Sacramento, CA

Founded in 1849, Sacramento was at the heart of the gold rush, Pony Express, and first trans-continental railroad. Today it serves as the capital of the state of California and one of its most important cities.

• California State Capitol

  At the State Capitol, the past, present and future of California interact with equal force. The building serves as both a museum and the state's working seat of government. Visitors to the Capitol can at once experience California's rich history and witness the making of history through the modern lawmaking process.

Casper, WY

Casper is a city in and the county seat of Natrona County, Wyoming, United States. Casper is also called "The Oil City" and has a long history of oil boomtown and cowboy culture. In 2010, Casper was named the highest-ranked family-friendly small city in the West, and ranked eighth overall in the nation in Forbes magazine's list of "the best small cities to raise a family".

• Independence Rock

  This granite monolith sits in the Independence Rock State Historic Site in central Wyoming. The rock served as an important landmark for those travelling west via the Oregon Trail in the middle of the 19th century.

• Devil's Gate

  The Devil's Gate is a natural rock formation that served as an important landmark on the Oregon Trail and helped guide pioneers westward across the barren United States of the 19th century.

Crazy Horse, SD

Crazy Horse Memorial is the world's largest sculpture-in-progress, and frequent drilling and mountain blasts make each visit unique. When completed, Crazy Horse Memorial will stand 563 feet tall by 641 feet long.

• Crazy Horse Memorial

  This in-construction monument to famous Native American war hero Crazy Horse is currently being carved into the side of Thunderhead Mountain in the Black Hills of South Dakota. The completed sculpture would be the largest in the world.

Mount Rushmore National Memorial, SD

This famous United States monument in the Black Hills of western South Dakota depicts the busts of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln. The 60-foot tall statues are carved right into the side of the mountains.

Devils Tower, WY

The first declared United States National Monument. It'is an igneous intrusion or laccolith located in the Black Hills near Hulett and Sundance in Crook County. A monolithic rock formation that rises 1,267 feet above the surrounding land and was once the neck of an active volcano.

• Devils Tower National Monument

  This massive monolith in the Black Hills of Wyoming was the nation's first national monument, anointed by Teddy Roosevelt in 1906. In recent years, climbing the rock has become popular. The stone column is considered sacred by many Native Americans.

Yellowstone, WY

Largest, oldest and most famous national park - a fascinating scenery of hot springs, geysers, canyons & waterfalls

• Lower Yellowstone River Falls

  The Lower Falls of the Yellowstone River in Wyoming are the largest by volume in the Rocky Mountains of the western United States, and they stand more than 300 feet tall-- almost twice as high as Niagara Falls.

• Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone

  This impressive gap in the earth in the first large canyon on the Yellowstone River. It is 24 miles long, and can reach a quarter-mile in depth and 3/4 a mile in width. It is gorgeously colored.

• Mammoth Hot Springs

  This large complex of hot springs is impressive both for its unique beauty as well as its scale. Formed hundreds of thousands of years ago by volcanic and seismic activity, these springs are one of Yellowstone's most popular spots.

• Mud Volcano Area

  The Mud Volcano blew itself apart in the early 20th century, but visitors can still see the impressive crater and other geothermal features in the surrounding area, such as the Mud Cauldron, Black Dragon's Caldron, and Dragon's Mouth Spring.

• Upper Yellowstone Falls

  Located a quarter-mile upstream of the larger Lower Falls, the Upper Yellowstone River Falls plunge 109 feet down an eroded lava cliff into the basin below. The area below the falls has been subject to heavier erosion than above.

• Grand Prismatic Hot Spring

  The third largest hot spring in the world, the Grand Prismatic Hot Spring gets its color from bacteria around its rim that feed off of the mineral-rich water. In the summer months, the hot spring is a vivid red-orange shade.

Yellowstone, WY

Largest, oldest and most famous national park - a fascinating scenery of hot springs, geysers, canyons & waterfalls

• Old Faithful Geyser

  Old Faithful is a cone geyser in the Upper Geyser Basin of Yellowstone National Park. It is one of the park's most well-known natural features, and is famous for its predictability. It generally erupts every 91 minutes.

Grand Teton National Park, WY

Grand Teton National Park is is located in the Rocky Mountains, Northwest Wyoming. Grand Teton National Park is noted for its stunning mountain vistas, its shimmering alpine lakes and its abundant wildlife.

Salt Lake City, UT

Utah's gorgeous capital city sits amidst the mountains of the American Southwest on the shores of the breathtaking Great Salt Lake. The city is steeped in history and architecture in addition to wondrous vistas and scenery.

• Utah State Capitol

  The home of all of the governmental processes for the state of Utah, the Utah State Capitol in Salt Lake City. The building is done in the ornate neoclassical revival style, purposefully reminiscent of the nation capitol in DC.

• Temple Square

  Approximately ten acres in size, Temple Square is the center of religious activity for the Church of Latter Day Saints, housing the Temple and Tabernacle that are central to the religion.