Grand Teton

Probably, there is no man who did not hear the word "Yellowstone".
A huge dormant volcano and the National Park, created on its slopes, have it name.
The Yellowstone National Park is bordered on the south with another National Park - Grand Teton.
The Grand Teton National Park is known less than "Yellowstone", but the park is very beautiful.
*Grand Teton National Park*

The both parks are located in the northwestern part of the State of Wyoming and the huge number of people from around the world visit them.
The parks are popular and the prices of an overnight stay in the parks and in the adjacent towns are very high.

For this reason, we spent the night in the city of Rock Spring, Wyoming, on the HWY 80.
And in the morning June 24, 2015, we left the charming motel "Super 8", we went to the city of Jackson, WY - a "door" to the Grand Teton National Park.

The Wyoming is a mountainous State, I would say that the high plains are here.
The plains are located in the east of the State, the Rocky Mountains - in the west, and the forests - in the north.
It is a land of cowboys and shepherds...
The huge herds of cows graze in a summer and in a winter on lands in Wyoming.
Besides the cows, there were little of interesting things on the road 191 and after 3 hours we saw a road sign...

The small town of Jackson is located in the Jackson Hole valley, which is surrounded by mountains.
As I have already noted, the city of Jackson is a gateway and a transit route for millions of tourists who visit to the National Parks: "Grand Teton" and "Yellowstone".
That is, it is a "tourist capital", located 19 km from "Grand Teton" and 97 km from "Yellowstone".
There are also several ski resorts not far from the city, the most famous - "Jackson Hole".
*Jackson, Wyoming*

The history of the city since the XIX century is associated with parks, so here you can see the ancient buildings that have preserved the spirit of the Wild West.
It makes no sense to say that the city's economy thrives and depends on tourists.
There are a lot of motels-hotels, restaurants, cafes-bars, souvenir shops and interesting places.

There is a garden in the center of the town, the entrance to which are through arches which were make of deer horns...

Tourists say that the photo near the arch brings good luck...

In the garden, there is a monument to the dead inhabitants of the city - the cowboys, in local wars.

The animals - a deer, a bear, a elk were meeting us on the streets of the town, near with the garden.

A deer at the intersection helps to observe the traffic rules.

The residents of the city rest on the benches...

You can sit with them or ride in a carriage.

And you can go to the store and choose a souvenir...
For example - a real cowboy hat.

We did not buy a hat, but bought a couple of magnetic souvenirs.
And then we drove to the "Grand Teton"...
To the north, along a familiar road 191.

After 20 minutes, we turned left on the Teton Park Road, crossed the Snake River and entered to the Grand Teton National Park near the Moose.

If you are not in a hurry, you can use the forest road - "Moose Wilson Road", from the city of Jackson to the entrance to the park.

The Grand Teton National Park was established in 1929.
The park got its name by the name of the highest mountain in these places - Teton: the 4200 meters above sea level and the 2100 meters over the Jackson Hole Valley.
The area of the park is 1250 square kilometers.

There are a lot of lakes in the park, the largest is the Jackson Lake.
Its a length is 24 km.

The largest river of the park is the Snake River.

The nature of the park is in untouched wild condition and is carefully guarded.
And it attracts the tourists.

There are 5 campsites, several information centers, many recreation centers in the park "Grand Teton".
There are many hiking and water walks.

The Teton Park Road goes through the forest, near the beautiful lakes...
There are many the viewing areas where you can drop the car and take a walk.

Here is the recreation area by the Jenny Lake.

You can ride on a boat and a catamaran...

To sit on a stone...

And to take a walk along the trail if you are not afraid of bears.

Our next stop was on the Lake Jackson, near the dam.

The Snake River bursts out of the embrace of Lake Jackson.

And here is Jackson Lake!

The park road returns to highway 191, near the viewing area the "Oxbow Bend".

The Snake River makes a bend in the form of a hoof, forming the tributaries in this place.

It looks very beautiful against the background of mountains...

Especially, against the background of Mount Moran, which is reflected in the river...

I would like to ride on a boat on such a river...

Well, my wife liked the flowers...

The last stop before the "Yellowstone" - at the Lewis Lake.

We rested at the lake and talked...

We really liked the Grand Teton National Park.
We like endless expanses, wild forests, mountains, blue lakes and rivers, green meadows and of course, a clean air.
I think, that everyone who gets here, likes this park.
Unfortunately, many tourists, like us, give this park a little attention and time, crossing it by a transit.
Therefore, try to stay here longer, it's worth it.

Well, we moved on - to Yellowstone National Park!