![]() ![]() I was able to snap a few photos just before it started to rain. The ranger explained that the groups of trees are all connected underground by one big root system. When the wind blows the leaves “quake” and they look like shimmering golden coins. We got a glimpse of these beauties along the way. The photo above is a creek we crossed over, using a small bridge. A few people gave up and turned back – I am speculating that they just got so fearful that they would trip and fall, that they were unable to enjoy themselves. The sights along the trail were really beautiful but the trail itself was loaded with rocks and roots to climb over. The internet says the trail is “easy”, but I think I remember the park pamphlet listing it as moderate. We took a park ranger guided hike to Taggart Lake. Jenny was the Shoshone wife of fur trapper Richard “Beaver Dick” Leigh who served as an expedition guide in 1872. The stone walkways and the views of the lake behind the Jenny Lake Visitor Center are charming. The Jackson Lake Lodge Pioneer Grill serves a surprisingly upscale lunch which is cooked in view on the patio behind large glass windows. We enjoyed seeing the Craig Thomas Discovery and Visitor Center with its displays of artifacts and explanation of the land formations. We tried to take a look at all of them, even if it was just a quick drive by in the Jeep. There are several lodges and visitor centers within the park. In the 1800’s French fur trappers named the mountains Les Trois Tetons which translates as The Three Teats which became shortened to the Tetons. The glaciers have lost 25% of their surface area in the past 40 years but are still visible even from a distance. The high mountain is Grand Teton and the clouds are hiding its glacier, but the moraine below it is visible. The first full peak seen on the left is Middle Teton and the dip to the right of it is Middle Teton Glacier. His epic shots of this river, taken from the roof of his car, were used to promote conservation of the American West. In 1941 the famous photographer, Ansel Adams, was hired by the National Park Service to take photographs of the pristine beauty of Jackson Hole. The Snake River meanders through the park. who then donated it to the existing park. Pierce Cunningham.Īmidst a lot of controversy, ranchers such a Cunningham began selling their land to John D. Teton National Park was established in 1929, but much of the Jackson Hole Valley remained in private ownership well into the late 1930’s. It didn’t really matter that it wasn’t a great campground, because we spent all our time at either the park or the town of Jackson. Although there are no amenities except the ruins of a decrepit swimming pool, the views are breathtaking. Because it has a great location, close to both the south entrance of Yellowstone and the Moran entrance of Teton, it can charge a high rate for just a grass site and the standard hook ups of water and electricity. It has a handful of names such as Fireside RV Resort, Moran RV Resort, Yellowstone RV Resort, Buffalo Valley RV Resort but one website where all the names are directed. Which explains why the run down park we stayed at in Moran can stay open. Even in September, Yellowstone is crowded and RV sites are in demand. When we found out about the road closing, we asked if we could stay an extra day but they were sold out and couldn’t accommodate us. It was top notch and I highly recommend it. While we were at West Yellowstone, we stayed at Yellowstone Grizzly RV Park . The scenery was absolutely gorgeous however, so there is a silver lining in every cloud! We drove past the Palisades Reservoir and through the Swan Valley area – beautiful! What would have been a couple hours of travel time ended up taking us about four and a half. We had to cut that far west to be sure the roads would be friendly for our 44 foot motor home towing a jeep. We were actually on Highway 26 which can be seen towards the bottom of the map above. Instead, we had to drive into Idaho and go way south, to Jackson and then up to Moran. We were planning on getting to our next campground in Moran by traveling from West Yellowstone, through Yellowstone Park, and then exiting out the south entrance on US-287. During our short stint at Yellowstone there had been road closures due to snow and maintenance, but this time the road we needed was closed because of a forest fire. We had an interesting time getting there though. In mid-September, we left the incredible sights of Yellowstone and traveled to the National Park that was right next door: the beautiful Grand Teton. ![]()
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