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Exploring Grand Teton National Park
Although Grand Teton National Park is much smaller than Yel-lowstone, there is much more to it than just its peaks, a dozen ofwhich climb to elevations greater than 12,000 feet. The park’s size—54 miles long, from north to south—allows visitors to get a goodlook at the highlights in a day or two. But you’d be missing a greatdeal: the beautiful views from its trails, an exciting float on theSnake River, the watersports paradise that is Jackson Lake.
Whether your trip is half a day or 2 weeks, the park’s proximityto the town of Jackson allows for an interesting trip that combinesthe outdoors with the urbane. You can descend Grand Teton and beliving it up at the Million Dollar Cowboy Bar or dining in a finerestaurant that evening. The next day, you can return to the peaceof the park without much effort at all.
1 EssentialsACCESS/ENTRY POINTS Grand Teton National Park runsalong a north-south axis, bordered on the west by the omnipresentTeton Range. Teton Park Road, the primary thoroughfare, skirtsalong the lakes at the mountains’ base. From the north, you canenter the park from Yellowstone National Park, which is linked toGrand Teton by the John D. Rockefeller Jr. Memorial Parkway(U.S. Hwy. 89/191/287), an 8-mile stretch of highway, along whichyou might see wildlife through the trees, some still bare and black-ened from the 1988 fires. If you enter this way, you will already havepaid your entrance fee to both parks, but you can stop at a parkinformation center at Flagg Ranch, just outside Yellowstone, to getGrand Teton information. From December through mid-March,Yellowstone’s south entrance is open only to snowmobiles and snow-coaches, and there is a trail that connects to Grand Teton. (Note:The snowmobile ban goes into effect December 2004. See p. 106.)
You can also approach the park from the east, via U.S. Hwy.26/287. This route comes from Dubois, 55 miles east on the other
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side of the Absaroka and Wind River mountains, and crosses Tog-wotee Pass, where you’ll get your first (and one of the best) views ofthe Tetons towering over the valley. Travelers who come this way cancontinue south on U.S. Hwy. 26/89/191 to Jackson without payingan entrance fee, although they are within the park boundaries, andenjoy spectacular mountain and Snake River views.
Finally, you can enter Grand Teton from Jackson in the south,driving about 12 miles north on U.S. Hwy. 26/89/191 to theMoose turnoff and the park’s south entrance. Here you’ll find thepark headquarters and Moose Visitor Center, plus a small commu-nity that includes dining and shops.
VISITOR CENTERS & INFORMATION There are three visitorcenters in Grand Teton National Park. The Moose Visitor Center(& 307/739-3399), mentioned above, is a half mile west of MooseJunction at the southern end of the park; it’s open 8am to 7pm dailyfrom June through Labor Day, and 8am to 5pm the rest of the year.The Colter Bay Visitor Center (& 307/739-3594), the northern-most of the park’s visitor centers, is open 8am to 8pm from early Junethrough Labor Day, and from 8am to 5pm after Labor Day throughearly October. There is also Jenny Lake Visitor Center (& 307/739-3343), open 8am to 7pm daily from early June through Labor Day,and 8am to 5pm after Labor Day through early October. Maps andranger assistance are available at all three, and there are bookstores andexhibits at Moose and Colter Bay. Finally, there is an information sta-tion at the Flagg Ranch complex (no phone), which is locatedapproximately 5 miles north of the park’s northern boundary.
To obtain park maps before your arrival, contact Grand TetonNational Park, P.O. Box 170, Moose, WY 83012 (& 307/739-3600; www.nps.gov/grte).
FEES There are no park gates on U.S. Hwy. 26/89/191, so youcan get a free ride through the park on that route; to get off thehighway and explore, you’ll pay $20 per automobile for a 7-day pass(admission is good for both Yellowstone or Grand Teton). If youexpect to visit more than once a year, buy a $40 annual permit. Bet-ter yet, if you visit parks elsewhere in the country, buy a $65 GoldenEagle Passport, good for all parks and national monuments for ayear from the month of purchase, or a $50 National Parks Pass,good for a year’s access to the parks but not the monuments.
