Just spent the week in the Grand Tetons and I noticed that Jackson Hole Valley is strikingly similar to Whiterun Hold. Had to stop myself from picking blue mountain flowers.

had to look at pics of the valley and yeah, I see what you mean. Looks very pretty there too.

I just googled Jackson Hole Valley. The graphics are pretty similar but overall I think Skyrim is still more realistic.

I can see some similarity but http://www.paulcampion.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/LOTR_twoTowers_edoras_01_940.jpg is much more similar to the point it seems to have been the basic blueprint for the devs to create Whiterun.

Well of course that's near Yellowstone... Yeah, I guess they do look kinda similar.

Wha?

There are several places in Wyoming and Montana that could have been inspirations for Skyrim. The mountains seem to be styled like the high Rockies and Alps, with some artistic exaggeration. The mountain valleys and rivers remind me very much of places I've seen in the high mountains.