Grand Teton National Park

Grand Teton National Park derives its name from the towering peak that appears to pierce the skies above. The Grand Teton massif, which includes five consort peaks (Middle and South Tetons, Mount Owen, Teewinot, and Nez Perce), dominates the central part of the range.

To the north, Mount Moran is a stark granite hulk 12,605 feet high. It rises in splendid isolation from the shore of Jackson Lake, the largest of six jewel-like lakes strung along the base of the mountains.

Many people who visit the Tetons are surprised at their first sight of these rugged mountains. They find that they are somewhat familiar with these mountains, having seen them in western movies, such as the classic Shane, and in countless ads and television commercials. The Grand Tetons have become a recognizable symbol of the long gone American West -- tough and proud.

From the foot of Mount Moran, the Snake River flows peacefully out of Jackson Lake along a 30-mile-long stretch that traverses the park. The river is braided into several channels that run through a forested, serpentine trough. Rafting down the Snake provides a unique perspective on some of America's most spectacular scenery.

Wildlife flourishes in the river's valley. Bald eagles nest in dead trees alongside the stream, as do the great ospreys that cruise above the river casting their sharp eyes about for the native cutthroat trout that is their favorite meal. Moose, otters, and beavers also frequent these waters.

Plant life ranges from open grass and sage communities at the lower elevations to subalpine forests of lodgepole pine, Engelmann spruce, and Douglas fir. The Tetons are famous for summertime wildflower displays. Common flowers include wild rose, Indian paintbrush, blue columbine, and yellow balsamroot.

Today, winter is increasingly popular at the park, with numerous opportunities for snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, and wildlife viewing on the adjacent National Elk Wildlife Refuge.

Regardless, most visitors still come in summer, when the hiking trails are free of snow.

Hiking to Lake Solitude

Hiking through a deep slice in the mountains called Cascade Canyon, just north of Grand Teton, gives visitors a good feel for some of the geological wonders of the park.

The hike starts on the west side of Jenny Lake. In the lower part of the canyon, rushing water, here and there in the form of cascading falls, seems to be constantly at work, eating away at the granite walls. Cascade Canyon originally was cut as a V by running water. Now it has been formed into a U shape, its nearly vertical sides sculpted by the powerful activity of glaciers in the last ice age.

As you walk through a series of switchbacks, granite walls rise 2,000 to 3,000 feet above you. Two miles into the canyon, the peaks tower a mile above. Abruptly, the canyon drops away, the rocky trail begins a steeper ascent into a broad bowl, and you suddenly discover that you have walked around to the north side of Grand Teton. After a total of seven miles, you arrive at Lake Solitude.

There, in an incredibly beautiful valley, the air is intoxicatingly clear, and wildflowers abound. Grand Teton and Mount Owen are reflected in the lake, and a circular granite wall rises in the west.

Grand Teton National Park Photo Opportunities

The Tetons are hypnotically alluring, and there are no bad views of these mountains from any place in the park. There are, however, sites that offer especially striking views, such as:

The Tetons are the youngest range in the Rockies, at 12 million years old. To learn about the geology and history of the Tetons, read the next page.

The fierce geology of the Tetons accounts for almost everything unusual about the region: the afternoon thunderstorms that can turn suddenly nasty, the deep canyons that shelter bears and deer, the broad river basin that provides grazing for moose and a refuge for elk, and the long and bitter winters. A walk into any of the canyons between the mountains reveals this geology firsthand.

The Tetons are a textbook example of fault-block mountains. This means that they were pushed up as the earth split along a north-south fault line. As pressures deep within the mantle forced the blocks on each side of the crack together, the western block rose to form the mountains and the eastern block sank to form the valley.

The granite on the summits of some of the peaks is more than three billion years old, which makes it some of the oldest rock in North America. But the mountains themselves are the youngest of the Rocky Mountains. Only 12 million years old, they are mere adolescents compared with the rest of the 60-million-year-old range. Because of their relative youth, the Tetons are more rugged than the rest of the Rockies. The eastern side of the mountains is more abrupt and dramatic than the somewhat gentler western side.

The History of the Tetons: Inhabitants and Explorers

The first people arrived in Jackson Hole long before white men set foot on the North American continent. A pointed obsidian blade found in the northern end of the park indicates a human presence as long ago as 11,000 years. The first humans who came here were probably hunters and gatherers. By 1600, Shoshone and Athapaskan people had discovered the valley.

In 1807, John Colter, a member of the Lewis and Clark expedition, wandered alone into the Yellowstone-Jackson Hole area and brought back incredible tales of exploding geysers and impenetrable mountains. The region was first named "Colter's Hell" in his honor.

The first permanent settlers arrived here sometime during  the 1880s. One original homestead, a log ranch house built by the Cunningham family on the eastern side of Jackson Hole, has been maintained in the park for historical purposes. The view of the Grand Teton mountains through its kitchen window is a stunning reminder of the hardships and terrible winters the family endured beneath the very same spectacular scenery.

Although Grand Teton is one of the smaller national parks, it offers much in the way of wildlife and scenery. If you plan on visiting Yellowstone or traveling to this corner of the country for other reasons, schedule some time at Grand Teton National Park. It will be well worth the visit.

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