Car Rental Laramie - Exploring Laramie
Travelling by car is the only way to truly appreciate the beauty of Wyoming. Most of the attractions lie in the northern third of the state, but there are some less-visited scenic areas to the west of Laramie worth exploring.
A short drive west of the town takes you to the beautiful Medicine Bow Mountains. The area is popular with hikers and campers, boasting lush green forests, towering peaks, lovely rivers and lakes. Nearby in the North Platte River Valley, you can discover charming old mining and logging towns, including Saratoga, famous for its trout fishing; while to the south are the strangely shaped rock formations of the Vedauwoo Recreation Area.
The state’s capital, Cheyenne, is situated 78.4kms to the east of Laramie and is worth visiting if only for Frontier Days, the world famous rodeo extravaganza.
Roads to Grand Teton and Yellowstone national parks from southern Wyoming skirt the Wind River Mountains, the state's longest and highest range, with some of the Rockies' most beautiful and challenging backpacking terrain. No roads cross the mountains; you can either see them from the east, by driving through the Wind River Indian Reservation on US-26/287, or from the less accessible west, by taking US-191 up from I-80 at Rock Springs.
The Wind River Indian Reservation is the only Indian reservation in Wyoming and features the natural spa of Thermopolis in the east, as well as great fishing in the cottonwood-lined Wind River at its heart. Powwows – gatherings that have both spiritual and social significance to Native Americans – are held throughout the year and are open to the public.
Towns in the area are charming and friendly, including Lander, Dubois and Pinedale. There are also several nearby natural attractions, such as the huge spring at Sinks Canyon State Park and the stunning 25.5-kilometre road that leads east from Pinedale past Fremont Lake to Elkhart Park, from where trails lead past beautiful Seneca Lake and along rugged Indian Pass to the glaciers and 3,963-metre peaks.