Seniors can get a Golden Age Passport for a one-time fee of $10,and blind or permanently disabled people can obtain a Golden
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FAST FACTS: Grand Teton
ATMs There are three ATMs in the park: at the Jackson LakeLodge, at the Dornan’s Store in Moose, and at the generalstore in Colter Bay Village.
Car Trouble/Towing Services There are no towing servicesinside the park; if you are not a member of an automobileclub, try one of the services in nearby Jackson, Wyoming. Thepark’s main information number is & 307/739-3600.
Emergencies Dial & 911, or dial 307/739-3300 and ask forpark dispatch.
Gas Stations Gasoline is available at Flagg Ranch, Colter BayVillage, Jackson Lake Lodge, Signal Mountain Lodge, and Dor-nan’s in Moose.
Laundry There are laundry facilities at the Colter Bay Village.
Medical Services There is a medical clinic at Jackson LakeLodge (& 307/543-2514, or 307/733-8002 before 10am orafter 6pm), open mid-May to mid-October, and a hospital inJackson, Wyoming (& 307/733-3636).
Permits Boating permits and backcountry permits can beobtained at the Colter Bay and Moose visitor centers and atthe Jenny Lake Ranger Station. For recorded information onclimbing, call & 307/739-3604.
Access Passport, which costs nothing. Most of the money fromentrance fees goes back into the park where it was collected, so con-sider it a contribution worth making: In Grand Teton, this revenuehas been spent on renovating the Jenny Lake Overlook, maintainingtrails, and restoring the lakeshore at Jenny Lake, among other things.
Fees for camping are $12 per night at all the park campgrounds($5 for hike- and bike-in sites). For recorded information on camp-grounds, call & 307/739-3603. For more information on camping,see “Where to Camp in Grand Teton,” in chapter 7, “Where to Stay& Dine in the Parks.” It is not possible to make advance reservationsat campgrounds in Grand Teton.
SPECIAL REGULATIONS & WARNINGS See chapter 3,“Exploring Yellowstone,” for a summary of the major park regula-tions, which are generally similar in both parks.
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Post Offices There are post offices in Moose (& 307/733-3336)and Moran (& 307/543-2527).
Supplies You’ll find well-stocked general stores in the Dor-nan’s complex at Moose Village and in Colter Bay Village;there are convenience stores at Flagg Ranch, Signal MountainLodge, and South Jenny Lake.
Weather Updates Call & 307/739-3611 for weather information.
C H A P T E R 5 . E X P L O R I N G G R A N D T E T O N
2 The HighlightsNo matter what you do in Grand Teton, you are nearly always in viewof the big granite peaks dominating the western skyline. They definethe park and, resultantly, deserve top billing of all of its highlights.
THE PEAKS The Cathedral Group is comprised of GrandTeton (elevation 13,770 ft.), Mount Owen (elevation 12,928 ft.),and Teewinot (elevation 12,325 ft.). Nearby, almost as impressive areSouth Teton (elevation 12,514 ft.) and Middle Teton (elevation12,804 ft.). To the north, Mount Moran, at 12,605 feet, is the fourthlargest of the Tetons (on a clear day, though, you can take a great pho-tograph of this peak all the way from Colter Bay to North Jenny LakeJunction). If you come from the east, you will pass no toll booths onyour way south on U.S. Hwy. 26/89/191, but there are frequent pull-outs on the west side of the road that give you a panoramic overviewof the Snake River and the Tetons. For that matter, you get a more dis-tant but equally spectacular perspective of the mountains coming overTogwotee Pass on U.S. Hwy. 26/287. Signal Mountain, reached offTeton Park Road by Jackson Lake, is less a peak to look at than to lookoff—you can drive or hike to the top for a grand view.
