Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons

Day One – Jackson Hole and Headwaters Lodge and Cabins

We had an early start — alarm set for 5:00 a.m. — though we were already wide awake. After a smooth journey from Washington, D.C., we landed in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, ready for our long-awaited adventure in Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks.

I was impressed by the Jackson Hole airport, particularly the entrance decorated with arches made from elk antlers — quite a striking first impression. Though not very large, the airport has a welcoming western character. It was also far less hectic than the airports we usually travel through; several employees seemed perfectly at ease, standing around chatting with one another. After picking up our rental car, we were on our way.

My first question: why is it called Jackson Hole? The name comes from David “Davy” Jackson, a 19th-century fur trapper, and the old mountain-man term “hole” — used by early explorers to describe a flat, high valley completely enclosed by mountains. So, there we have it.

Our first stop was the Lawrence S. Rockefeller Preserve Center, where we spent some time walking the grounds and viewing the exhibits before heading to Dornan’s grocery store to pick up a few supplies. Clare wanted to visit the Craig Thomas Discovery and Visitor Center, but the road was closed, and the detour back through Jackson would have added nearly two hours to the trip. Instead, we continued on to the Colter Bay Visitor Center, where we browsed the gift shop, enjoyed some ice cream, and then made our way to Headwaters Lodge and Cabins.

The lodge has an interesting history. Originally established as a military and forest outpost, it became known as Flagg Ranch — named by Edward S. Sheffield after the flags of the former outpost. Over the years it evolved into a stagecoach and dude ranch stopover for travelers making the journey between Ashton, Idaho, and Jackson Hole, before eventually becoming the wilderness resort it is today.

After checking in, I walked down to the river — a grizzly bear had reportedly been spotted there earlier. The search proved fruitless; the only wildlife I saw were a few geese along the bank. A passing rain shower quickly drove me back to the cabin. Dinner more than made up for it: I enjoyed a wild boar and bison burger, while Clare savored elk with mushrooms in a wine sauce. Both were excellent.

Second Day – Old Faithful and Grand Prismatic Spring

Before leaving, I walked down to the Snake River around 6:00 a.m. to see if there was any wildlife about, but had no luck. Not long after we set off, however, we noticed several cars pulled off along the road. When we stopped to look, we spotted a black bear high on a ridge — too far away for a good photograph, but worth a moment’s pause before we continued on.

Along the drive we stopped at several scenic spots, including a waterfall and a few interesting overlooks, one being the Lewis Falls along the Lewis River at the edge of the Caldera.

As we entered Yellowstone, we had to stop to take a photo of us entering this magnificent park.

On our way to Old Faithful, we passed the Continental Divide which is the mountain ridges in North America, chiefly the crests of the Rocky Mountains, which form a watershed separating the rivers flowing eastwards into the Atlantic Ocean or the Gulf of Mexico from those flowing westwards into the Pacific.

We arrived at Old Faithful around 10:00 a.m. and learned the next eruption was expected at approximately 11:24. While we waited, Clare browsed the gift shop. At about 11:25, Old Faithful delivered a spectacular show, shooting well over 130 feet into the air. Though impressive, it only lasted about 3 minutes so I’m not sure it fully lived up to the hype. The geyser earned its name from Nathaniel Langford, a member of the 1870 Washburn-Langford-Doane Expedition, who was struck by the regularity of its eruptions.

Afterward, we continued on to the Grand Prismatic Spring. When we arrived, we were stunned by the sheer number of people and cars crowding the area. Unable to find a space in the main parking lot, we ended up parking farther down the road where others had lined their cars along the shoulder and walking back — a trek I would estimate at close to two miles round trip to reach the overlook. On the way, we saw a pair of eagles perched in a tree in the distance.  The view itself was impressive. The Grand Prismatic is the largest hot spring in the United States, its vivid rings of color stretching nearly 300 feet across, and the first written account dates to 1839, when trapper Osborne Russell described encountering a “boiling lake” of just that size. By the time we made it back to the car, though, the high heat and sun had left both of us feeling quite drained.

We saw this hot spring (above) close to the parking lot which was not as large but still impressive. As we walked past, steam came off the spring and we could feel the heat enveloping us. We briefly considered driving to the other parking area to walk around the spring itself, but that section looked just as crowded, with cars lining the roadside and another long walk ahead. Given that we were already worn out and still had a long drive to Gardiner, Montana, we were disappointed to miss opportunity, but decided it simply wasn’t worth pushing ourselves further. I would strongly suggest arriving early in the day to see the Grand Prismatic Spring rather than in the afternoon.

