Rich in both natural beauty and natural resources, Wyoming is home to such marvels as the Teton, Big Horn, and Sierra Madre Mountains, the Powder and Bighorn Rivers, and the Yellowstone, Devil's Tower, Grand Teton, and Bridger-Teton National Parks. In between the majestic mountains and rushing rivers lies some of the nation's best grazing land, making the state a haven for cattle ranchers. Wyoming is so varied that it also contains prairies, sagebrush steppes, desert scrubland, coniferous and deciduous forests, and even alpine tundra. First explored by fur trappers, who soon yielded to gold rushers, ranchers, and cowboys, Wyoming has long preserved its rugged individualistic streak, fostering the independent-minded who sought only to make a living without being bothered or confined by anyone or anything. That spirit still flourishes today, making Wyoming one of the most fascinating states in the Union, one that is still very much on the frontier of still-Wild West. This book brings the state to vivid life, in all its unique detail and rugged spirit.