20 photos to inspire a trip to Wyoming 

With a population smaller than Washington D.C., Wyoming is a big place with a lot of wide open spaces. But don’t let the population numbers fool you; there are a lot of reasons your next trip should be to Wyoming, and here’s the photographic proof.

Right on time, Old Faithful sends water flying high into the air in the early morning - Photo by GettingStamped.com

The aptly named Grand View in Yellowstone - Photo by GettingStamped.com

Early morning clouds over the calm rivers in Yellowstone - Photo by GettingStamped.com

So much to see in Yellowstone and Wyoming - Photo by GettingStamped.com

Impressive falls in Yellowstone National Park - Photo by GettingStamped.com

Not a main attration in the park, but Firehole Canyon Falls is worth a stop - Photo by GettingStamped.com

Regal mountains greet you at the north entrance of Yellowstone National Park - Photo by GettingStamped.com

Mammoth Hot Springs: thousands of years in the making - Photo by GettingStamped.com

Traffic jams in Wyoming are a little different - Photo by GettingStamped.com

Sunsets in Yellowstone are usually pretty epic - Photo by GettingStamped.com

The Artist Paintpots brewing up some fresh colors - Photo by GettingStamped.com

Magical sunsets of the Grand Tetons at Jenny Lake - Photo by GettingStamped.com

Amazing views can be had if you're willing to take the 3-hour hike up to Suprise Lake - Photo by GettingStamped.com

The view from high on the trail up the Grand Tetons - Photo by GettingStamped.com

You wouldn't expect to find a lake at 10,000 feet above sea level, would you? - Photo by GettingStamped.com

Ominous Devil's Tower in Wyoming - Photo by GettingStamped.com

The tip top of Grand Tetons National Park - Photo by GettingStamped.com

The regal looking Tetons at sunset - Photo by GettingStamped.com

Worth every step of the hike! - Photo by GettingStamped.com

A buffalo having some fun playing around in the dry mud and making a mess - Photo by GettingStamped.com

By far the biggest draw and the reason most people end up in Wyoming is Yellowstone National Park. This geothermal gem is the 4th most visited National Park in the entire country, with good reason. The park is peppered with geysers, lakes and massive mountains. Besides Old Faithful, there are plenty of photo opportunities in this massive park. Take time to enjoy the little things, too, like the steaming, bubbling and colorful Artist Paintpots.

RELATED: How well do you know your National Parks? (Quiz)  

Although not many venture too much further than Yellowstone, Wyoming has a lot more to offer visitors. Right down the road from the world famous park lies another of the country’s prizes, the Grand Tetons. Rising sharply out of the ground and coming to a rugged peak at just under 14,000 feet above sea level, the Tetons are sure to impress. At the foot of the mountains sits a chain of lakes, perfect to catch the sunset after a long day in the park. If you’re game for a hike, check out Amphitheater Lake tucked away high in the mountains at around 10,000 feet.

What Wyoming lacks in human liveliness, it makes up for in geological and geothermal liveliness. Under the surface of the earth in Wyoming, a super volcano is brewing and churning away. Although it may one day lead to our doom, for now, it makes for some of the most spectacular geothermal sites on the planet. So don’t wait too long to go and visit Wyoming!

Tagged: Photo essay