking, kayaking, and paragliding, name an outdoor activity and you can probably do it here. You can hike or ride a horse along one of the backcountry trails near Grand Teton National Park, Dubois, or Lander; scale mountain peaks in the Wind River or Grand Teton ranges; or fish or float the Snake River near Jackson. Come winter, take a sleigh ride through the National Elk Refuge; snowmobile on hundreds of miles of trails; cross-country ski throughout the region; or hit the slopes at Snow King Mountain, Grand Targhee, or Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, one of the greatest skiing destinations in the country.

Wildlife watching in northwest Wyoming ranks among the best in the country: look for bighorn sheep at Whiskey Mountain near Dubois; bison, elk, pronghorn, and even wolves in Jackson Hole; and moose near Pinedale or north of Dubois. One of the best ways to admire the landscape—mountain flowers, alpine lakes, and wildlife ranging from fat little pikas to grizzly bears—is to pursue an outdoor activity.

There’s more to northwest Wyoming than the great outdoors. A handful of museums, well worth a few hours of your trip, offer a window on the history of the American West. The Jackson Hole Museum concentrates on the early settlement of Jackson Hole, and the Museum of the Mountain Man in Pinedale takes an informative look at the trapper heritage.