Page Updated: August 22, 2023
Grand Teton National Park
2021 SEPTEMBER
Chapel of Transfiguration- Grand Teton National Park
Since it’s so close to Yellowstone, we spent a day in Grand Teton National Park to see of we liked it enough to revisit later in life. We loved it. We found the crowds were lighter than those of Yellowstone which made it more enjoyable for us. Instead of hiking, we intended to bike the Grand Teton Pathway from Moose to Jenny Lake but got sucked into the amazing sites on our drive around the park and ran out of time. There’s always next time!
From the Grand Teton North Entrance, we took HWY 191 south to Moose and looped north along Teton Park Rd. The route was 76 miles from the north entrance sign and back, and we stopped at multiple sites to explore.
The drive took us about 8hrs.
At Jackson Lake Overlook we got our first look at the park’s main lake. The area was in severe drought, and I wouldn’t even know how to convey the missing depth except to say that in a normal year the water line reaches the grass line behind this sign below.
Jackson Lake Overlook
Colter Bay Visitor Center
The Colter Bay Visitor Center - previously the Colter Bay Museum - has a exhibits of Native American artifacts. The items are on loan from Laine Thom — a collector with Shoshone, Goshute, and Paiute ancestry.
Willow Flats Overlook
Willow Flats Overlook had a park ranger set up with taxidermies of Grizzly and Black Bear. Little kids huddled around the table as she explained the differences in the claws of the two.
J. Pierce Cunningham Cabin
At our stop at J. Pierce Cunningham Cabin we found interpretive signage on the rancher turned conservationist. The site consists of a single restored double-pen log cabin more common to the Appalachians, and a short walking trail for viewing what once were the ranch lands. The land is now a serene prairie land with a mountain backdrop.
Teton Point Turnout
Teton Point Turnout gave us good photo ops of the Teton Range while overlooking the Snake River. And despite wildfire smoke from the south, pretty pops of Autumn colors on the hillside were a nice treat.
Mormon Row
One of the most photographed locations in Grand Teton National Park, Mormon Row preserves the remaining homesteads of a the 19th century pioneers who settled just east of the Tetons. Most visitors will photograph the iconic Moulton Barn. Those who know us know we’re gonna be different.
Craig Thomas Discovery and Visitor Center
The modern Craig Thomas Discovery and Visitor Center is nicely constructed with high ceilings and a wall of oversized windows. The space is full of bronze statues representing the people and wildlife that make Grand Teton fascinating. Kids can even feel the fur of several animals and compare textures. As a bonus, the center has picnic tables around parking making it a convenient for a picnic lunch.
Chapel of the Transfiguration
A rustic Episcopal Chapel constructed in 1925 of lodgepole pine and furnished with pews of quaking aspen, the Chapel of Transfiguration continues to draw people with Sunday services throughout the summer months.
Jenny Lake Overlook
Named after the Shoshone wife of a British fur-trapper, Jenny Lake is the most popular destination in Grand Teton National Park. Through we were pressed for time and we found parking to be chaotic, we managed to find a parking spot and spend a few moments at the overlook to see the lake. The overlooks also looks to be a good jumping off point for the 7 mile Jenny Lake Loop Trail.
scenes from Grand Teton
-b&b
Yellowstone National Park
Virginia City
