Frommer's National Parks of the American West - Don Laine [204]
John D. Rockefeller, Jr., got into the act by establishing the Snake River Land Company, which became the vehicle through which he anonymously accumulated more than 35,000 acres of land between 1927 and 1943. His goal was to donate the property for an enlarged park, but opponents in Congress prevented the government from accepting his gift.
Finally, in 1950, the feds and the locals reached a compromise: The government agreed to reimburse Teton County for revenue that would have been generated by property taxes, and to honor existing leaseholds, and present-day Grand Teton National Park was born.
Avoiding the Crowds. Most of the travelers who visit Grand Teton are visiting Yellowstone on the same trip—and this means that when winter closes in on Yellowstone, the crowds abandon both parks. Grand Teton usually holds out against winter a bit longer than the higher plateau to the north, so you may enjoy a wonderful, traffic-free visit in early June and late October at Grand Teton. But I emphasize the word may: Snow can fall as early as September and as late as June.
Another off-season risk, in addition to unpredictable snowfall, is that it's sometimes harder to get around. In the spring, higher trails are still blocked by snow or the mud that follows it. This soggy season can last well into June. In the fall, temperatures can drop at night, and icy winds sometimes blow.
In spring, however, wildflowers are particularly dynamic, filling the meadows and hillsides with vast arrays of color. In the fall, golden aspens rustle amid the evergreens, and the thinning crowds provide a respite for both visiting humans and resident wildlife. In some streams, this is the best time for angling. It's cheaper, too: Motels drop their rates during the off season.
If crowds make you claustrophobic, the key months to avoid are July and August. But most of the people who come through the gates in midsummer go only to the developed campgrounds and lodges at Colter Bay, Jenny Lake, Jackson Lake, and Signal Mountain; to the lakes and views accessible by car; and to the short paths that stay within view of the visitor center. If you have the energy to hike up into Cascade Canyon and beyond, you'll see an entirely different landscape. And, of course, summer is a beautiful time of year, with
wildflowers blooming well into July, and wildlife always in evidence.
Just the Facts
GETTING THERE & GATEWAYS
The park is essentially the east slope of the Tetons and the valley below; if you drive to it, you enter from the south, east, or north. From the north, you can enter the park from Yellowstone National Park, which connects to Grand Teton by the John D. Rockefeller, Jr., Memorial Parkway (U.S. 89/191/287). You will already have paid your fee for entrance to both parks, so there is no entrance station, but you can stop at Flagg Ranch, approximately 5 miles north of the park boundary, and get park information. From December to March, Yellowstone's south entrance is open only to snowmobiles and snow coaches.
You can also approach the park from the east, on U.S. 26/287. This route comes from Dubois, 55 miles east on the other side of the Absaroka and Wind River mountains, and crosses Togwotee Pass, where you'll get your first and one of the best views of the Tetons from above the valley. Travelers who come this way can continue south on U.S. 26/89/191 to Jackson without paying an entrance fee, though they are within the park boundaries.
Finally, you can enter Grand Teton from Jackson in the south, driving about 12 miles north on U.S. 26/89/191 to the Moose turnoff and the park's south entrance. Here you'll find