Grand Teton National Park

The impossible beauty of the Teton Range, surging skyward above the sage-speckled valley and the crystalline lakes below, is the magnetic centerpiece of Grand Teton National Park. It's hard to take a photograph in this park without framing one of the picture-perfect mountains. First named by a lonely French fur trapper who looked at Grand Teton, Middle Teton and Teewinot Mountanin and dubbed them "trois tetons" (three breasts), the mountains offer terrific opportunities for hiking, backpacking, and rock-climbing. The park's lakes - including popular Jenny Lake and vast Jackson Lake (actually a reservoir) - are also excellent hiking ...

The impossible beauty of the Teton Range, surging skyward above the sage-speckled valley and the crystalline lakes below, is the magnetic centerpiece of Grand Teton National Park. It's hard to take a photograph in this park without framing one of the picture-perfect mountains. First named by a lonely French fur trapper who looked at Grand Teton, Middle Teton and Teewinot Mountanin and dubbed them "trois tetons" (three breasts), the mountains offer terrific opportunities for hiking, backpacking, and rock-climbing. The park's lakes - including popular Jenny Lake and vast Jackson Lake (actually a reservoir) - are also excellent hiking destinations, and their shores are the site of the in-park accommodations (swank Jenny Lake Lodge, mid-range Jackson Lake Lodge, and budget-oriented Colter Bay Village). The lakes themselves are popular boating destinations. Also cutting through the park is the Snake River; float and guided fishing trips are recommended, the latter a great way to see the park's wildlife (including black and grizzly bears, moose, elk, and bald eagles).

About the Expert

Eric Peterson has written and contributed to numerous Frommer’s guidebooks covering the American West, including Montana & Wyoming, Yellowstone & Grand Teton National Parks, and Texas.