Quote: Because I was primarily looking to spend my time in Yellowstone National Park, I did want to check out Grand Teton National Park (GTNP) as well. Connected by the John D. Rockefeller Parkway, the two parks almost feel like one. I do like to mountain beauty of Grand Teton and Lake Jackson, plus for those who enjoy biking, it would seem the bike paths and roads are flatter and more conducive for a leisurely ride through the park.

There are three entrances into the park; the northern one that connects with Yellowstone, the Moran Junction Entrance from the east and the Moose Junction from the Jackson Hole (southern) area. Park admission to GTNP is included in the fee you pay for Yellowstone NP and vice versa. So $25 covers you in both parks for seven days. Of course those who have the NPS/BLM Annual Pass ($80) are admitted free.

Visitor centers are located at the Moose Junction and Colter Bay Village area and have several nice exhibits and ranger led programs. In addition to basic convenience stores available throughout the park, there are also a couple of gas stations. During my visit I found the gas to be cheaper at the Colter Bay location. The other location for gas is at Signal Mountain.

If you wish to stay inside the park, there are a couple of lodges with restaurants available to make your stay more enjoyable. There are also several campgrounds including one that has special corrals for those traveling with horses. While I had initially planned on camping one night in the park, I was done with my visiting early enough in the afternoon to return back to Yellowstone and later start my return drive home.

Regarding wildlife, the best opportunity to view moose is here. I was clued into a nice viewing area where bull moose are known to feed. Sure enough when I made my turn down the Pilgrim Creek Road, I saw the cars parked along the road and people out with cameras and spotting scopes.

I saw a few deer in the park, including a young male drinking water in a creek. I have heard that there is a wolf pack that resides in Grand Teton NP, but I did not see them. There were also reports of bears in the park on the day that I arrived, requiring the closure of one of the campgrounds. I didn't see bear here either, which was a disappointment.

There is a bison herd that can be observed on the Antelope Flats Road in the southernmost area of the park. During my trip through the area, they were pretty far away. This is the area of the park where the 1890's Morman settlement is located. Along "Morman Row" are several of the original buildings, including the Moultan Barn are located within walking distance of Antelope Flats Road.

All in all, for my interests, it was easy to do the park in two half day drives. For others who want to avail themselves to the hiking, biking and rafting opportunities; I could see GTNP being a multi-day visit.
From journals Wild & Wonderful Wyoming

Quote: Grand Teton National Park

WHERE WILL YOU FIND THIS NATIONAL PARK?
This National Park is in the state of Wyoming in the North West and stretches through to join Yellowstone National Park from Jackson Hole. Today the area is a popular ski area but is also known for its stunning scenery, hiking areas, fishing and wildlife. This National Park gets its name from the huge Grand Teton mountain peak which is 13,770 feet high and is within the Teton Range. The mountains are very alpine looking with sharp high glacial peaks.

The Grand Tetons are a part of the Rocky Mountain range and they are a truly stunning area of natural beauty. The mountains formed with no foothills and so the natural lakes below act as mirrors which reflect the snow capped mountains behind them. At the time when the earthquakes and earth movement was building up the mountains a huge area subsided and the valley called Jackson Hole was formed. Strangely the rocks at the core of the Teton Range are some of the oldest rocks in North America, but the mountains are apparently among the youngest in the world.

The National park's world-renowned scenery attracts nearly four million visitors per year so we were in good company for our visit.

The Grand Teton National Park was very unusually first established in 1929 when the original park protected the mountain peaks and the lakes near the base. The larger park from 1950 took the boundaries further to include much of the adjacent valley floor.

WHAT WILL YOU FIND THERE?

Apart from driving alongside the beautiful mountains and passing the lakes reflecting these there are over 200 miles of walking trails to explore. We drove through the edge of the park from Jackson Hole through to Yellowstone and on the way we were quite in awe of the scenery but also keeping an eye open for the wildlife or ‘the critters’ as the man at the gate called them.

Just after we entered the park we came across a group of young male moose resting just beside the road. We stopped and took photos and watched them for quite some time as they are the most ridiculous looking beasts but rather wonderful too.

We also saw a few bison along the way and the odd jack rabbit but to be truthful we were rather more attracted by the wonderful mountain scenery which was reflected in the lakes below. As we were there in May we were expecting quite warm weather but we did actually experience e quite deep snow. The mountains all had the white snow caps and these did look rather special when reflected in the lakes below. Some of these lakes were however still frozen so reflections were not always seen as we drove along.

JACKSON HOLE
We stayed one night in Jackson Hole which is largely a ski resort with plenty of tourist accommodation. When we arrived at the hotel we had had quite a long drive because the road we were meant to take had been closed due to a huge landslide.

SNAKE RIVER BREWPUB
I asked the man at Reception to recommend us somewhere to eat. He named a few options but the one we opted for was the Snake River Brewery and restaurant which was only five minutes walk from our hotel The Quality Inn and Suites which I have already reviewed.

We arrived on a Sunday so the restaurant and bar was pretty busy but they found us a table. There were quite a few different beers brewed there and my husband did his best to try as many as possible from the range. The names were great ‘ Custer’s Last Ale’, ‘Blank Czech Pilsner’, ‘Dim Witbier’, ‘Monkey’s Dunkel’ and the one that finished my husband off for the evening which was ‘Discombobulator’.

We not only had a few drinks but also enjoyed a bison burger and some local sausages which were very tasty and quite huge portions.
This is a real functioning brewery and you can see the factory through glass in some areas of the building. The building is obviously a working factory as there are huge pipes above as part of the ‘decor’. It was not a posh place by any means, the tables and tables were functional rather than smart, and the place was pretty noisy and very busy so you felt a little cosy as the tables were close together but the atmosphere was friendly and fun.