COLTER BAY At the north end of the park, alongside JacksonLake, Colter Bay offers a busy mix of information, services, activitieson and off the water, and shopping. The visitor center (& 307/739-3594) provides wildlife videos, slide programs, natural history hikes,and evening amphitheater programs. Most remarkable is the IndianArts Museum , which houses a collection of American Indiancrafts, clothing, and beadwork, covering rooms on two floors.
JACKSON LAKE This biggest of park lakes was dammed toprovide more water for potato farmers in Idaho, but that also makes
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it a good place to sail, fish, and ride around on powerboats. Severallodges dot its shores, but the one that bears its name, Jackson LakeLodge, is set back from the lake, bordered by Willow Flats andmarshlands—prime moose habitat. The views are striking, andsome good hikes begin here.
SIGNAL MOUNTAIN AREA The Signal Mountain camp-ground is a favorite of park visitors, conveniently located on thelakeshore for folks with watercraft, and the Signal Mountain Lodgeis a fine place to stop for a meal with a view or a room for the night.Across the road, you can climb the mountain, by foot or car, and geta panoramic view of the valley and mountains—the best way to get aperspective on the glacier-carved area known as Jackson Hole.
JENNY LAKE A loop off Teton Park Road takes you close toString and Jenny lakes and the exclusive Jenny Lake Lodge (hometo what is probably the finest restaurant in any national park). Dayvisitors can go to the south end of the lake, the point of origin ofboth boat rides and the popular trail to Inspiration Point and Hid-den Falls , on the west side of the lake. There’s also a small store.If you’ve got your wide-angle lens handy, stop at the CathedralGroup Turnout, a terrific spot for photographers.
MOOSE You’ll find plenty of services and shops here—even afine wine store—and the park headquarters and a visitor center.It’s been a service area since the days of Bill Menor, who ran a riverferry and a country store here a century ago. Half a mile from thepark offices, the store and ferry have been re-created at the Menor/Noble Historic District. The nearby Chapel of the Transfigura-tion is a log church built in 1925. The altar window frames a viewof the Grand Teton.
SNAKE RIVER Below Jackson Lake Dam, the Snake Riverwinds its way east and south, eventually turning west toward Idaho inthe Snake River Canyon. There are beautiful stretches of river in thepark, such as Oxbow Bend, where trumpeter swans and mooseappear, which make it a destination for canoeists and kayakers. To theeast and up on the flats, U.S. Hwy. 26/89/191 follows the river fromMoran Junction to Jackson, with several pullouts and overlooks.
3 If You Have Only 1 DayA 1-day trip around this park is not unreasonable, given its size, andyou can do a loop where you see many major attractions without
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having to retrace your steps. For more complete information onwhat you’ll see along the way, read the next section on touring thepark. Although this 1-day itinerary assumes that you are enteringGrand Teton from the north, after visiting Yellowstone, you couldjust as easily begin your itinerary in Jackson, which is 8 miles southof the Moose Entrance Station.
Begin at the south entrance of Yellowstone National Park, drivingthrough the John D. Rockefeller Jr. Memorial Parkway (U.S.Hwy. 89/191/287) south past Flagg Ranch and to the park. As youdrive south, you’ll find yourself skirting the northern shore of Jack-son Lake, with a view of Mount Moran to the west, and, farthersouth, the stunning Cathedral Group.
On the northeast shore, Colter Bay Village is one of the park’sbusiest spots. You can rent boats, take scenic cruises, embark onguided fishing trips, buy fishing licenses and supplies, rent a cabin,or camp. Several popular hiking trails start here. If you turn right atColter Bay Junction, you’ll be at the Colter Bay Visitor Center ahalf mile later; stop here to take in the Indian Arts Museum .