From there we headed toward Madison. Along the way we came across a herd of bison and pulled over to watch — Clare with her binoculars, me with my 400mm lens. Later, near Norris, we encountered several more bison at much closer range, which made for an even better viewing experience. By evening we arrived in Gardiner, Montana, where we checked into the Big Rock Inn.

Third Day – Mammoth Hot Springs, Lamar Valley and Silver Gate

Before heading to Mammoth Hot Springs, we stopped to take a closer look at the Roosevelt Arch. The arch got its name because President Theodore Roosevelt — who happened to be vacationing in the park at the time — spoke at the cornerstone-laying ceremony in 1903. The plaque bears a phrase from the legislation that established Yellowstone: “For the benefit and enjoyment of the people.” Isn’t that what public spaces are for, serving the people of the country.

We saw this oddly colored bird in the area so I took a photo of it. It turned out to be a Black-billed Magpie.

From there we made our way to Mammoth Hot Springs, which were simultaneously desolate and beautiful in a way that was hard to describe. What struck me most was the paradox of it: the springs push out boiling water laden with so many salts and minerals that they kill all vegetation in their path, yet in doing so create a fascinatingly alien landscape of whites and muted colors. The first thing we saw was the Liberty Cap. We drove through the upper section first, then parked and walked the wooden boardwalks of the lower terraces to get a closer look at what nature had built over thousands of years. The springs were officially named and documented by the Hayden Expedition in 1871, which recorded the area’s unique geology and distinctive mineral colors — though the travertine terraces had been drawing visitors, and before that Native Americans, long before the park was ever established.

After that, we began the drive to Lamar Valley. Tucked into the northeastern corner of the park, the valley is often called America’s Serengeti for its large, easy-to-spot populations of wildlife. Anyone who has driven through Lamar Valley quickly learns how it works: the moment someone spots an animal and pulls over, everyone who sees that parked car and that person with binoculars or a camera will stop as well. The result is a thoroughly enjoyable stop-and-go crawl through some of the most spectacular scenery I’ve ever seen. And that doesn’t even account for the bison, which frequently decide to cross the road — or simply stand in the middle of it — entirely unconcerned by the line of cars waiting patiently behind them. We took a turnoff to view the Petrified Tree which I wouldn’t have guessed would be in Yellowstone.

Our first unplanned stop came just past Roosevelt Tower, where we spotted two adult sandhill cranes and a chick.

Clare and I thoroughly enjoyed both the wildlife and the scenery, which was, I must admit, spectacular. It’s worth remembering, though, that however calm the bison appeared, they are wild animals fully capable of causing serious injury if provoked or startled.

We stopped at Soda Butte — a prominent extinct hot spring cone rising beside the road — to watch a herd of bison grazing, resting, and tending to their young calves before eventually reaching our destination of Silver Gate. We pressed on a little further to Cooke City, which offered better restaurant options, and had a good lunch there before doubling back to Silver Gate to check into our cabin for the evening.

On the outskirts of Silver Gate, Montana, we noticed several cars pulled off to the side of the road, people peering into a dense stand of brush. Naturally, we stopped. Hidden among the thick vegetation was a large bull moose — much of his body obscured, but his head and part of his torso clearly visible. I managed a few photographs before he disappeared deeper into the brush.

After checking in and resting for a while, I decided to try my luck at finding the moose again, as our cabin wasn’t far from where he’d been spotted. A small bridge crossed a swollen stream leading toward the thicket, and I moved carefully through the tall vegetation, scanning the surroundings as I went.

Then I spotted a female moose about thirty yards away. I took a few quick photographs before deciding to back off — I felt I was getting a little too close. Retreating to the dirt road near the bridge, I found I could see her more clearly from there, standing beside the rushing stream, and took several more photographs before heading back.

When I told Clare about the sighting, she wanted to see the moose herself, so I led her back to the spot. Fortunately, the moose was still there, and we both got an excellent look before returning to the cabin.

After dinner, we were outside relaxing when one of the other guests struck up a conversation. He and his wife were from Billings, Montana, and he mentioned he’d been coming to Yellowstone every spring and fall for nearly thirty years. He had plenty to say about the park, its wildlife, and the tourists who flock to see it — including his observation that while Yellowstone has been growing steadily more crowded over the years, this particular season seemed especially busy. After a pleasant chat, we excused ourselves and went inside.

