Visiting the Grand Tetons

This photo should say it all for why you’d want to visit the Grand Tetons! I’ve been to this beautiful range twice in my life, roughly ten years apart. Hopefully the next time I visit I won’t be so far away and will actually be standing on top of one of these mountains.

The Teton Range is relatively short, stretching roughly 40 miles (65 kilometers), but it contains some of the most dramatic and beautiful mountain scenery in the United States. Unlike mountain ranges where the highest peaks are hidden behind foothills, the Tetons rise abruptly above the surrounding landscape, making them impressive even from a distance.

Here are some closer views of two of the range’s most famous mountains. The photo above shows Grand Teton, the mountain that gives the range its name. The summit reaches 13,775 feet (4,199 meters), making it one of the highest mountains in Wyoming.

Another famous peak is Mount Moran, which rises to 12,610 feet (3,843 meters). The steep and dramatic terrain makes summiting either mountain a technical challenge. Reaching some climbing routes on Mount Moran can be an adventure by itself because of its remote location. Some climbers even approach the mountain by crossing Jackson Lake by boat, reducing the amount of difficult travel through the wilderness before reaching the climbing portion of the route.

I made a huge mistake by not taking my tripod out here. One evening we had a beautiful sunset over the range, but my makeshift tripod of rocks and logs wasn’t cutting it! I did at least get a photo of these ducks passing by. I had hoped to include them in a photo with the mountains in the background, but no such luck!

If you’re wondering how I visited one of the most beautiful mountain ranges in the United States twice and walked away with only about ten photos, you’re not the only one. I obviously didn’t do any serious hiking or climbing here, but even on the trails I explored I hardly took any photos for some reason.

The park is home to an impressive variety of wildlife, including moose, elk, bears, deer, and numerous species of birds. Somehow, despite all of those possibilities, my wildlife photography here was mostly limited to some common birds!

These photos taken along the trail show some of the smaller details of the landscape, including wildflowers and the brightly colored vegetation growing among the rocks and forest floor. With the mountains dominating almost every view, it’s easy to overlook some of the plant life along the trails.

Exploring Grand Teton National Park

Grand Teton National Park offers much more than just mountain climbing. For most visitors, the spectacular scenery alone makes the trip worthwhile. The lakes provide opportunities for kayaking, canoeing, fishing, and wildlife watching, while an extensive network of trails lets you explore the mountains and forests on foot.

A day or two is enough to see some of the park’s major scenery, but anyone interested in hiking, backpacking, or climbing could easily spend much longer here. For those looking for a true climbing adventure, the mountains offer some of the best technical climbing in the continental United States, with dramatic exposure and routes ranging from relatively accessible alpine climbs to serious technical challenges.