Grand Teton & Yellowstone National Parks (Wyoming Road Trip Pt III)
Wyoming is home to two National Parks, both of which were on our list of stops this trip.
We were excited to check off two more from our list, bringing us to fourteen National Parks we’ve visited together.
We’d had an amazing time on the road so far and these last few days were no exception.
At this point, we had been talking about our favorite parts of the trip and both agreed that this time we couldn’t decide. Wyoming had been treating us so well and had even made it’s way towards the top of our list of favorite trips overall.
Part 3: Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Park
Day 6 (evening)
First stop of Grand Teton National Park and dinner with a view
We made our way from Jackson to Grand Teton National Park where we stopped at the famous Mormon Row. These are a series of historic homesteads dating back to the late 1800’s. Mormon leaders sent groups to establish new communities across the west at this time and thus these homes and barns were constructed. It was unusual at the time for these homesteads to be so close together, people typically isolated themselves and were mostly self reliant, but the Mormons banded together to pool their resources and make life in this new location easier. Only a few barns and homes still stand, but the backdrop and scenery they enjoyed at the time is truly breathtaking.
Following Mormon row, we headed up the road and took our time stopping at a few overlooks, including the popular Snake River overlook and Schwabacher Landing. Both locations are known for Moose and other wildlife sightings.
It had gradually become hazy in the area, and as we were looking for camp, we were notified over the trucks navigation system that of a serious fire was occurring in the exact area we had just been exploring. Having never received a notification like that before, we weren’t sure what to make of it. On the one hand, it was hazy so a fire had occurred somewhere at some point. On the other hand however, we were still in viewing distance of the exact area the supposed fire was to be taking place.
After a bit of research, radio listening, and phoning a friend, we determined the notification was outdated, the smoke had blown in from the neighboring state, and we were safe to continue on as planned. We found camp just outside of the park and prepared for the following days plans.
Day 7
More coffee, more hiking, more wildlife, more lakeside views, Yellowstone NP, and a fancy dinner
The evening before we had set up camp in one of the few areas where you can find dispersed camping. It was back in the trees with no view of the Tetons, so we only spent the necessary time here before packing up and enjoying our coffee at a pull off inside the park while preparing for another hike.
When planning for this trip, we really wanted to backpack within the park, but didn’t want to go through the headache of securing the reservations/permits required to do so. We instead chose to complete the same trail but as a day hike rather than an overnight.
This particular hike (Cascade Canyon) took us around Jenny lake and up into the canyon. We had the option to complete all 8 miles or shave off 4 by shuttling across the lake by boat. We thought it would be neat to take the boat across and planned for that, but once we arrived and saw the line for the ferry, we chose to hike the extra distance. Decision well made. On the walk around the lake, we came across a moose feeding in a pond and a bear grazing on berries along the lake shore. Both encounters had Seth wishing he brought his telephoto lens. We’ll use it as instead as a reminder to go prepared with bear spray at a minimum.
After we finished enjoying the wildlife from a safe distance, we continued up the canyon and, as expected, the views were incredible. We could have continued for miles but had to remind ourselves this was now a day hike for us. We enjoyed a snack and the views next to a quiet stream before making our way back to the trailhead.
Laziness got the best of us at this point and, the line for the ferry being much shorter on this side of the lake, we decided it would be worth it to take the boat back. It was well worth it to sit back, relax, and enjoy the breeze and the occasional spray of mist after another long and hot hike. We would recommend taking the boat to or from this trailhead, but the views of the Tetons would be much easier to enjoy from the opposite direction. Just make it a round trip to be safe!
Once back on shore we found a nice spot by the same lake to enjoy lunch and an afternoon swim before continuing on to Yellowstone.
That evening we set out to explore the Grand Prismatic Spring and Old Faithful geyser while we still had a few hours of daylight.
The depth of color in both of these springs was so incredible. They get that color from the presence of “thermophilic” or heat-loving microorganisms such as bacteria and archaea. These microorganisms thrive in the extreme conditions of the hot springs, including high temperatures, acid, and mineral-rich water. The different colors of the hot springs are caused by the unique pigments produced by the different species of thermophiles. The intense colors of the hot springs make them one of the most visually stunning natural wonders in Yellowstone.
Hot springs in general are formed when groundwater seeps deep into the earth's crust and comes into contact with magma or hot rocks. There, the water is heated and pressurized, and as it comes back to the surface, it carries with it minerals and gases dissolved from the rocks it encountered. The different shapes and sizes of hot springs are determined by the location of the underground water source, the type of rocks it encounters, and the rate of water flow. Over time, hot springs can also change in size and shape as the geothermal activity in the area changes.
After we had thoroughly enjoyed the peace and warmth of these more tamed hot springs, we decided to move onto something a little more dramatic.
It just so happened that the eruption schedule of perhaps the most famous geyser in the world was predicting an eruption that would give us just enough time to drive over and see it. Old Faithful started to sputter and hiss the moment we walked up to the viewing platform as if it was meant to be.
Old Faithful is on such a predictable schedule due to the unique underground plumbing system of the geyser. The eruption cycle is again caused by the heating of water trapped in a narrow and deep underground chamber, which eventually reaches a boiling point and causes the geyser to erupt. The duration and interval of the eruptions are influenced by the amount of water that has accumulated in the chamber and the rate at which it is replenished. Old Faithful general erupts within 10 minutes of its predicted time.
The trend of this trip had been last minute decisions and in that spirit we decided to pop into the Old Faithful Lodge just to see such a neat historic wood structure. The views inside however, were accompanied by the smell of dinner being served in the grand dining room, and so we decided to stick around for a delicious all you can eat meal. Once again, decision well made.
Day 8
Bison, more bison, and gorgeous overlooks
When we woke up this day, we didn’t know it would be our last day of the trip.
Our plans were simple – see wildlife.
We had already encountered moose, elk, and deer but our trip wasn’t complete without seeing a bison.
After packing up camp, we drove less than 30 minutes down the road before getting stopped in traffic. If you’ve ever been to Yellowstone then you know that stopped traffic is a good sign of wildlife up ahead. Sure enough, a buffalo was hanging out right along the road. We were thrilled to see it and thought we had gotten lucky coming across one so soon. We pulled off, snapped pictures, and took it all in.
Little did we know there were hundreds more just up ahead!
After taking in more bison viewing than we thought possible, we stopped at the last few viewpoints saved on our list.
At this point, it wasn’t even lunch time and we joked about having seen what we came to see (minus a wolf), but with the North and Northeast entrances of the park closed due to the recent flooding at the time, we decided this Yellowstone trip was complete.
By mid-day, we were headed east in the direction of home. Our Wyoming trip was a true success.
We truly couldn’t have asked for a better experience.
As with all of our trips, there were many lessons learned, experiences had, adventures filled, and a lifetime of memories we will never forget.
That’s it for now!
Catch ya next time.
Taylor and Seth
Hi, we’re Seth and Taylor and we love sharing all things related to outdoor adventure!
We love anything that gets us outside — hiking, biking, backpack, road tripping, and so much more! We love sharing our adventures and hope it helps YOU get out to see more.
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