WYOMING
WYOMING |
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| Home > Travel > USA > Wyoming | ||
Fast facts about Wyoming | ||
| Population: 479,500 (50. largest) Area: 251,080 km2 (9. largest) |
Largest city: Cheyenne Capitol: Cheyenne |
Lowest point: ? Highest point: 4207 m (Gannett Peak) |
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Wyoming has quite a large area, however it is the state with the smallest population, so the population density is very low. The Rocky Mountains runs through the western part of Wyoming, and the eastern part is mostly high plains. Wyoming has a lot to offer in terms of nature; there is the famous Yellowstone National Park, and also Rocky Mountains and Devils Tower. We didn't have time to see Yellowstone and Rocky Mountains, but we saw Devils Tower (see below).
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Devils Tower | ||
| In the North-eastern part of Wyoming you'll find Devils Tower. Devils Tower was actually the first National Monument, and was made famous in the movie "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" - Devils Tower plays a vital role in the last part of the movie. | 
Devils Tower (171 kb) |
Devils Tower (108 kb) |
| Devils Tower is a magmatic intrusion made underground. Magma is molten rock, about 700 - 1000 degrees C hot. As the magma cooled the formation that later became Devils Tower was formed. Much later the formation was revealed as erosion removed the surrounding rock. And because Devils Tower is made of more resistant rock, it still stands. | 
Devils Tower (222 kb) |
Close-up of Devils Tower (282 kb) |
Prairie dog at Devils Tower (295 kb) |
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WY 487 | ||
| WY 487 is the road that runs from the (very) small town of Medicine Bow and Casper. WY 487 offers beautiful and unspoiled nature. | 
The last snow in the middle of April (214 kb) |
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Powder River Basin | ||
| A part of the reason why I wanted to go to Wyoming was to see the mining industri in the Powder River Basin and the impressive coal trains. Powder River Basin lies in the north-eastern part of Wyoming and here are some very big mines. Here I have som pictures from the area and the mines. If you want to see the trains, click here for BNSF and here for Union Pacific. | 
Dumptruck (Caterpillar 789C) in Black Thunder Mine (95 kb) |
Dumptruck in Black Thunder Mine - notice the inscription "King of the lode" (95 kb) |
Dumptruck in Black Thunder Mine (107 kb) |
Dumptruck in Black Thunder Mine (94 kb) |
Antelope Coal Mine (84 kb) |
