Exploring Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks...An Unforgettable Adventure in Two of Our Favorite National Parks!
- khdeutmeyer
- Aug 23
- 8 min read
Updated: Oct 5
There are journeys that etch themselves into memory, not merely for the sights but for the sense of awe they inspire. Visiting Grand Teton National Park and Yellowstone National Park is that kind of adventure for us!. Each parkhas its own unique wildlife and splendor. With the two parks in close proximity, it allows us to travel between the parks experiencing unique encounters and amazing wildlife throughout our trip.
“After making return trips over the past six years, the Teton National Park and Yellowstone, ix years, remain one of our favorite places to visit. In the early to mid-May, the bears are very active just coming out of hibernation looking for anything to eat. The moose are not as active as the fall months and are shedding their coats and have lost their racks. The scenery and clean air are amazing, leaving us wonder when we will return."
SETTING THE SCENE: THE GATEWAY TO THE PARKS
We typically stay in Jackson, Wyoming, a special town that serves as the southern gateway to Grand Teton National Park. But this time, due to a a last-minute online booking, we stayed at Fireside Resort in Moose, Wyoming. https://www.firesidejacksonhole.com/. The location was perfect for us to enter the back gate of Teton National Park via Moose-Wilson Road. We were also fortunate to see moose in the early morning near our resort. The rooms are small single cabins similar to tiny homes with all the amenities of being home! This is my favorite place to stay out of the many times we have visited the Tetons!
WILDLIFE WATCHING IN GRAND TETON NATIONAL PARK
Most mornings we make sure to leave the room by 6:00 a.m. to ensure we are in the park as the sun comes up. Dawn and dusk are magical hours in the park, when wildlife is most active. The usual locations we search for bears and moose are along Moose Wilson Road, Oxbow Bend, Schwasbacher Landing, Pilgrim Creek, and Colter Bay. This year our focus was on finding Bear 1063, Bonita, and her one surviving yearling cub, Miracle. She had three cubs last year, but they were separated early this spring and two of the cubs were killed by a boar. The one surviving cub escaped and found its way back to Bonita a few days later. We were fortunate to spend over almost 90 minutes with Bonita and Miracle grazing near Colter Bay along a roadside turn off before the park rangers caught up us. It was truly magical to spend so much time watching Bonita and her cub at close proximity but at a respectful distance. The benefit of watching wildlife in the Teton Park, is the wildlife in many instances can be seen near the roadside. The park is also very manageable when driving between one location to another searching for wildlife. Bonita and her cub Miracle are pictured below.
THE MOUNTAINS AND SCENERY OF GRAND TETON NATIONAL PARK
There is nothing like the picturesque views in the Grand Tetons! The lakes, the mountains and the overlooks are nothing but spectacular. There are plenty of hiking opportunities and boating options. But, I am most content when I have wildlife to photograph!! Photos below are of the amazing views of Grand Teton National Park area and a cinnamon black bear and a couple of moose. We were a a week or two earlier this year to the Tetons and noticed we didn't see any newborn moose calves. If we want to see newborn calves, we need to travel to the Tetons after Memorial Day.
FROM TETON NATIONAL PARK TO YELLOWSTONE: THE DRIVE NORTH
Traveling north from Grand Teton, the landscape transitions from jagged peaks to rolling forests and broad valleys. The John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway connects the two parks, serving as a corridor not just for vehicles but for wildlife migrating between these vast protected areas.
Within an hour’s drive from the Tetons is the South Entrance of Yellowstone, the world’s first national park. This year we were fortunate to experience Yellowstone in the snow. Even though it was mid-May, the park often experiences late season snow. Even though I am not a snow lover....the park was beautiful in the snow! Yellowstone’s Grand Loop Road traverses the park’s main highlights, making it possible to see a variety of landscapes in a single day and view wildlife. Below is a simple map of the park highlighting the various areas of the park for camping, viewing geyers, and stopping for services.
Yellowstone sits atop a volcanic caldera, and the evidence is everywhere. Old Faithful, the park’s most famous geyser, erupts on schedule, sending steaming columns of water skyward, a delight to the crowds of people. But Old Faithful is just the beginning...the Upper Geyser Basin boasts the highest concentration of geysers in the world. We have done the geyser tours in our early trips to Yellowstone. We enjoy the scenery but focus our time on wildlife watching when we visit the park and skip the tourist attractions.
WILDLIFE ENCOURNTERS IN YELLOWSTONE
Yellowstone is a wildlife enthusiast’s and photographer’s dream. One drawback is the expansive distance between locations in Yellowstone to find wildlife. Coming from the Tetons, we enter the South entrance of Yellowstone and typically head toward the Fishing Bridge and then to Lamar and Hayden Valleys, and Mammoth Hot Springs by way of Norris. We always make that drive from Norris to Mammoth Hot Springs to try and find the Grizzly Obsidian. We were fortunate to watch her a couple of years ago with her three cubs of the year (COYs) grazing near Obsidian Cliff between Norris and Mammoth Hot Springs. We didn’t see Obsidian and her three cubs this year, but we saw the Grizzly known as Beryl and her twin two-year-old cubs. They were grazing in the same area as Obsidian usually roams. Photos of the Beryl family are below. The Beryl cubs are two years old and at this age, they are typically booted out by the mother in late May or early June to go on their own.
