Yellowstone National Park in the northwest corner of Wyoming is known as the mother park of the National Park System. Over four million people visit Yellowstone annually to see its hot springs, geysers, and abundant wildlife. The Old Faithful Geyser is probably its most famous feature. Most people don’t think about Yellowstone as the site…
Mountain Meadow Harmony
For my first post on the notable flora of the American West, I have chosen to write about lupine and arrowleaf balsamroot. They are often companion species found blooming together throughout much of the West. In my opinion, lupine is the wildflower that most represents the American West. Arrowleaf balsamroot would not be far behind….
Pryor Mountains Wild Horses
Most people who visit the American West never see one of its most iconic symbols. They never get to experience the thrill of watching a herd of wild horses running free. Although wild horses roam the West in numerous places, they are generally in open country miles from anywhere and not easy to find or…
Niagara of the West
Shoshone Falls, near Twin Falls, Idaho, is one of the natural wonders of the West. This little-known waterfall on the Snake River is impressive for its width and height. The falls are 900 feet wide and 212 feet high, 45 feet higher than the famous Niagara Falls on the border between New York and Ontario,…
Ghost Town of the Saints
There are numerous ghost towns in the western part of the U.S. Most were mining boom towns that went bust when the mines ceased to produce. This is not the case for Grafton near the village of Rockville, west of Zion National Park in southern Utah. Grafton was a religious, agricultural community founded in 1859…