Yellowstone National Park
Established on March 1, 1872, Yellowstone National Park is the first and oldest national park in the world. Yellowstone lies 56 miles north of the town of Jackson. The towns of Gardiner and West Yellowstone, both in Montana, border the park on the north and west sides respectively. The closest town to the eastern entrance is Cody, Wyoming, though a nearly 11,000-ft. mountain pass called the Beartooth Pass makes Red Lodge, Montana accessible through the extreme northeastern part of the park. The only road open to traffic in the winter is the road entering Yellowstone through Gardiner and Mammoth Hot Springs and then proceeding east to Cooke City, Montana, cutting through the northern quarter of the park. The interior of Yellowstone can still be accessed via snow coach, snowmobile or snowshoe (for the very ambitious).
Yellowstone's trademark is its geothermal wonders and its abundant wildlife. The Old Faithful Geyser is the most well known feature among the park's 10,000 hot springs and geysers. The geothermal features are the remnants of volcanic activity.
Yellowstone is the core of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, one of the largest intact temperate zone ecosystems remaining on the planet. Gray wolves, elk, deer, bison, pronghorn antelope, moose and black and grizzly bears are among the large animals that are frequently seen in Yellowstone. The Hayden Valley is a popular area to spot large herds of bison, while the Lamar Valley provides occasional glimpses of the rare grizzly bear and gray wolf. Elk are seen throughout the park. They seem to particularly enjoy the area surrounding Mammoth Hot Springs.
The entrance fee is $25 for a private, noncommercial vehicle; $20 for each snowmobile or motorcycle; or $12 for each visitor 16 and older entering by foot, bike, ski, etc. This fee provides the visitor with a 7-day entrance permit for both Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. Remember to keep your admission receipt in order to re-enter the parks. Snowmobile operators must possess a valid motor vehicle operator's license.
Outdoor Activities:
- Bicycling
- Boating
- Camping
- Day Hikes
- Fishing
- Horseback Riding
- Picnicking
- Viewing Historic Points of Interest
- Viewing Natural Points of Interest
- Wildlife Viewing
- Cross-country skiing
- Snowmobiling & Snow coach Tours
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Grand Teton National Park
Grand Teton National Park, established in 1929, lies within the scenic mountain valley known as Jackson Hole. The park's boundaries extend from the pastoral ranchlands of Buffalo Valley in the east to the western slope of the Teton Range in the west, and from the sagebrush flats near the Gros Ventre River in the south all the way up to the Yellowstone Park entrance 56 miles north of the town of Jackson.
GTNP's trademark is the jaggedly impressive Teton Range that dominates the view to the west from nearly any vantage point within the park. The Grand Teton stands at the center of the range at 13,770-ft., nearly 7,500 feet above the valley floor. A string of lakes below the Teton Range, including Jenny Lake, Leigh Lake, Bradley Lake, Taggart Lake and Phelps Lake, offer wonderful hiking and strolling opportunities for all ages, as well as opportunities to gaze at the Tetons from a canoe, kayak or boat. The valley's largest lake, Jackson Lake, offers spectacular views of 12,605-ft. Mount Moran. The hulking granite mountain is often photographed from the eastern shore of Jackson Lake or from a cutoff meander in the Snake River called Oxbow Bend further east. A network of hiking trails begins on the valley floor and quickly ascends into alpine terrain via the canyons that separate each peak. Cascade Canyon, Paintbrush Canyon and Death Canyon are some of the most popular entrances to GTNP backcountry.
The scenic Snake River meanders through the entire length of the park, presenting visitors with a wide variety of outdoor entertainment options. Kayaking, whitewater rafting trips, scenic floats and fly-fishing are some of the most popular ways to enjoy the Snake. The road system within GTNP offers a non-stop scenic view of the Teton Range. Several pullouts allow visitors to photograph the Tetons from a variety of angles, each one presenting different, but equally impressive, mountain vistas.
Generally, GTNP receives very sparse precipitation in the months of July, August and September, while May and early June are often wet. Summer days generally provide visitors with bluebird skies, though brief afternoon showers that are common in spring sometimes appear unexpectedly in summer. Temperatures are generally mild in the summer, with daytime highs in the upper 70's and occasionally low-to-mid 80's. Evenings are always cool, routinely dipping into the 30's overnight. Winter temperatures in the park are what you would expect in a high mountain valley. December and January are generally the coldest months, with overnight lows often near zero degrees. Daytime highs in January are generally in the 20's.
Outdoor Activities include:
- Backcountry Camping
- Biking
- Bird Watching
- Scenic Drives
- Climbing
- Boating
- Cross-country Skiing & Snowshoeing
- Fishing
- Wildlife Viewing
- Horseback Riding
- Hiking
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