Later that night, Clare called me over to the front window. Our neighbor and another man, both carrying cameras, were standing outside pointing at something in the distance. I pulled on my boots and went out to investigate.

The two men gestured toward an area about fifty yards away, where a black bear was wandering near the cabins. I got a few photographs off before someone from a nearby cabin unexpectedly startled it. The bear bolted into the woods at a speed that genuinely surprised me — I hadn’t expected an animal that size to move so fast.

Fourth Day – Lamar Valley, Tower Falls, and Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone

We had another early start, hoping to make the most of the day and pass through Lamar Valley before traffic grew too heavy. Things went smoothly at first — until a large herd of bison decided the road was their preferred route to greener pastures. There must have been close to a hundred of them moving together along the roadway, bringing traffic to a complete standstill.

Once that delay cleared, we encountered another bottleneck almost immediately: a pair of bison had decided that the middle of the road was an ideal place to linger. We waited fifteen or twenty minutes before one of them finally shifted slightly toward the center line. I then carefully and very slowly edged past, which seemed to persuade the other that it was time to move along as well.

A short distance farther on, I spotted a pronghorn sitting on a hillside beside the road and pulled over for photographs. We were lucky — only a few miles later we came across four more, giving me another chance to photograph these graceful animals. We were interested to learn from a park ranger that pronghorns are most closely related to giraffes.

A little further down the road, we spotted some deer in some woods. I’d seen some earlier but in open fields or worse yet, near hotels or cabins. I couldn’t resist capturing deer in more of their natural habitat.

Leaving the valley and heading toward Tower Fall, we ran into yet another traffic jam, this one caused by a black bear. Clare and I stopped to watch, keeping a safe distance, before continuing on once the bear moved off. Tower Fall was worth the stop — a striking 132-foot cascade framed by towering volcanic spires at its brink. It also holds an interesting place in history: paintings and photographs of the falls made in 1871 helped provide the visual evidence that persuaded Congress to establish Yellowstone as the world’s first national park. From there we continued to Canyon Village, where we watched two films about the park at the visitor center and had lunch.

We spent considerable time taking it all in before moving on to the Sulphur Cauldron, one of the most acidic hot springs in the park, with a pH between 1 and 2 — comparable, remarkably, to battery acid. Nearby, we stopped at the Mud Volcano area, which sits atop a convergence of faults where earthquakes are common and the ground itself has measurably risen and fallen over the years. Both sites were fascinating reminders of just how geologically alive this place is.

Later, we headed toward Fishing Bridge and the Lake Village area, only to encounter yet another traffic jam — this time, visitors had stopped to watch several elk feeding in a field alongside the road. After spending some time watching them, we carried on to Fishing Bridge, a historic crossing spanning the Yellowstone River where it flows out of Yellowstone Lake. Originally built in 1902 to give anglers direct access to native cutthroat trout, it has been a protected overlook since 1973, when fishing was banned to preserve the fragile trout population.

We stopped at the visitor center, which offered a wonderful view of the lake, before making our way to the Lake Yellowstone Hotel. The hotel had a spacious piano lounge overlooking the water, and we spent a quiet hour there relaxing with a glass of wine and taking in the scenery before calling it a night.

Fifth Day – Norris Geyser Basin and Steamboat Point

Since we had missed Norris Geyser Basin earlier in the trip, we decided to backtrack and see it — and the extra driving was well worth the effort. Norris is the park’s hottest and most volatile thermal area, sitting at the intersection of three major fault lines where the ground shifts and the hydrothermal activity can change dramatically from one season to the next. We made our way to Steamboat Geyser, the tallest active geyser in the world, though not one worth lingering beside in hopes of an eruption — major blasts can be separated by many months. The basin itself was fascinating, and parts of it looked almost otherworldly: steam vents, strange mineral deposits, and barren terrain that conjured up some vision of Dante’s Inferno.

On the drive back, we spotted a large dark animal swimming strongly across the Yellowstone River. My first instinct was grizzly bear, but as we got closer, we realized that it was a bison. Even so, it was an exciting sight — not something you see every day.

We had also planned to explore beyond the Fishing Bridge area, so we drove out to Steamboat Point, a continuously steaming geothermal stretch along the northeast shore of Yellowstone Lake. After taking in the view, we found it a bit underwhelming compared to many of the park’s other attractions, however, the lake view was impressive.

