Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks

I just got back from a wonderful trip to Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks. My husband and I have been before about 4 years ago and we always wanted to go back with family and friends so we finally did. We took my sister and brother-in-law and their 2 boys who are 5 and 8, my cousin and her husband, and our friends Eddie and Jennifer and their 4 year old daughter. We spent about a week in the parks and we had perfect weather almost the entire time. The sky was clear and blue and the fall colors were at their peak. We love these parks and were excited to share them with everyone. Here are a few highlights from our trip...

Best Hike: Cascade Canyon Trail at Grand Teton National Park

First, we took the short boat ride across Jenny Lake and then hiked up to Hidden Falls and then to Inspiraton Point. Just the boat ride and the views from Inspiration Point are enough to make this a great hike but if you continue into the canyon you will really be amazed! Statistically, most people stop after the steep hike to Inspiration Point and turn around as my husband and I did on our first trip to the Tetons. We always regretted not going further so this time we did. A few in our group were not sure if they wanted to continue because they were so worn out after Inspiration Point but we took a little break and everybody decided to give it a shot. At first the trail is pretty wooded, so views are obstructed. But before long it opens up into the canyon. On one side you have lush vegetation and a beautiful river and on the other side sheer rocks. In front of you is the magnificent Grand Teton! The highlight of the hike was walking right beside a mother and baby moose! We were only about 6 feet from them. They didn't seem to be bothered by our presence but we didn't over extend our welcome just in case mama decided to get protective. We hiked in the canyon a good ways until the sky turned dark and ominous and we knew we better get out of there before we had to make the steep decent from Inspiration Point in the rain. We did end up getting a little wet but we made it down in record time. This was one of my favorite hikes ever and even the ones in our group who were hesitant said this was the best part of their trip!

Best Fall Foliage: Oxbow Bend in Grand Teton National Park

The fall colors were beautiful throughout Grand Teton National Park. The aspens were so brilliantly yellow that they looked like they were on fire when the sun shined on them. My favorite place to enjoy the fall colors was Oxbow Bend. This peaceful spot overlooks a quiet backwater of the Snake River and you can see the reflection of Mount Moran in the calm water.

 

Best Activity: Swimming in Boiling River in Yellowstone National Park

Another highlight of our trip was swimming in Boiling River. This is a spot on the Gardner River two miles north of Mammoth. Mammoth Hot Springs pours scalding hot water into the icy cold river creating delightfully warm water. You can find a comfortable spot whether you are hot or cold natured. The swimming spot is a short hike from the parking lot and on the way down we saw several female elk wading in the river. (If you click on the picture it will enlarge it so that you can see the people in the river behind the elk) Then coming down the hill in front of us, we saw the bull elk. We kept our distance since they can be aggressive when they are in the rut. From our swimming spot, we could safely watch the elk downstream. After a relaxing soak, we dried off and drove a few miles to Gardiner, Montana for some huckleberry ice cream!

Best Short Drive: Firehole Canyon Drive in Yellowstone National Park

This is a short but spectacular drive off the main drive. Firehole Canyon drive is a scenic, one-way road that takes you through a beautiful canyon with a small waterfall. There's also a swimming hole with warm water. It's about 2.5 miles down the road from Madison junction.

Best Wildlife Viewing: Seeing the Elk in Rut in Both Parks

On our trip we saw 4 moose, 3 bears, 2 coyotes, 2 bald eagles, 1 pica, 1 fox, 1 weasel and several antelope, bison, deer and other kinds of birds. However, the highlight was seeing the bull elk in rut. I knew that they would be in the rut while we were there but I really didn't think it would be a big deal. But seeing the powerful bull elk with their massive racks and hearing them bugle was amazing. We had a chance to watch several bull elk in pursuit of their females on our trip.

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Comments

[Icela Reets]

Wow those are beautiful pictures. They belong in National Geographic. Thank you for sharing. We are glad you had a great trip! Nice group photo too--I like how Elias is trying to escape haha.