The Lakeshore Trail begins at the marina entrance and runs alongthe harbor for an easy 2-mile round-trip. It’s level, paved, shady, andwheelchair accessible, the best opportunity for a hike in this area ifyou don’t have much time. Nearby, on the shore of the lake, is anamphitheater where ranger-naturalists conduct evening programs.The Douglas firs and pine trees here are greener and healthier than thelodgepole pines that you see at higher elevations in Yellowstone.
A few minutes’ drive south of Colter Bay, you’ll pass Jackson LakeLodge (you might want to look in the lobby and out the big picturewindow) and then Jackson Lake Junction, where a right turn putsyou on Teton Park Road, the beginning of a 43-mile loop tour.You’ll be driving parallel to the mountain range, with Grand Tetonas the 13,770-foot centerpiece. You’ll see lakes created by glaciersthousands of years ago, bordering a sagebrush valley inhabited bypronghorn and elk.
Just 5 miles down the road along Jackson Lake, a left (east) turnwill take you up Signal Mountain, where you’ll have a 360-degreeview of the valley. Then continue down Teton Park Road to SouthJenny Lake, where there is a huge parking area (which fills quickly inpeak season) for the many people who stop to either hike around thelake or take a boat ride across. If you have time, get to the other side(it’s a 2-mile hike) and make the short climb to Hidden Falls .Another good day hike in this area is the Taggart Lake Trail (see
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chapter 6, “Hikes & Other Outdoor Pursuits in Grand TetonNational Park”).
When you leave South Jenny Lake, you’ll drive along a flat, sage-brush-dotted stretch to Moose, the southernmost of the park’s serv-ice centers. A half mile before Moose Junction is the Moose VisitorCenter, which features exhibits of the Greater Yellowstone area’s rareand endangered species, a video room, and an excellent bookstore.While you’re in Moose, you might want to visit the Menor/NobleHistoric District and the Chapel of the Transfiguration.
Coming out of Moose, take a left (north) turn on U.S. Hwy. 26/89/191, which crosses the open flats above the Snake River toMoran Junction. The best views along this road are the GlacierView Turnout and the Snake River Overlook , both of which areright off the road and well marked. At Moran Junction, turn left fora final 5-mile drive back to Jackson Lake Junction, past OxbowBend, a great spot for wildlife watching.
Worn out? Catch the dramatic sunset behind the Tetons and headfor your campsite (if you’re tenting, stake out a spot early) or room,either in the park or in Jackson, Wyoming.
4 Touring Grand TetonA 1-day whirlwind tour of Grand Teton is far from ideal. Like Yel-lowstone, this park demands a visit of 2 days or more. An extendedstay allows for some relaxed hiking, picnicking, and sightseeing—you’ll gain a greater appreciation for the park and the area’s cultureand history. A day at the Jenny Lake area, for instance, will provideawe-inspiring views of the peaks and a chance to walk the trailsaround the lake, to Inspiration Point or beyond up CascadeCanyon. You could also easily spend a day in the Jackson LakeLodge area, where there are several wildlife viewing spots, trails, andplaces for a secluded picnic.
As with the short tour in the previous section, I begin at thenorthern end of the park, but you could just as easily start explor-ing from the southern end near Jackson. From Jackson, it’s about 13miles to the Moose Entrance Station, another 8 miles to the JennyLake Visitor Center, another 12 miles to the Jackson Lake Junction,and 5 more miles to Colter Bay.
JACKSON LAKE & THE NORTH END OF THE PARKMany people enter Grand Teton National Park from the north end,emerging from Yellowstone’s south entrance with a 7-day park pass
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that is good for admission to Grand Teton as well. Yellowstone isconnected to Grand Teton by a wilderness corridor called the JohnD. Rockefeller Jr. Memorial Parkway that runs north-south for 8miles past meadows sometimes dotted with elk, over the SnakeRiver above Jackson Lake, and through forests that in some placesstill show the mosaic burns of the 1988 fires.
