Wyoming

Wyoming has fewer people than almost any other state and more bison, elk, and pronghorn than most visitors expect to see in one trip.

Yellowstone, the country's first national park, has geysers, hot springs, and wildlife spread across a genuinely massive area that deserves several days rather than one. Grand Teton National Park sits just south, with jagged peaks rising straight out of the valley floor. Jackson Hole adds a ski town and a real Western downtown to the mix.

Winters here are long and serious, which is exactly what makes the skiing so good.