I’m back #3

We finally arrived at Grand Teton National Park and boy was I happy.  We have camped here once before at the Gros Ventre campground which borders an elk preserve in the southern part of the park.  To change it up and see more of the park we stayed at the Jenny Lake campground this time.

This campground is a bit wooded and situated between a meadow and the lake.  There are no lake views, but trust me that is good thing – otherwise it would be windy and cold.  The campground was full almost every night we were there which is not surprising since there is excellent access to Jenny Lake, other smaller lakes, hiking paths, and bike paths.  We biked around on a scenes loop that has pretty light vehicle traffic and on the dedicated bike path that can take you all the way into Jackson.  Weather can change pretty quickly here, so be prepared especially during the spring.  We had warmer and cooler days, thunderstorms and rain.

Wildlife is everywhere here – the obligatory moose sighting, elk, beavers, lots of birds, chipmunks, and even a bear mama and cubs were all spotted during our trip.  We even had a reoccurring visit in our campsite from an elk we decided to call Eddy.  Sometimes he stopped by for an afternoon snack, sometimes for breakfast.  It was fantastic.

Be sure you keep your food locked up in this park by the way – a mama and cubs may be cute from afar, but no one wants a bear in their campsite.

I think this is one of my most favorite places in the country.   Now a short, self-serving plea from me – please do not forget to support our National Parks!  These are truly unique natural treasures worth saving and preserving.  Take a vacation, take your kids, meet your friends and family there – without taking the time to visit and experience these places we tend to loose track of their importance.  I will stop here, get down from my soapbox now, and let you enjoy the slideshow in peace.

Grand Teton National Park:

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I’m back! #2

After we saw some branding at the ranch, we said our goodbyes and headed off to go camping.

We headed to Bighorn National Forest and stayed at the Sitting Bull campsite in the park.  Bighorn is beautiful, and at least before Memorial Day is very quiet.  You have your choice of wooded, meadow, lake, stream, or mountainous areas inside the park.  The scenic drives are nice, but if you get a chance take the time to stay overnight and get into the park off of the byways.  There is great wildlife viewing, fishing, hiking, mountain biking, and boating among other things.  We are headed back in the next few weeks to spend more than a night, hike around, and explore more than a quick stopover allows.

After Bighorn we headed west to the Grand Tetons, which I will post about in #3, but along the way we grabbed some fun pictures and stopped to check out some touristy hot springs in Thermopolis, WY.

Bighorn National Forest and our road trip to the Tetons:

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zion national park

Zion National Park

About two weeks ago Jed and I headed to Zion National Park in southern Utah for some R&R. 

View of Zion National Park from Dixie National Forest

If you ever get a chance, go.  It is beautiful and great for hiking, biking, and camping.  No cars are allowed in the main part of the park.  I love this about Zion because the only sounds disturbing the peace and quiet of nature are the occasional shuttle and other visitors’ voices.  Plus, unlike Bryce and Grand Canyons you actually start in the bottom of the canyon, not looking down from above.  I can’t say enough about this park, and although we stayed in a cabin outside of the park this time, I would actually love to come back and camp in the park.  That might not sound like much to you, but this city girl does not sleep in the wilderness without a full bathroom (and preferably a kitchen, ac or at the very least a ceiling fan).  The closest I came to camping in my youth was staying in a cabin at Girl Scout Camp (with bathrooms, a kitchen, and cots).  Typically, girls from Queens excel at things like riding public transportation and navigating through throngs of meat heads at the beach to find a good spot for their towels, not roughing it in the wilderness.  I also slept in  a tent one night at a music festival in college – needless to say I was majorly skeeved and haven’t set foot in a tent (or sleeping bag) since then.  So, that is why me wanting to camp is a huge deal. HUGE. 

Zion National Park - View from Mid Emerald Pools

Aside from Zion, there are a number of parks in the area including the Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon, and Dixie National Forest.   In my opinion (after having been to all), I think Zion and Dixie are the most beautiful, especially if you are looking to get into the parks and not just photograph from look-out points on the side of the road (not that you can’t hike in the Grand Canyon or Bryce Canyon).  We drove through Dixie on our way home from Zion, but I really want to go back and I would be willing to camp there too.  Dixie National Forest has a distinctly non-Utah feel to it.  The lakes, lava flows, and forest have a cross between a Sierra and east coast mountain feel – not that of the high desert. 

Dixie National Forest - Navajo Lake

Dixie National Forest - Lava Flow

Yes, there is still a considerable amount of snow in Dixie (these were taken May 24).  We have had a long winter with record snow fall this year, and I would imagine that snow will be sticking around for a while more at higher elevations.

Well I could wax poetic for hours, but I think pictures would be much more enjoyable for you. I posted a few more below, or you can check out my full slideshow at Flikr.

Zion National Park

Zion National Park

Zion National Park - View from Mid Emerald Pools

Zion National Park