Along the parkway, not far from Yellowstone, you’ll come to therecently modernized Flagg Ranch (see chapter 7), with gas, restau-rants, lodging, and other services. In the winter, this is a busy stag-ing area for the snowcoach and snowmobile crowd.
Giant Jackson Lake , a vast expanse of water filling a deep gougeleft 10,000 years ago by retreating glaciers, dominates the north endof the park. While it is a natural lake, it was dammed nearly a centuryago, encroaching the surrounding forest and dismaying conservation-ists. It empties east into the Snake River, curving around in the lan-guid Oxbow Bend—a favorite wildlife-viewing float for canoeists.The water eventually turns south and then west through Snake RiverCanyon and into Idaho. Stream flow from the dam is regulated bothfor potato farmers downstream in Idaho and for rafters in the canyon.Elsewhere on the lake, things look quite natural, except when watergets low in the fall.
As the road follows the east shore of the lake from the north, thefirst development that travelers encounter is Leeks Marina, whereboats launch, gas up, and moor from mid-May to mid-September.A casual restaurant here serves light fare and pizza during the sum-mer, but there are also numerous scenic pullouts along the lake thatare good picnic spots.
Just south of Leeks is Colter Bay, a busy outpost of park serviceswhere you can get groceries, postcards and stamps, T-shirts, andadvice. At the Colter Bay Visitor Center, you can view park andwildlife videotapes and attend a park orientation slide programthroughout the day. Ranger-led activities include museum tours,park-orientation talks, natural-history hikes, and evening amphithe-ater programs. Colter Bay has plenty of overnight options, fromcabins and old-fashioned tent camps to a trailer park and camp-ground (see chapter 7). There is also a general store, a laundry facil-ity, two restaurants, a boat launch and boat rentals, and tours. Youcan take pleasant short hikes in this area, including a walk aroundthe bay or out to Hermitage Point (see chapter 6).
The Indian Arts Museum (& 307/739-3594) at the ColterBay Visitor Center is worth a visit, although it is not strictly about
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the Native American cultures of this area. The artifacts are mostlyfrom Plains Indian tribes, but there are also some Navajo items fromthe Southwest. The collection was assembled by David T. Vernonand includes pipes, shields, dolls, and war clubs sometimes called“skull crackers.” There are large historic photos in the exhibit area.Visiting Indian artists work in the museum all summer long and selltheir wares on-site. Admission is free.
From Colter Bay, the road curves eastward and then south again,passing Jackson Lake Lodge (see chapter 7), a snazzy 1950s-styleresort with a great view of the Tetons and brushy flats in the fore-ground where moose and coyotes often roam. Numerous trailsemanate from here, both to the lakeshore and east to EmmaMatilda Lake (see chapter 6). The road then comes to JacksonLake Junction, where you can either continue west along thelakeshore or go east to the park’s Moran entrance station. If you exitvia the Moran entrance, you are still in the park, and can turn south
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on U.S. Hwy. 26/89/191 and drive along the Snake River to Jack-son, making most of your journey within the park’s borders. How-ever, you’re probably here to enjoy the park, so you should turn right(west) on Teton Park Road at Jackson Lake Junction. After only 5miles, you will arrive at Signal Mountain. Like its counterpart atColter Bay, this developed recreation area, on Jackson Lake’s south-east shore, offers camping sites, accommodations in cabins and mul-tiplex units, two restaurants, and a lounge with one of the few livetelevisions in the park. If you need to stock up on gas or food, do soat the small convenience store here. Boat rentals and scenic cruisesof the lake are also available.
If you turn east instead of west off Teton Park Road at SignalMountain, you can drive up a narrow, twisty road to the top of themountain, 700 feet above the valley, where you’ll have a fine viewof the ring of mountains—Absarokas, Gros Ventres, Tetons, andYellowstone Plateau—that create Jackson Hole. Clearly visible arethe “Kettles”: potholes in the valley’s hilly moraines that are themark of long-gone glaciers. Below the summit, about 3 miles fromthe base of the hill, is Jackson Point Overlook, a paved path 100yards long leading to the spot where legendary photographerWilliam Henry Jackson shot his famous landscapes of Jackson Lakeand the Tetons in the 1870s—proof to the world that such spec-tacular places really existed.