ANTLER ARCHES
The next day we went to find the little local park which had four huge arches made entirely from elk antlers which had been cast off by the animals. They were quite a sight, really large and one at each corner of the small park in the town.

We were rather taken by the small rodent like animals called marmots. They popped out of holes and ran around just around our feet. They were quite delightful and kept us entertained for quite some time before we felt we should go and fill the car with petrol.

MOOSE IN THE TOWN

As my husband was filling the car with petrol I went in to pay and as I looked back to see if he had finished pumping the gas I saw a young moose walk through the petrol station. The young moose then casually walked on looking as though he was about to enter a shop but then changed his mind and went along the pavement towards the park.

LEAVING JACKSON HOLE
We entered the National Park again having bought our ‘America The Beautiful’ card or National Park season ticket ( $80 for all in the car for all National Parks for one year from the date purchased) the day before and we drove through the park alongside the mountain range admiring the truly stunning snow capped mountains on our left.

FEES
Apart from the annual pass you can also pay per visit or pay $12 per person or $25 for a car for a 7 day pass which is good for The Grand Teton National Park and Yellowstone as well for the one price.

JENNY LAKE VISITOR CENTRE

This visitor’s centre is just about eight miles north of Moose, a wonderful name for a town! The centre closes at the end of September for the season and opens again in May. There isn’t a lot there apart from a number of geology exhibits, information about the park as well as a large map of the park. We stopped to have a little look before heading on.

WILDLIFE WATCHING AND DRIVING
As we left we spotted a few pronghorn deer which were enjoying the sagebrush foliage. The pronghorn are supposed to be the fastest animal in the USA. We also spotted some of the rather larger elk grazing under some trees. They were quite hard to spot in the shadows but once we did see them we were able to stop the car and just watch them.

There are rules when watching wild life, you are asked to be thoughtful about not disturbing the animals so that other visitors can also enjoy the animals. You are forbidden to feed the wildlife, it is against the law. Never put yourself between a mother and its baby as they will protect their young and you may get hurt. They are pretty much common sense but there are always some who need to be told.
All along the routes there are plenty of turnouts for wildlife viewing, common sense should tell you not to stop in the middle of the road but if an animal is crossing then it has right of way. Care should be taken when driving at night as some of the larger animals cross the roads at night and are hard to see until you get up close so stick to the speed limit and pay attention at all times.

HIKING AND WALKING IN THE PARK

This is bear country so beware and make bears aware of your presence and avoid surprising them by making loud noises like talking loudly or singing. Always carry bear spray and know how to use it.


These are very sensible precautions and if you are planning on going into the park on foot or camping in the designated areas then heed the advice.

WOULD I RECOMMEND?

Yes it is a very beautiful area and well worth driving through. The scenery is stunning. We didn’t stay in the park but we stopped at the visitor’s centre at Jenny Lake and had a coffee at another. The drive was just lovely and we also enjoyed spotting the wildlife as we drove along as well as enjoying the mountains and lake scenery.

Quote: There's a lot to say about Grand Teton National Park, mostly about beautiful lakes at the base of breathtaking mountains and the spectacular log Chapel of the Transfiguration, but instead I'm just going to just let a few of my better photos do the talking.
From journals Mountain-West Road Trip

Quote: Jenny Lake may be the world's most beautiful body of water. When we came upon it at the scenic turnout one morning, it was difficult to move on. The setting is spectacular: it's completely surrounded by the Tetons on its western and northern side. We ended up having our family portrait taken there by some new friends, and we all love that picture.

Jenny Lake is also the site of one of the park's main attractions: the pleasant hike to Hidden Falls. It's popular enough that unless you schedule it first thing in the morning, you'll find the trail pretty busy. When you get there, you'll know why: it's a modest climb along a series of cascades, leading to a beautiful 200-foot drop of pure whitewater.

You have several options for getting there: it's about 1.7 miles around the north shore of Jenny Lake to Hidden Falls. There's also a park concessionaire shuttle across the lake for $7.50 RT or $5 one way ($5/$4 for kids 6 to12). I'd recommend taking the boat at least one direction—Jenny Lake is a beautiful spot, located right underneath the Tetons, with wonderful views up at the mountains in almost all directions.

We took the boat both ways, so I'm not sure how much company you'll have if you hike around the lake. But once you get to the dock at the Cascade Canyon Trailhead, you'll certainly be part of a crowd on the last half-mile. It's probably the busiest trail I've ever been on (we were there about 1pm on the 4th of July). We hiked along with a group of 12 from the Teton Mountaineering School, who were beginning their ascent of Grand Teton. The whole crowd on the trail had a nice spirit.

The trail has a very modest elevation gain, about 150 feet. After taking you along some smaller but pretty cascades, it brings you out to the view of the falls. There are benches available if you'd like to sit and relax and watch the water for a while. The falls are called "hidden" because they are a little back in the woods: as you approach, you'll see a sign that says "Viewpoint 100 feet," even though you can hear and practically feel them.

Don't let the crowds scare you away from this spot. It's worth the trip.

The Jenny Lake scenic turnout is a little more difficult to reach than most (that, and our 9am arrival probably kept the crowds down). It's on a one-way stretch of road reached by heading west at the North Jenny Lake Junction on Teton Park Road. The first stretch is two-way; just before you reach Jenny Lake Lodge, it changes to one-way. From junction to turnout is about 2 or 3 miles; it's another half-mile to where this loop rejoins the Park Road.

You can find the schedule, fares, and more at the website for Jenny Lake Boating, the operator of the shuttle.
From journals Three Days in Grand Teton