This is Part 3 of a planned 5 part series on Yellowstone and Grand Tetons National Parks. We will spend 5 days and nights exploring the natural wonders of each park and the surrounding cities; our travels will take us on a circuitous route from Bozeman, MT to Jackson Hole, WY and back again. In Part 3, we'll travel south out of Yellowstone and down into Grand Tetons National Park. We'll visit Jackson Lake, take in the mountain reflection at Oxbow Bend, ascend Signal Mountain, hop a boat across Jenny Lake for the hike up to Inspiration Point, and survey the scenic panoramas at Mormon Row. After, we'll finish up the day exploring Jackson Hole, hiking around Teton Village and relaxing in Downtown Jackson.
It's day 3 of our vacation and the third day in a row I'm awake before dawn--this must be some kind of record for me. Today, we are heading south out of Yellowstone and into Grand Tetons National Park. After exploring Grand Tetons and the surrounding landscape, we'll travel on to Jackson Hole and spend the night there before our return back to Yellowstone.
First, though, we must work our way out of Yellowstone. From our current location at the Old Faithful Snow Lodge, it's approximately 40 miles to Yellowstone's south entrance (about a 1 hour and 20 minute drive). Along the way, we'll pass several sights, interestingly all with the name Lewis. Lewis Lake, Lewis Falls, Lewis River, and Lewis Canyon are all named in honor of Meriweather Lewis--of Lewis and Clark expedition fame. Oddly enough for how prevalent the name is within the park, the Lewis and Clark expedition never actually explored Yellowstone.
The first of the Lewis sights we will encounter on our drive is Lewis Lake. We travel west to West Thumb and turn south, passing the exit for Grant Village. Soon after that, we meet with a series of pullouts overlooking the lake. Lewis Lake is the third largest lake in Yellowstone. At midday, it waters are busy with fishermen, kayakers, and boaters. At this hour, though, the lake is reminiscent of a huge looking glass, with the sky perfectly reflected off its smooth-as-glass surface.
From Lewis Lake, the Lewis River flows south, and the road mirrors its path to Lewis Falls. Lewis Falls is situated just a little past the last pullout for the lake. From the roadside, we don't have an up-close view of the 30 ft. waterfall, but we get a good enough peek. After visiting Yellowstone's Lower Falls yesterday (which is more than ten times its height), this one seems quite tame in comparison. This stop does afford us our first glimpse of today's destination, though. It's a clear day, and we can just make out the Grand Tetons across the road to the south.
Photos: Left: Lewis Falls; Right: View of Grand Tetons to the South
Next, on our drive south meets with Lewis Canyon. As we enter the canyon area, it's evident that there was a forest fire here sometime in the recent past. The devastating fire was actually over 30 years ago, in 1988, but when trees burn in Yellowstone, they're left to let nature take its course. It takes about a century for burned trees to decompose, so they'll be here for a while. There are several pullouts for Lewis Canyon, and the view is definitely worth a look, but like the waterfall, it's too easy to compare it to the views we experienced yesterday at Yellowstone's Grand Canyon. I have a feeling, though, that the vistas we're soon going to encounter in Grand Tetons will be incomparable to anything we've seen so far.
Shortly after Lewis Canyon, we reach Yellowstone's south entrance and exit the park. Yellowstone is connected to Grand Tetons National Park by the John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway. The area between the parks, as well as its 7.5 mile stretch of highway, is a recreation area maintained by Grand Tetons National Park.
Grand Tetons National Park stretches 45 miles north to south and covers an area of about 485 square miles. The park is home to an abundance of glacial lakes and wildlife. Much of the 40 mile long Grand Tetons mountain range resides within the boundaries of the park (thus the name). The range is made up of a series of impressive peaks, with its tallest summit (Grand Teton) topping out at 13,775 ft. tall. [source NPS]
Map of Grand Tetons
Source: nps.gov/yell (you can find the map link here)
The mountain peaks are not the only impressive sight in Grand Tetons, though. The first alpine lake we encounter in the park is also its largest. Jackson Lake is immense--it covers nearly 40 square miles. As we get our first glimpse of the lake, the morning fog has not fully dissipated. Through the mist, we can't quite make out the tops of the mountains across the water. It's so quiet and peaceful here at this hour. It feels as if the world is enveloped in a blanket of low-hanging clouds, muffling all sound.
