FAMILY TRAVEL 6 WILDLIFE WATCHING Observing an animal in its natural habitat is a truly unforgettable experience, and our state’s abundance of wide-open spaces and varied landscapes support an impressive list of wildlife-watching opportunities. See below to learn about some of Wyoming’s wild residents and where to see them. YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK WY Am I Here? For visitors driving through Wyoming, there can be some areas where there isn’t great cell coverage and that is a wonder-ful thing. With as much time as kids and adults spend on tablets and smart phones, we try to encourage everyone in our family to turn off their devices and look around. — AFFIE ELLIS Wyoming State Senator 5 HANDS-ON MUSEUMS Interactive museums encourage little ones and their parents to explore fascinating topics together, and Wyoming has some great ones. Pint-size explorers can see what it’s like to forge a river in a covered wagon at the National Historic Trails Interpretive Center in Casper ; learn how to think like a scientist at the Lander Children’s Museum and tour real dig sites and a fossil prep lab at the Wyoming Dinosaur Center in Thermopolis . NATIONAL HISTORIC TRAILS INTERPRETIVE CENTER BALD EAGLES America’s national bird is an emblem of freedom, and nowhere does the bald eagle have more space to spread its giant (up to 8-feet-wide) wings than in Wyoming. MOOSE These mighty ungulates are a common sight in the town of Jackson and in Grand Teton National Park (where there’s even a Moose District), thanks to the area’s plentiful willows. BIGHORN SHEEP So abundant are bighorn sheep that there’s a place named after them: Bighorn National Forest near Sheridan . Look closely: Despite their huge, 30-pound horns, the sheep can easily blend into the background. Observe from a Distance For the safety and comfort of both animals and yourself, stay at least 100 yards away from bears and wolves and at least 25 yards away from all other animals. If an animal changes its behavior or seems ner-vous at your presence, it’s time to back away. CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT; @GRETCHEN_GOSS; MATTHEW IDLER; JONATHAN PHILLIPS; JONATHAN PHILLIPS; NPS/NEAL HERBERT. On the Move: Bald eagles soar into Seedskadee National Wildlife Refuge in Green River each fall to gorge on a buffet of wild salmon before wintering at Casper Mountain . On the Move: As the snow melts in May, moose follow favorite migratory waterways — including Mink Creek and the North Fork of Buffalo Creek — to summer in southern Yellowstone . On the Move: Drive the Buffalo Bill Scenic Byway to spot bighorns migrating from Cody to their summer homes around Yellowstone. Whiskey Mountain has the largest wintering herd. Learn more at the National Bighorn Sheep Interpretive Center in Dubois . 63
Wyoming Official Travel Guide 2019 Wyoming Official Travel Guide: Page 63