Looking for a hideaway? On the right (west) side of the roadbetween Signal Mountain and North Jenny Lake Junction, approxi-mately 2 miles south of the Mount Moran turnout, is an unmarked,unpaved road leading to Spalding Bay. It’s a sheltered little campsiteand boat launch area with a primitive restroom. There isn’t muchspace if others have beaten you there, but it’s a great place to be alonewith great views of the lake and mountains. If you decide to camp, apark permit is required. An automobile or SUV will have no prob-lem with this road, but speed will not be of the essence. Passingthrough brush and forest, you might just spot a moose.
JENNY LAKE & THE SOUTH END OF THE PARKContinuing south along Teton Park Road, you move into the park’ssouthern half, where the tallest peaks rise abruptly above a succes-sion of small, crystalline lakes—Leigh Lake, the appropriatelynamed String Lake, and Jenny Lake , beloved by many visi-tors. At North Jenny Lake Junction, you can take a turnoff west toJenny Lake Lodge (see chapter 7). The road then continues as a
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one-way scenic loop along the lakeshore before rejoining Teton ParkRoad about 4 miles later.
Beautiful Jenny Lake attracts its share of crowds throughout thesummer, both from hikers who circumnavigate the lake on a 6-miletrail and from more sedentary folks who pay for a boat ride across thelake to Hidden Falls and the short steep climb to Inspiration Point(see chapter 6). The parking lot at South Jenny Lake is oftenjammed, and there can be a long wait for the boat ride, so you mightwant to get there early in the day. Or, you can save your money bytaking the 2-mile hike around the lake—it’s level and easy. There isalso a tents-only campground, a visitor center, and a general storestocked with a modest supply of prepackaged foods and even less freshproduce and vegetables. You’ll have to buy a ticket and wait in line forthe trip across the lake in a powerboat that holds about 30 people.Contact Jenny Lake Boating Company (& 307/734-9227); round-trips cost $7 for adults and $5 for children.
South of the lake, Teton Park Road ambles through wide-opensagebrush plains with immaculate views of the mountains. You’llpass the Climbers’ Ranch—an inexpensive dormlike lodging alter-native for climbers, run by the American Alpine Association—andsome trail heads for enjoyable hikes to a handful of pristine alpinelakes. Look closely in the sagebrush for the shy pronghorn, morecommonly (and incorrectly) labeled antelope. This handsome ani-mal, with tan cheeks and black accent stripes, can spring up to 60mph. Badgers also roam the brush here; you might encounter oneof the shy but ornery creatures in the morning or at twilight.
The Teton Glacier Turnout presents a view of a glacier thatgrew for several hundred years until, pressured by the increasingsummer temperatures of the past century, it reversed course andbegan retreating.
The road arrives at the park’s south entrance and the sprawlingMoose Visitor Center, which is also park headquarters. If you areapproaching the park from the south rather than the north, this iswhere you’ll get maps, advice, and some interpretive displays.
Just behind the visitor center is Menors Ferry. Bill Menor had acountry store and operated a ferry across the Snake River at Mooseback in the late 1800s. The ferry and store have been reconstructed,and you can buy items like those once sold here. Nearby is a historiccabin where a group of locals met in 1923 and planted the seed forthe protection of the natural and scenic quality of the area, an ideathat eventually led to the creation of the national park.
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Also in this area is the Chapel of the Transfiguration. In 1925,this chapel was built in Moose so that settlers wouldn’t have to makethe long buckboard ride into Jackson. It’s still in use for Episcopalservices from spring to fall and is a popular place for weddings, witha view of the Tetons through a window behind the altar.
