Wyoming

Neighbors depend on one another closely in Wyoming, since it has the smallest population of any U.S. state, and ranching and rodeo culture remain a real, everyday part of life rather than a show for outsiders. The state’s nickname, “The Equality State,” comes from 1869, when Wyoming became the first territory in the country to give women the right to vote.

Bison, elk, and chokecherry syrup reflect the state’s deep tie to the land.

Yellowstone, the world’s first national park, protects Old Faithful, one of 500 geysers, and wild bison and grizzly bears, while Devils Tower rises above the grassland as a site considered sacred by several Native American tribes.