Posts tagged ‘outdoors’

June 17, 2012

I’m back #3

by Liz Gray (Craftyglutton)

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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June 17, 2012

I’m back! #2

by Liz Gray (Craftyglutton)

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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