Dornan’s is a small village area just south of the visitor center ona private holding of land owned by one of the area’s earliest home-steading families. There are a few shops and a semigourmet grocerystore, a post office, rental cabins, a bar with occasional live music,and, surprisingly, a first-rate wine shop.
THE EAST SIDE OF THE PARKAt Moose Junction, just east of the visitor center, drivers can rejointhe highway and either turn south to Jackson and the Gros Ventreturn or cruise north up U.S. Hwy. 89/26/191 to Moran Junction.This 18-mile trip is the fastest route through Grand Teton NationalPark and, being farther from the mountains, offers views of abroader mountain tableau.
The junction of U.S. Hwy. 89 with Antelope Flats Road is 11⁄4miles north of the Moose Junction. The 20-mile route beginning hereis an acceptable biking route. It’s all on level terrain, passing by thetown of Kelly and the Gros Ventre campground before looping backto U.S. Hwy. 26/89/191 at the Gros Ventre Junction to the south. (Ifyou’re interested in the area, you might also look at the end of the“Day Hikes” section in chapter 6, “Hikes & Other Outdoor Pursuitsin Grand Teton National Park,” where there’s a short description ofKelly and the Gros Ventre Slide area, which can be viewed justbeyond the park boundaries to the east.) If you continue straight onAntelope Flats Road, you’ll reach the Teton Science School at theroad’s end, about a 5-mile trip. The school offers interesting learningvacation programs, which are described more fully in chapter 2,“Planning Your Trip to Yellowstone & Grand Teton National Parks.”
Less than a mile down U.S. Hwy. 26/89/191, on the left, Black-tail Ponds Overlook offers an opportunity to see how beavers builddams and the effect these hard-working creatures have on the flowof the streams. The area is marshy early in summer, but it’s stillworth the 1⁄4-mile hike down to the streams where the beaver activ-ity can be viewed more closely.
Two miles farther along U.S. Hwy. 89 brings you to the GlacierView Turnout, which offers views of an area that 140,000 to160,000 years ago was filled with a 4,000-foot-thick glacier. The
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view of the gulch between the peaks offers vivid testimony of thepower of the glaciers that carved this landscape. LowerSchwabacher Landing is at the end of a 1-mile, fairly well main-tained dirt road that leads down to the Snake River; you’ll see theturnoff 41⁄2 miles north of the Moose Junction. The road windsthrough an area filled with glacial moraine (the rocks, sand, andgravel are debris left behind as glaciers passed through the area), theremnants of the ice age. At the end of the road is a popular launchsite for float trips and for fly-fishing. It’s also an ideal place to retreatfrom the crowds. Don’t be surprised to see bald eagles, osprey,moose, river otter, and beaver, all of which regularly patrol the area.
The Snake River Overlook , approximately 4 miles down theroad beyond the Glacier View Turnout, is the most famous view ofthe Teton Range and the Snake River, immortalized by AnselAdams. From this overlook, you’ll also see at least three separate, dis-tinctive 200-foot-high plateaus that roll from the riverbed to the val-ley floor, leaving a vivid example of the power of the glaciers and icefloes as they sculpted this area. In the early 1800s, this was a primehunting ground for John Jacob Astor’s Pacific Fur Company and acertain David E. Jackson, for whom the lake and valley are named.But by 1840, the popularity of the silk hat had put an end to furtrapping, and the hunters disappeared. Good thing—by the timethey departed, the beaver population was almost decimated.
A half mile north of the Snake River Overlook is the newlyrepaved road to Deadman’s Bar, a peaceful clearing on the river-bank. Many float trips launch here (multiday trips also camp in thearea), and there is a limited amount of fishing access.
