We were invited by dear friends to join them for a week-stay at a ranch in the Elk Preserve right outside Jackson. Michael and I went a few days earlier to visit Yellowstone before heading to Jackson. Here is a bit of what we loved.
Yellowstone
The world’s first national park created in 1892, it’s unlike any other national park in the US. What is so attractive about Yellowstone is not its topography, but its surreal scenery of geothermal features - smoke coming out of alpine rivers or meadows, gushing geysers, pungent odors and colorful hot springs - and of course herds of bison or elk meandering the park.
STAY Bar N Ranch [if you cannot stay inside the park, this is the best option in West Yellowstone. Rustic, but comfortable, with a pretty decent restaurant on site]
TO DO
Drive the main loop in the park from Madison – Old Faithful – Grant Village – Lake Village – Canyon Village – Norris – back to Madison. Stops along the way that are a MUST: Firehole Lake Drive [very short loop off the main road worth taking] Midway Geyser Basin [walk along the boardwalks, and for a view of the area from above, go to the Fairy Falls trail, and to the left there will be a short hike up to an overlook that affords the most incredible views of the Grand Prismatic Spring] Old Faithful [visit the historic hotel & walk the boardwalks out back to see small geysers and pools] Norris Geyser Basin [my favorite site and make sure to walk around Porcelain Basin]
There is a lot more to be seen to the north of the park, but we did not have time to visit that section.
Jackson + Grand Tetons
STAY We spent one night at Anvil Hotel before joining our friend’s at the ranch [a 1950s motel converted into a hip spot right downtown; the lobby of the hotel doubles up as a general store, and the check-in counter as an espresso bar]
EAT Glorietta [very lively Italian restaurant with great craft cocktails] Snake River Grill [a classic Jackson restaurant for dinner; reservations needed and the steak tartar pizza is a must] Teton Thai [really good Thai food! I know, you would not expect it at a mountain town in Wyoming] Persephone [a super charming bakery with a delicious breakfast and lunch menu; don’t miss the cookies :-)] Dornan’s [by the Grand Tetons entrance, this is a great stop for a drink after a hike]
TO DO
Hiking: Jenny Lake Loop, Hidden Falls & Inspiration Point [moderate difficulty, a popular but beautiful hike; I recommend walking the whole circumference of the lake with a little extra detour to see the Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point. You could take a ferry across the lake, to make the hike a bit shorter, but you would be missing out quite a bit of magic] Snow King Mountain [right in town this steep & demanding 1.8 mile switch-backing trail has a well worth-it vista of the valley from the summit; and a great short workout!]
Hikes we did not do due to weather but are highly recommended: Amphitheater Lake [a strenuous hike with about 3,000 feet of elevation on the five-mile trek up, but the views from Amphitheater Lake are beyond description and make the uphill effort completely worthwhile] Death Canyon [offers some of the park's most beautiful scenery, including mountain lakes, canyons filled with pine trees, wildflowers and wildlife. We did part of this hike until we made the wrong turn and found ourselves going on a different direction. Note that the Death Canyon trailhead is also called Whitegrass trailhead. It is awell-maintained trail that snakes up a hill to the spectacular Phelps Lake and then continues straight to ascend into Death Canyon. You can continue climbing if you wish until you reach the Alaska Basin trail, then continue climbing some more to the 10,790- foot Static Peak Divide. There will be breathtaking views from there but this is a challenging 16.3-mile hike. However the first 1.2 miles to Phelps Lake Overlook is easy and it's a good turnaround point if you are not feeling up to a big hike]
Fly Fishing [this was my first time fly fishing. While I don’t feel a need to do it again, I am so glad to have tried it once. I did manage to catch a very small trout, but hey, I was proud of myself J. We used the JD High Country Outfitters to take us fishing on the Snake River, and they were great]