We continue south, skirting the shores of Jackson Lake and stop at Colter Bay Village to walk a short bit of the Lakeshore Trail. Colter Bay has a visitor's center, Indian Arts Museum, and marina. It's a popular spot to swim or launch a kayak. We park near the Colter Bay Marina and walk along the shoreline. If we did the whole trail, it would be about 2 miles round trip, but today we're just sticking to the beach, taking in the pristine alpine lake and wispy fog adorning our view of the towering 12,605 ft. Mount Moran in the distance.
After Colter Bay Village, we head to Jackson Lake Lodge. The lodge itself is quite stunning; the interior is bright with floor to ceiling windows, and the upstairs lobby's design resembles a ski chalet with stone columns, a wood beamed ceiling, and moose patterned furniture. The real draw at Jackson Lake Lodge, though, is directly outside of its 60 ft. windows--the view. The outdoor terrace running along the exterior of the windows affords a perfect 180 degree panorama of the mountains beyond and the willow flats below. It's breathtaking.
Once we're done taking in the view at Jackson Lake Lodge from every angle, we drive about a mile south to the Willow Flats turnout. It's a well known spot due to its vista of several of the range's mountain peaks. There happens to be another couple stopped at Willow Flats when we're exploring, so we take advantage of the opportunity and each snap a quick photo for the other.
The view from Willow Flats is slightly more obstructed than the view from Jackson Lake Lodge. There are some coniferous trees between us and the mountains. However, we are a bit closer to the peaks here and have a slightly different angle from which to take in the view of the snow-capped mountains spread out before us.
We continue our drive southeast along the John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Parkway, and after about five minutes, we are at what turns out to be my favorite viewpoint in all of Grand Tetons--Oxbow Bend. Oxbow Bend is located at a bend in the Snake River. It provides picture-perfect views of the mountains beyond and, given the right conditions, the calm surface of the river water reflecting the image of Mount Moran towering above it. [It's also this article's cover photo.]
After Oxbow Bend, we backtrack west and turn south onto Teton Park Road, and soon we find ourselves at the Jackson Lake Dam and Reservoir. The dam primarily controls the lake water level and diverts water to farmers who utilize it for crop irrigation. We stop for a few minutes to get a quick look at the damn and the pristine reservoir across the road.
Shortly after we get back on the road, we encounter a mule deer munching on some greenery. The deer is dining very close to the roadside, so we get an up close look at his impressive antlers. He remains calm during our entire stop, not remotely bothered by our presence. His breakfast must be too diverting.
Continuing on, we soon reach the Log Chapel of the Sacred Heart. The small wooden chapel was constructed in the 1930s and features a colorful stained glass window. The wooden interior is simple and mainly adorney with yet more wood. Masses (as well as weddings) are still held here in the summer, but today the chapel is quiet.
As our drive progresses, we find ourselves significantly closer to the mountain range. From the flat landscape below, the Grand Tetons appear to rise out of nowhere, suddenly piercing the skyline thousands of feet in the air. This jutting land displacement is a result of the mountain range's formation along the Teton Fault. Over the course of millennia, the eastern side of the fault line slowly pushed the western side upward. Six to nine million years later, we are seeing the resultant land displacement's work.
Our next stop is the top of Signal Mountain. At not quite 8,000 ft., it's certainly not the tallest peak in the park, but it is undeniably the easiest to ascend. The mountain has a five mile road that winds all the way up to its peak.
Photos: Views from Signal Mountain/Jackson Point Overlook
We ascend the road in our car, passing several cyclists. The incline of this mountain road on a bicycle looks like a punishing workout--I much prefer our car. Soon, we are near the top. We stop off to take in the view at Jackson Point Overlook and even get a look at the cell phone tower located on the mountain--seems appropriate given the summit's name is Signal Mountain. For the first time in three days, we have a decent cell phone signal!
There's no time to stop and chat, though. We pocket our phones and head back down the mountain, continuing south on Teton Park Road. The open road affords us unobstructed views on the mountain range ahead, and the views around us are simply stunning.
Our next stop is the Jenny Lake Overlook. The mountain views here are slightly obstructed from the overlook's lakeside path, but the vistas are still spectacular. The trail also offers us our first glimpse of Jenny Lake, which is our next planned destination.
We turn back out onto the road to drive the rest of the way to the Jenny Lake Visitor's Center. Jenny Lake is the tourist mecca of Grand Tetons National Park. This is where the park's crowds tend to flock, as is evident by the visitor's center's busy parking lot. Jenny Lake is situated in the lower half of Grand Tetons National Park, and since most of the tourists entered the park traveling north from the opposite direction we did this morning, it is also quite busy already today.
