Grand Teton National Park: An Amateur-Friendly Guide
My First, and Favorite, National Park
As a life-long East Coaster, I had never been particularly well-versed in the going-ons out West. The deep green colors and orang clay hues of the National Parks that I had seen in school and on the History Channel growing up seemed far too grand and insurmountable to even contemplate. The most overwhelming issues was where to begin, and as an offspring of New York City slickers, I had neither the experience nor expectation to ever begin camping. After a week of wandering several cities across Texas, and filled with the spirit of the spontaneity, we decided to head north through the barren plains of New Mexico and Utah, and then east into the craggily wilds of west Wyoming. Our first stop was Jackson, the gateway to the Grand Tetons.
Colter Bay; The Best Campground in Grand Teton
The desire to stop along the way and admire the sights, both in Jackson and within the park, is tempting at every single pull-off there is. Once past the rustic elegance of egalitarian Jackson, the sheer rawness of the landscape can be seen and felt as one winds there way inwards toward the core of the Tetons. We chose Colter Bay Campground, which turned out to be our favorite site in all of the National Parks. Nestled in a patch of trees far from any main roads (unlike Glacier, but more on that later), we had adequate privacy with soft soil for easy tent pitching and gentle sleeping. The general store there had an actual grocery section, where one could buy raw meats and fresh veggies to cook over their fires. Many other stores at campgrounds throughout the parks only offered prepackaged and canned meals, which offer adequate nutrition, but minimal satisfaction. My girl and I very much enjoy some fire-roasted hot dogs, which they sold there. Many other park stores had no such staples
Nonetheless, on our first morning we stocked up on bagels and cream cheese for our pudgy-pie maker, sold in literally every camp store. Designed for campfire smore’s, we found it a great tool for making these morning sandwiches. Instant coffee with boiled water (using the stern-o stove) sufficed for our morning brew to get us out on the trails. My nighttime grilling was not nearly as successful. Hamburger patties and sliced potatoes over an open fire sounded delicious in the store. In reality, the potatoes were undercooked, even after over a half hour over the flames, and the meat stuck to the grates too much. Each campfire does have the fold-down grill, and perhaps a sturdier steak or non-stick spray may have yeilded the the flame-cooked supper I was hoping for. Regardless, we were nourished and munched on some beef jerky and chocolate chip cookies while enjoying the crisp night air and crackling warmth.
The Best Out West: Why Grand Teton is our Favorite National Park
If you’re new to National Parking, like I was, Grand Teton is an exceptional place to start. My girl had seen many parks in station wagon vacations as a youth, but this was her first foray as an adult. A great way to dip your toes in this beautiful geography, the Tetons offer unparalleled landscapes in a comprehensible space, at least for out West. Jackson is a great outpost, and if spending several nights in the park, the town is only about an hour and a half from the heart of the Grand Tetons to the downtown area. A very enjoyable hour and a half ride offering scenic views and light cruising.
Learning the flow of the parks, the logistics of cooking, efficient time management, and conserving one’s energy throughout the day, are all skills one never knew would be so crucial on vacation. Some may even ask if it really is a vacation, if all that work is required. And to some, it may not be. I fault no one for choosing Hawaii over sleeping in 36 degree whether with instant noodles and sandwich meat for sustenance. I never had any strong desire to see the parks until they were right in front of us, an easy shift in the trajectory of our roadtrip, that would throw me into the world of camping. Out of the motel and into the tent, money better spent than on rent on cement.
How to get to Grand Teton
The fun way in is through Jackson, especially if starting with the Tetons before working your way up to Yellowstone. The drive in through Jackson and up towards Yellowstone is a remarkable route that runs essentially parallel to the Teton Range. Measuring 40 miles in length from tip to tail, the majority of the Tetons, and certainly the postcard-portion known as the “Cathedral Group”, can be viewed, contemplated, and appreciated from most vantage points within the park. Unlike the sprawling Rockies or rolling ranges of Appalachia, the grandeur of these granite peaks is concentrated into a small area that is consequently quite dense in magnificence and beauty.
Without overthinking, just ask yourself what you do that first half hour in the morning, and what you the last half hour before you go to bed. Whatever is involved in this routine, be sure to bring. Getting right for the day ahead, and feeling good at the end of it before bed, is key to being physically and mentally at your best to enjoy all that the Tetons have to offer. Cliff Bars and Gatorade were a decent addition to our daypacks, with a pack of salami and sleeve of crackers being our designated picnic fair. The general stores do sell the packaged camp meals where all that is required to cook is hot water. We did try a few, and although it was a fun little experiment given the circumstances, we were happy with our basic carbohydrates and nitrate protein. “When in Rome”… but also stick with what you like. If you’re content with a box of triscuits or jar of peanut butter, do you! Just be sure you stay nourished.
The Pros and Cons of Campfire Cooking
Of the many reasons we found Colter Bay to be our favorite, the general store there was definitely among the main reasons. Proper meats, raw and unfrozen, could be bought for campfire cooking, and the fruits and vegetables were as fresh as what any supermarket had to offer. It being the first camp store we frequented, we assumed that all others would be on par ith the Colter Bay general store. We were sorely mistaken, and learned a valuable lesson in stocking up on supplies when they are right in front of you, and not assuming the next place will have the same thing. Many also closed around 5:00PM, which seemed early considering the sun was up for several hours past that.
Travel Times to the Park
When planning arrival times, it is very beneficial to arrive at your campsite with several hours of sunlight left in the day. I was unaware of this, though my girlfriend did forewarn me of such. Pitching tents and setting up camp in the fading daylight can be quite annoying, especially for the person who had given the “heads up”. When plotting our course earlier that morning in a Holiday Inn in Salt Lake City, the route calculated the time it takes to get to the entrance of the park. As we would learn time and time again throughout our park trips, there was often a LONG way to go from the front gates to your campground. Once past the gates, we had about an hour and a half slog to or camping site, only about an hour of sunlight left, and a half hour of silence for that first stretch into the park. Rightfully so.
What to Bring: Camping and Hiking in the Grand Tetons
On our way up to the Tetons, we stopped in Salt Lake City to stock up on the most basic supplies and inexpensive necessities. Our 2-person tent and sleeping bags were of course our first purchases, followed by flashlights, bear spray, camping utensils, and a stern-o stove (which I had grand plans for). Though it is better to be over-prepared than under-prepared, I was glad I had the guidance of my girl who had done plenty of camping in her younger years. It’s a tricky thing to plan; you will be living outdoors for several nights, so things I would have overlooked like toiletries would have left me quite “ripe” in the park. On the other hand, there are park stores of various types, offering both souvenirs and essentials, albeit the park prices are a tad high. Consider what you absolutely cannot live without, and then reconsider how much you really need it. Whatever you’d run to the store for at 10 o’clock at night, is what you should bring.
How to Get to the Trails in the Tetons
From our site it was only a 5 minute drive to Signal Mountain, an area with a prominent visitor center that sits on the lake directly across from the most prominent group of peaks in the Tetons. The walk along the water, with the Tetons in full frame, is enjoyable enough to take up over half of your day’s time. The paths lead back to some easy trails that creep around the southern side of the lake, without ever losing view of the mountains. Various vantage points offer no shortage of spectacular panoramas. North and south of the main campground areas, more experienced and masochistic crusaders might venture off and onto the trails that lead to steep rises and long return journeys. As for us, the well-worn paths around Colter Bay and Signal Mountain were a good starting point.