This year we decided to spend time to the east of the Fishing Bridge in Yellowstone. We heard that the grizzly bear Jam was being courted by a younger male grizzly and grizzly bear Snow with her twin two-year-old cubs were grazing nearby. Sure enough, we were fortunate to see both Snow and her cubs and Jam with her male beau. We spent over two hours observing both sets of grizzlies and didn’t want to leave, they were so entertaining. We were also fortunate to see a couple of black bears in this same area and a couple of coyotes. The bison were in their usual location near Norris and Mammoth Hot Springs.
We spent some time watching a beautiful fox hunting and eating voles in Hayden Valley. There weren’t many people around allowing me to take good photographs.
FINAL THOUGHTS FOR VISITING THE TETONS AND YELLOWSTONE PARKS
We tend to visit in the shoulder season: Spring and fall have fewer crowds and vibrant scenery—snowcapped mountains in May, wildflowers in June, golden aspens in September.
Start Early: Wildlife is most active at dawn and at dusk, and parking lots at popular sites fill quickly. But we have been fortunate to see bears at all times of day. Moose tend to be most visible at dawn and sunset.
Pack Layers: Weather can change rapidly, especially in the mountains. Be prepared for chilly mornings and sudden rain.
Respect Wildlife: Observe animals from a safe distance. Binoculars and long lenses are essential for photography. I always use 400 mm, 600 mm or 800 mm lenses. I always maintain a safe distance.
Take Your Time: Both parks are vast—plan to spend at least 2-3 days in each to truly appreciate their diversity.
Be patient!!! Wildlife watching takes time! We may drive the same roads several times before we spot a bear or moose.
TIPS TO TRAVEL ECONOMICALLY AND GET THE MOST FOR YOUR TIME AND MONEY
I also get asked many times, "How do you travel so often and keep it affordable?" A few tips are below:
For me, planning and researching is part of the excitement of the trip! Visioning is so much fun!!!
I plan all of my own trips and research, research, research on the internet. I utilize TripAdvisor, Frommer's, and blogs from other travelers to find the information I need for my trip. I do a massive amount of reading and researching. It takes patience to plan a good affordable trip!
I have a budget in mind for each trip and challenge myself to stay in the budget. Depending on the location, I typically start planning and booking hotels, cars, etc., approximately 9 months out. Hotel prices usually get more expensive the closer to the trip unless you are willing to do a last minute internet deal. Car rental and airline prices also go up the closer it is to your trip. Occasionally you can get a last minute deal but something else may be more expensive and you are really not saving. I like to plan!
For hotels, I use Hotels.com, Booking.com, or Priceline.com. I look for hotels with good reviews, pay when you stay, and free cancellation in advance.
We have done all-inclusive in a couple of tropical locations years and years ago but found that we do not eat and drink enough to make it worth the extra expense. We like to go off site from the hotel and experience the local cuisine and traditions. We have not done all-inclusive in the last 15 years. However, all-inclusive is wonderful if you want to stay at the resort for all meals, not rent a car, and have the hotel shuttle you to your destinations. That has worked for us in Jamaica and it was very relaxing! But I would not drive in Jamaica so all-inclusive was the smartest option! If you enjoy all-inclusive, the earlier you book the trip the lower the price. Unless you are game and are not a planner, and are willing to travel where the last minute deal is advertised. Then you could get a great all-inclusive deal!
If we are flying, I use the Skyscanner app to check airfare prices and I try not to buy until about 60 to 75 days out. There are times where I will by earlier if the price is super reasonable. I usually do not book on Skyscanner. It will tell me the site that is the most affordable to purchase the tickets and if it is a more well known trust site, I go directly to the site to purchase the tickets. Many times Skyscanner will take you right to the airline website. Skyscanner will search all airlines and will sort by price, times, shortest trip, etc.
Have a credit card that gives you miles or hotel points. We will use points for many of our trips. We are American Advantage members and have an Advantage credit card. We try to fly American as often as we can to earn points and then use those points for future airline tickets. Our credit card is tied to our Advantage numbers and awards points as well.
We drive if the location is in the United States and we can drive and sightsee along the way. If we need to rent a car, we reserve online using Booking.com, Orbitz.com, or Priceline.com. They are usually the most reasonable. I watch for specials and never book a luxury vehicle! We also have a credit card with a low limit that we use for vehicle rentals that provides insurance as a credit card benefit. We always decline the insurance when we are in the United States. If we are traveling out of the United States, we check with the credit card if the insurance is valid internationally. We have found it is valid in Europe, Canada, U.S. Virgin Islands, but in other locations, we are forced to purchase the liability insurance from the rental car company.
While there are free maps online for most destinations, I always go onto Amazon and buy a map of my destination, especially if it is international. I do not buy maps for tropical Caribbean islands. I just get one when we arrive. But for countries like Costa Rica, Panama, Belize, England, Canada, Germany, France, etc., I always purchase a good map. As you do you research, you can use the map to highlight the places you want to visit and the sites you want to see. I have it as a reference later for putting my memories and photos into a photobook!
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