Jenny Lake covers 1.9 square miles and is Grand Teton's National Park's second largest alpine lake. While Jackson Lake dwarfs Jenny Lake (it's over 20 times larger), Jenny Lake is the more famous of the two. The lake is particularly popular for its hiking trails, boat rides, and wildlife sightings. Today, we hope to experience all three.
First, though, we are going to take the boat across Jenny Lake and attempt the hike up to Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point. We have to hike at least a little of the Tetons while we're here! This is one of the park's most popular summer activities, and there can be a bit of a wait for the boat if the park is crowded. Our delay isn't too bad, though, and soon we find ourselves seated on a motor boat, taking in the panoramic views of the mountains as we head toward the dock across the lake.
Photos: Jenny Lake Shuttle Boat and Views
[Jenny Lake Boating Note: In summer, shuttle boats run regularly between the visitor's center dock and the lake's western shore (the jumping off point for the Hidden Falls, Inspiration Point, and Cascade Canyon Trail). Boats are operated by Jenny Lake Boating and run every 10-15 minutes (reservations not accepted). The ride takes approximately 12 minutes each way and provides some spectacular views of the surrounding mountains. If you'd prefer to skip the boat ride, you can take the 2 mile hike (each way) around the lake to the Cascade Canyon trail head or you can also opt to take the boat one way from either direction. When departing, if you plan to return via boat, pay attention to the boat's posted closing time so you don't find yourself stranded on the other side of the lake later. If you'd prefer to skip the hiking altogether, Jenny Lake Boating offers a one hour lake cruise, as well as canoe and kayak rentals).]
[Hiking Tips: Wear a hat/sunscreen, dress with climate fluctuations in mind (as altitudes increase, temperatures decrease), bring plenty of water, carry bear spray, and choose sturdy hiking shoes. Don't hike alone, and if headed off the busy tourist route, ensure others know of your travel plans. Be bear aware--always make plenty of noise when hiking; you never want to inadvertently surprise a bear. And don't forget your camera!]
Photos: Hidden Falls/Inspiration Point Hike on the Cascade Canyon Trail
When we disembark the boat on the opposite shore, we begin the steep hike up to Hidden Falls (as do the others traveling on our boat--this is the most well traversed trail in the park). Hidden Falls, a 1/2 mile hike up the side of the mountain along the Cascade Canyon Trail, is essentially the halfway point to Inspiration Point. The best spot to view the waterfall, thought, is a short detour left off the main trail. The 100 ft. cascading waterfall is quite pretty, as are the small rapids of Cascade Creek running through the forest floor blow it.
Photos: View from Inspiration Point
Back on the main route, we hike the rest of the way up the Cascade Canyon Trail to Inspiration Point. Most of the climb is steep, but the last stretch is rocky, narrow and perched over a very sheer drop-off. I'm not one to have a huge fear of heights, but the spot is enough to make me a bit nervous. There's also a slight human traffic jam at this section of the trail as people navigate through the narrow point, headed in both directions, making it somewhat more precarious. When it's my turn, I practically hug the side of the mountain as I traverse the narrowest part. I'm not looking forward to heading back down this way.
Once we reach Inspiration Point, we stop to take in the view of the lake below. We are now at an elevation of 7,200 ft. The scenery is quite pretty; we can see for miles around. Unlike at Signal Mountain, here we have the sense of accomplishment in knowing we reached this little summit on our own two feet. Drinking in the view, we debate whether to hike the trail a bit up into Cascade Canyon beyond. We even start in that direction (more uphill climbing), but we decide we really don't have enough water with us for a long hike and instead turn around and head back down the mountain.
Photos: Inspiration Point Hike
Once we are back at the Jenny Lake Visitor's Center dock, we decide to walk around the lake a bit--at least it's flat! I have had my mind set on seeing a moose at some point during our trip, and based on my research, the area around Jenny Lake seems the most likely spot to encounter one. It’s not really the correct time of day for moose, though. They tend to be most active in the mornings and evenings. After a bit of exploring, I give up on my moose search for the day and decide that we can continue on in our park explorations. I'll be back tomorrow morning, though!
A short distance south of Jenny Lake, we encounter the Teton Glacier turnout. It affords us some spectacular views of the glaciers above us. The Teton Glacier, the largest of the park's 11 active glaciers, is the most clearly visible from here, but we also get a glimpse of Teepee Glacier and Middle Glacier on the adjoining peaks. [You can read more about the park's glaciers and how glaciers are formed here.]
Photos: Teton Glacier Turnout (Left: Three Glaciers From Afar; Right: Teton Glacier)
We continue our dri