The Grand Teton National Park is a nature lovers paradise – scenic views, great hiking or biking, flat land contrasted by towering mountains, pristine waters, and lots of wildlife. We had seen lovely photos during internet searches and we’re here to tell you: it looks just as great, if not better, in person. Grand Teton National Park has 310,000 acres of mountains, lakes, and plains including the peaks of the Teton Range and the northern valley of Jackson Hole.
We visited The Grand Teton National Park (GTNP) following our stay in Cody, WY to see Yellowstone National Park. It is possible to visit both parks from one location. However, from where we had come from (South Dakota) and landed for Yellowstone (Cody), it was difficult to get the most from GTNP with our schedule of working and schooling during the day. So, we found two different campgrounds and split a week between the two. We’ll tell you about the Grand Teton portion here. (Yellowstone is another post.)
What We Did
We spent several hours in GTNP on one day, and has become the norm, weather intervened during our adventuring. What we did see was a wonderful experience.
On our way to the park we came to a sudden slow down on the main road. We are not strangers to this now. Typically a sudden slow down means wildlife. Since we were creeping along we opened our window (with mask!) to ask a patrolling Ranger what all the hub-bub was about. She let us know a momma bear and her cubs had crossed an hour ago and when they are known to be in the area (they tag them) they set up perimeters to protect people and the animals. People were lined up along the road, craning out and sometimes standing through their sunroofs hoping to catch a glimpse. It was an exciting prospect, to see bear cubs or even a bear, but we decided we didn’t want to miss the park itself and kept driving.
We passed two different entrance signs from our eastern approach. This made us believe we were inside the park, so we pulled over at a parking lot designated for visitors and took pictures in front of hazy mountains in the distance. We wondered aloud if this was the closest we would get, as it was a slightly cloudy day. I remarked that I thought it odd we hadn’t needed to go through Ranger shacks to obtain formal entrance to the park. It wasn’t until miles later and a stumble upon the visitor’s center that we realized we were just now approaching the actual park entrance. Silly us.
Not long after using our America the Beautiful pass (get one!) to enter we were rewarded with beautiful scenery: towering Grand Teton mountains in the backdrop.
As has become our habit, we prioritized a few attractions and scenic drives in our visit to the park. Scenic drives often offer one of the straight-forward ways to see some of the best scenery and get a feel for the best attributes of the area.
Definitely prioritize the Jenny Lake Scenic Drive. It’s VERY busy there, but for good reason. You’ll be hard pressed to find a more beautiful view or cleaner, clearer water backed by soaring, snow-capped mountains anywhere. It probably exists somewhere, but while you’re here you might as well see it!
Along the Moose-Wilson Road, which is closed in the winter months, wildlife sightings are common. On our particular trip we saw a moose from a distance but we read countless accounts of people who were much more lucky than we were. Had we had another day or two, we absolutely would have come back to try our luck again.
Teton Park Road has great views. It runs alongside the Teton range to Jackson Lake, where it will dump you right along the Jackson Lake for additional sightseeing.
What We Missed
Had we had had more time, in part due to the unseasonably early blizzard that impacted our plans, we would have gone back to GTNP to fit in a hike the following day. One thing that did surprise us, coming from nearby Yellowstone, was the greater abundance of flat land. People were biking, jogging, roller blading, scootering – you name it – along the paved paths in the park. So, even if you’re not a hiker or mountain climber, fisherman or camper, you can enjoy the great outdoors of the GTNP for more than its scenic views and attractions.
We had considered making more of a trip to explore additional parts of the Jackson Hole area. However, with our limited schedule we had to make choices. We missed restaurants and shops but in these pandemic times we didn’t feel like we’d be able to take advantage of these things and ultimately decided to skip it.
Where We Stayed
In the Grand Teton area we stayed in Dubois, WY at Windhaven RV Resort. The rv park was about thirty minutes from the Grand Teton National Park and was pretty nice. The sites were fairly level, decently spaced. We had a wonderful site up against the river that ran through the back of the park. Unfortunately for us the aforementioned early winter storm came through on our second night and not only did the temperature plummet and we get snow, but we also lost power. When it didn’t return by the next afternoon we got out of dodge (as oddly the streets had been plowed almost clear) to protect the contents of our electric fridge.
Summary
Absolutely visit the Grand Teton National Park! It was breathtakingly beautiful, clean, crisp, and despite the sheer number of people enjoying the park, it never felt crowded. It’s proximity to Yellowstone and Jackson make it a great destination.
Happy journeying!
Not Tomorrow 