Cunningham Cabin, 13⁄4 miles north of Deadman’s Bar, is anondescript historic site at which homesteaders Pierce and MargaretCunningham built their ranch in 1890. By 1928, they had beendefeated by the elements and sold out to Rockefeller’s Snake RiverLand Co. You can visit it at any time for a peek into the rough lifeof early Jackson Hole ranchers.
If you head down the highway in the other direction (south) fromMoose Junction, on U.S. Hwy. 26/89/191, you can turn east on theGros Ventre River Road 5 miles before you reach Jackson and followthe river east into its steep canyon—a few miles past the little town ofKelly, you’ll leave the park and be in Bridger-Teton National Forest.In 1925, a huge slab of mountain broke off the north end of the GrosVentre Range on the east side of Jackson Hole, a reminder that naturestill has an unpredictable and violent side.
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The slide left a gaping open gash in the side of Sheep Mountain,sloughing off nearly 50 million cubic yards of rock and forming anatural dam across the Gros Ventre River half a mile wide. Two yearslater, the dam broke and a cascade of water rushed down the canyonand through the little town of Kelly, taking several lives. Today thetown of Kelly is a quaint and eccentric community with a largenumber of yurts (tentlike homes) and, nearby, the Teton ScienceSchool. Up in the canyon formed by the Gros Ventre River, there isa roadside display with photographs of the slide area and a shortnature walk from the road down to the residue of the slide andLower Slide Lake. Here, signs identify the trees and plants that sur-vived or grew in the slide’s aftermath.
5 Organized Tours & Ranger ProgramsThe Grand Teton Lodge Company (& 307/543-2811; www.gtlc.com) runs half- and full-day bus tours of Grand Teton ($30 adults,$15 children) and Yellowstone ($50 adults, $30 children) from mid-May to mid-October, weather permitting.
The Teton Science School , P.O. Box 68, Kelly, WY 83011(& 307/733-4765; www.tetonscience.org), has an excellent curricu-lum for students of all ages, from integrated science programs forjunior high kids to adult seminars covering everything from botanyto astronomy. Classes take place at the newly renovated Stokes Fam-ily Learning Center in Kelly, and younger students can stay on-sitein log cabins for some of the programs. The school’s WildlifeExpeditions (& 800/WILD-567 or 307/773-2623; www.wildlifeexpeditions.org) offers tours that bring visitors closer to the park’swildlife. These trips range from a half-day to a week, covering every-thing from bighorn sheep to the wolves of Yellowstone.
Within the park, there are several interesting ranger programs.These range from a ranger-led 3-mile hike from the Colter Bay Vis-itor Center to Swan Lake, to a relaxed evening chatting with aranger on the back deck of the Jackson Lake Lodge, with the Tetonsas a dramatic backdrop and spotting scope for watching moose andbirds. There are numerous events during the summer at Colter Bay,South Jenny Lake, and the Moose Visitor Center. Check the dailyschedules in the park’s newspaper, The Teewinot, which you can pickup at any visitor center.
At the Taggart Lake trail head, there are wildflower walks led byrangers who can tell you the difference between lupine and larkspur,
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daily in June and July, and guided morning hikes to Hidden Fallsfrom Jenny Lake (you take the boat across the lake), among otheractivities.
At Colter Bay, you can climb aboard a boat for an afternoon fireand ice cruise, during which a ranger will talk about volcanics, gla-ciers, and fires that have shaped, reshaped, and colored the landscape.There are programs on Indian art and culture, lakeshore strolls withrangers, and evening gatherings at the Colter Bay amphitheater inwhich rangers teach about park wildlife.
Youngsters 8 to 12 can join Young Naturalist programs atColter Bay or Jenny Lake and learn about the natural world for 2hours while hiking with a ranger. Signups are at the visitor centers(the fee is a mere $1), and the kids will need basic hiking gear.
There are also evening campfire gatherings at the Gros Ventre,Jenny Lake, Signal Mountain, Lizard Creek, and Colter Bay camp-ground amphitheaters on a variety of park-related topics.
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