Artworks inspired by this location

If you've read my Yellowstone page, you know that I said Yellowstone is the most beautiful place on earth. Well, I might have to take that back when I write about its neighbor Grand Teton National Park, because the place holds a special spot in my heart. I have spent two weeks in the Tetons each of the last two summers, and while there I managed to work in a little plein air painting (as you can see above). While Yellowstone is beautiful in a wild and scary kind of way, the Tetons are beautiful in an I-want-to-quit-my-job-and-move-out-here kind of way.

Grand Teton is a very user-friendly national park whether you want to see the mountains by car or foot. That does mean that in some places it can be overcrowded with tourists, but for the most part the park officials have managed to maintain the peace and beauty of the wilderness. If you walk more than a mile away from the nearest road, you can escape the crowds and enjoy (relative) solitude. Moose and deer are plentiful. Coyotes and Pronghorn Antelope are common. Bison are rare, and I've never seen a bear, though I know they're out there. Bird species are numerous.

Some of my favorite trails include:

Phelps Lake - A short, easy hike to a peaceful, crystal-clear mountain lake

Phelps Lake

Hermitage Point - A long hike (8 or 9 miles) over easy terrain, it follow the shore of a peninsula which juts out into Jackson Lake. This trail offers great views of Mt. Moran, and it's the best birdwatching hike that I have taken in the park.

Heron Pond, on the Hermitage Point trail

More scenery along the Hermitage Point trail

Jenny Lake - There are a number of trails in the Jenny Lake area. They all offer great scenery, though this is one of the more crowded areas of the park.

Jenny Lake area (above and below)

Lake Solitude - This is a strenuous hike, about 15 miles round trip, through stunning Cascade Canyon. Lake Solitude is a gorgeous half-frozen pond hidden up in the mountains. It is spectacular.

Entering Cascade Canyon

Lake Solitude

Scenic Drive: Signal Mountain - The entire national park is one big scenic drive, but if you want to explore a particularly beautiful area by car, I would recommend spending an afternoon driving up Signal Mountain. It offers great panoramic views of the park, and there are many places where you can pull the car over and explore a short trail into the woods.

A view of the Snake River from Signal Mountain

Grand Teton National Park is surrounded by other wilderness areas, so you don't have to limit yourself to hiking within the boundaries of the park. There are plenty of other places to go around Jackson Hole.

Wind Cave - This hike begins in Idaho, leads you through some of the most rugged and beautiful forests I've ever seen, and ends up at a large, deep cave in the side of a cliff. Bring your flashlight. If you're headed this way, stop at the Victor Emporium in Victor, Idaho and get yourself a huckleberry shake.

Wind Cave

In addition to hiking, there are plenty of other means of outdoor recreation to be found in Jackson Hole. I have gone kayaking in Lake Jackson, white-water rafting on the Snake River, and horseback riding in Idaho. You can also go rock climbing, ride in a hot air balloon, or go parasailing.

The nearest town from Grand Teton National Park is Jackson, Wyoming. As far as tourist towns go, it's a pretty good one. There's a lot to see and do. There are hundreds of shops downtown offering goods ranging from cheesy souvenirs to elegant furnishings and top-notch mountaineering gear. Jackson is I think the fifth largest (?) art market in America, and there are plenty of galleries worth seeing here. 99% of the subject matter in these galleries is mountain landscapes or western scenes, and the quality ranges from the cheesy to the sublime. Jackson has some excellent dining options, though they do run a little on the expensive side. My personal favorite is a spot called Jedediah's House of Sourdough, which serves hearty breakfasts and delicious sandwiches for lunch. There are a lot of cowboy-themed restaurants in Jackson, but you can also find excellent sushi, Thai, Italian, or Mexican food.

A must-see for art lovers is the National Museum of Wildlife Art, located across the road from the National Elk Refuge. This beautiful building has a spectacular collection of mostly realistic wildlife paintings and sculpture, covering the entire history of American art. They have an entire gallery devoted to Carl Rungius, who was an incredible painter who spent a lot of time in Jackson Hole. Other artists of note represented in the museum include Robert Bateman, John Clymer, and Bob Kuhn.

Teton Village is a ski resort about 15 minutes drive from Jackson, a popular tourist destination all year round. It also has some good shops and restaurants, my favorite being the Alpenhof, which serves German cuisine. Everything is more expensive in Teton Village; it is a playground for the wealthy. Here you can take a tram car up to the top of Rendezvous Peak and get some excellent mountain-top views. In summertime you can catch classical music with the Grand Teton Music Festival. They have a world-class orchestra made up of musicians from all over the country.

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