The Mountains of the Grand Teton Are Calling

Grand Teton National Park

103 Headquarters Loop
Moose, WY 83012

 

Grand Teton National Park is open 24 hours a day year round.

Most roads, facilities and services are all open or available during the summer,

but may be closed at other times of the year.


 

 

 

 

Grand Teton National Park is a wonderful place to visit any time of year, but fall is especially magical for a number of reasons. Beautiful fall colors, wildlife, and smaller crowds make for a wonderful and relaxing time to visit. Fall in the Tetons lasts from the beginning of September through mid-October. My friends and in-laws, Linda and Mike just returned from their drive west to Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons. Photos today are courtesy of Linda Jones. Thank you!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Explore over 200 miles of trails, camp and enjoy the serenity of the rugged mountains, backpack the mountain trails, or float in the Snake River.  The Grand Tetons are calling.  The park’s cultural history extends back more than 10,000 years when paleo-Indians first visited the valley. Since then, many people have left their mark on this valley.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The stunning beauty and abundant wildlife and plants found here have always drawn humans to this place. Native American tribes came to harvest bulbs and berries, fish the lakes and streams, and hunt wildlife. With the approach of the harsh winter, indigenous people followed their prey out of the valley in search of milder weather.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Europeans came here for wealth. Fur trappers, known as “mountain men,” trekked west in search of beaver for fur top hats that were fashionable in the early 1800s. Many trappers including David Edward (Davey) Jackson based their operations in this area. The valley we know today as Jackson Hole was dubbed Davey Jackson’s Hole in 1829 by William Sublette, Jackson’s trapping partner. The beaver population declined rapidly with over-trapping, and when fashions turned from fur to silk hats, the era of the mountain men faded away by the 1840s. Homesteaders did not arrive in Jackson Hole until 1884, and by 1908  “dude ranching” was more profitable than raising cattle or crops. Rich eastern visitors who were enchanted by the old west  paid handsomely for lodging, food , the use of a horse and other outdoor activities.

 

 

 

 

 

Development of the park was slow and filled with controversy. Congress created the original park in 1929 to protect the Teton Range and several lakes at the foot of the mountains. In 1943, Franklin Delano Roosevelt declared the remaining federal land in the valley as Jackson Hole National Monument. In 1949, John D. Rockefeller, Jr. donated the private land he had purchased to the government to be included in the national park. Finally in 1950, Congress combined the original park, the national monument, and the Rockefeller lands to establish present-day Grand Teton National Park.

 

 

 

 

 

 

One of the must see areas in the park is Jackson Lake Dam along Teton Park Road, off of the John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Parkway. It sits below the immensely popular Signal Mountain and the picturesque Jackson Lake Overlook. The original structure was completed in 1907 but has been updated several times. The water provides irrigation for Idaho farmers 800 miles away.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To plan a visit, visit the Grand Teton National Park website, and read about the tours, events, hiking, and lodging choices including several campgrounds.  Download the app which will keep you up to date with the weather and all the information you’ll need to plan and enjoy your visit. During the summer months all facilities and roads are open 24 hours a day.  Check with the app or website for details on closings other times of the year. See Alerts & Conditions for current advisories.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Often called the “most photographed barn in America”, the Mormon Row Barn is actually a pair of barns built by T.A. Moulton in an area called Antelope Flats in the southern portion of the park.  The north and south barns can be found off a gravel road called Mormon Row which lies between Antelope Flats Road and Gros Ventre Road, a few miles east of Moose Junction.  As you travel through this area, it is hard to imagine a more beautiful location than the land on which these barns lie.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Let’s end with a visit to Moose, Wyoming’s 1925 rustic Chapel of the Transfiguration. The Chapel of the Transfiguration is a small log chapel in Grand Teton National Park, in the community of Moose.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Other attractions in the area include Yellowstone National Park, Fossil Butte National Monument, Craters of the Moon National Monument, and Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area,  Next week we’ll travel with Linda and Mike to Yellowstone National Park.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Carol

I was raised in Tennessee but have lived in Florida for many years. Love my small home in the Tampa Bay area and its developing garden. My decorating style is eclectic - some vintage, some cottage, all with a modern flair. Pursuing a healthier lifestyle. Spent many years in social services but am happily retired.

27 thoughts to “The Mountains of the Grand Teton Are Calling”

  1. Hello, gorgeous views of the Tetons. It is one of my favorite parks along with Yellowstone. I need to go back.
    Have a happy Friday, happy weekend!

  2. Hi! Nice capture. I went there from this June to July. At first we went to Yellstone national park and then this national park. Thanks for sharing.

  3. Great post and photographs. I got to spend some time there with my sister back in August and we went hiking and exploring. She’s a fellow blogger so I was able to amble about and try different things without anybody getting impatient with me.

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