On the return trip we encountered several elk, which naturally prompted another stop for photographs.

Our next goal was West Thumb Geyser Basin, but the weather had other ideas. What began as rain soon turned into a downpour, and we decided it made more sense to push on to Grant Village and return to West Thumb the following morning before heading to Grand Teton National Park.

That evening we dined at the restaurant in Grant Village, fortunate enough to be seated at a table with a lovely view overlooking Yellowstone Lake. The setting was excellent; dinner itself was somewhat less so. The restaurant had only recently opened for the season and appeared to be experiencing some growing pains. Despite that, the accommodations at Grant Village were very comfortable and I’d recommend it.

Sixth Day – West Thumb Geyser Basin and the Grand Teton National Park

We left Grant Village and headed first to West Thumb Geyser Basin — a stop that proved well worth making. While perhaps not as dramatic as Norris, it had its own quiet appeal: bubbling pools, steaming vents, and mud cones clustered right along the shore of Yellowstone Lake, the result of some 150,000 years of volcanic activity in an area that Native Americans used for centuries and early explorers famously used to cook fish fresh from the lake directly in the hydrothermal vents.

From there we continued south into Grand Teton National Park, where the scenery shifted into something altogether different.

The Cathedral Group came into view almost immediately, and we followed Teton Park Road as it delivered one spectacular vista after another — Jackson Lake with the Teton Range rising sharply behind it, Signal Mountain Lodge nestled among the trees, and the peaks themselves growing more imposing with every mile.

We stopped for lunch at Jenny Lake Lodge. The restaurant was quite pleasant, the service excellent, and the meal itself very enjoyable — a relaxing pause in the middle of a day filled with remarkable scenery.

After lunch, we made our way toward Hatchet Resort, where we would spend the next two nights. Along the route we pulled over at several scenic spots, including the J. Pierce Cunningham Cabin. Cunningham established the Bar Flying U Ranch here in the 1880s, and the cabin still stands as a reminder of the area’s early settlement. Built in the “dogtrot” style common in the American South and East — two small cabins connected by an open, covered breezeway — it sits on land Cunningham chose deliberately: ancient glacial deposits had left soils fertile and moisture-retaining enough to support lush grasses, making it excellent ranching country.

By late afternoon we arrived at Hatchet Resort, checked in, had dinner at the resort restaurant, and were grateful for a quieter end to the day.

Our Last Day – In and Around Jackson

We took our time getting ready on our last full day in Wyoming, knowing the trip was drawing to a close. Our plans were unhurried — a wander through the Jackson area with a few stops along the way.

The first was the Jackson National Fish Hatchery, where it was interesting to see the facilities and learn something about the operations. The one drawback was that the tour was entirely self-guided, with no one on hand to answer questions — something that would have added quite a bit to the experience.

From there we went to the National Museum of Wildlife Art, which turned out to be one of the highlights of the day. The building itself is striking — it suggests a pueblo structure while incorporating modern architectural elements — and the collection inside was outstanding. The outdoor sculptures were particularly remarkable. Founded in 1987 by William and Joffa Kerr as a small storefront gallery, the museum has grown into a renowned institution housing more than 5,000 works spanning 4,500 years. I would highly recommend it to anyone visiting the area; it is something of a hidden gem.

Next, we drove through the National Elk Refuge. Established in 1912 after expanding homesteads and agriculture had blocked traditional migration routes and pushed local elk herds toward starvation, the refuge encompasses nearly 25,000 acres and serves as a critical winter sanctuary. By June, however, the elk had long since migrated out, so we drove the nature road hoping instead to spot some bighorn sheep. None made an appearance. We did get to enjoy a fantastic view of the Grand Teton range from a high vantage point in the refuge.

We headed into Jackson for lunch at Genevieve’s, where Clare and I both ordered the bison and elk chili. I would highly recommend it — hearty, flavorful, and pleasantly spicy, it was among the better meals of the trip.

For the rest of the afternoon we simply wandered around Jackson, browsing the shops and getting a feel for the town. It was a pleasant way to spend a final day, unhurried and easy, soaking in the atmosphere before the journey home.

We returned to Hatchet Resort that evening fully aware that our Wyoming adventure had come to an end.

Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons are unlike anywhere else we have ever traveled. The sheer scale of the landscape, the extraordinary wildlife, and the constant reminders of the geological forces still at work beneath your feet combine to create an experience that is genuinely humbling. If you have never been, go. You won’t regret it.