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Trip Report
Jackson Hole and Yellowstone National Park (Camping tips!)
Enjoy the gorgeous Teton mountains and go see the most amazing National Park in the world!
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North AmericaUnited States7 days / July 2019
Highs & Lows
Take the Tram to the top of the ski resort. You can see the whole valley and snake river from there!
Summer nights were unexpectedly cold! Take many blankets.
Itinerary Overview
Jackson Hole is just like the movies! It is the only real cowboy town I have ever been. We bought an awesome old van for camping which was a great idea. Easiest way to go place to place in Jackson is a car so renting is recommended.
Jackson is one of my favorite places where for camping. The wilderness there is untouched and you can experience true wildlife. One of the reasons I fell in love with Jackson is the isolated camping spots. We never had anyone else camping in the same place as us.
You can see the wildlife undisturbed by other people and there are a large variety of animals to choose from that are hard to see anywhere else.
Yellowstone is only a 45min drive from Jackson.
I could have spent twice as much time in Yellowstone than we did. The geo thermal activity there is unique with lots of geysers and hot springs. Every place where we stopped I could not believe my eyes, no wonder it is one of the most famous and amazing National Parks in the world. Yellowstone has a ring road around the park that gives you access to its many attractions. The drive around the park is so beautiful! You can also find camping spots all over the park and also just outside the boarders. When we went there the park was so busy we didn't find any camping spot and he had to drive very far. Be smart and go book the spot in the early morning! I myself cant wait to go back to explore this National Park. We walked there every day, the whole day and still I feel like it wasn't enough!
Remember to keep your eyes open for the wildlife! We saw a grizzly bear on the way to the park !
Jackson Wildlife and nature
8+Teton Village: Take the tram up to the mountain where you can hike and enjoy the gorgeous view. There is also a waffle restaurant on the top of the tram. The village is full of hotels and restaurants. If you go there in winter it is the best skiing place in America.
Million Dollar Cowboy Bar: Go enjoy the cowboy vibe in the most famous bar in the town. Even the chairs in the bar are made of saddles!
Snow King Mountain Resort: If you like to play mini golf, Snow King has a very nice course to go and if you want something more exciting, go try the Alpine Slide!
Town Square: When you walk around town square you can find many galleries, small boutiques, bars and restaurants. The Town Square has 4 arches in every corner that are made of elk antlers. Its a must see!
National Museum Of Wildlife Art: Go enjoy beautiful paintings of the wildlife.
Grand Teton National Park: You can find many gorgeous short and long hikes around the park. There is 5 main bodies of water to go swim or even kayak. Exploring this park could take days so decide the main places and hikes you want to do.
Curtis Canyon Campground Mountain view
1+Curtis is the closest camping area to town and a cheap alternative from hotels, because its free! You can see the entire grand Teton mountain range which is the best thing about camping there. Its very peaceful place with a lots of wildlife. There is no lights around so you can enjoy the incredible stars and milky way at night.
Granite Hot Springs & Camp Hot springs, waterfall
3+We drove to Granite Hot Springs with our van. The drive was very beautiful and you can spot lot of wildlife on the way there. Along the road you can find many free camping spots. Before you get to the main hot spring there is a gorgeous waterfall on the way. Under the waterfall you can find one natural hot spring but when we went there it was full of people so we didn't get to try that.
At the very end there is artificial pool that is fed by natural hot spring. You have to pay little to go to the pool but it is definitely worth it. The pool is surrounded by cliffs with a nice view of the mountains.
Yellowstone National Park Geysers, hot springs and wildlife
8+Old Faithful: You can go walk around the beautiful historic hotel and visit interactive education center where you learn about all the geo thermal activity. The old faithful geyser erupts periodically thru out the day. When you get there you can see exactly the time when it is going to erupt and there is lines of chairs around the geyser to sit and wait. The whole area is full of amazing hot springs and geysers, you can spend hours there if you want!
Mammoth hot springs: Visiting Mammoth is like taking a trip to another planet! Mammoth hot springs is very different from all the other thermal areas in Yellowstone. The landscape is truly surreal and the colors there are incredible! Hiking around this area can take a couple of hours. Get ready to get amazed!
Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone: This massive canyon is
is in length 32km. You can find many lookout points where the view is just incredible! This canyon has 3 big waterfalls, Upper Falls, Chrystal Falls and Lower Falls. The road goes almost next to the canyon so you can drive from one lookout point to next one.
Yellowstone Lake: Great place for fishing! There is couple hikes around the lake where you can find hot springs and geysers just next to the lake. The lake is very very cold but if you feel like it, you can swim there! We saw many elks chilling next to the lake.
Q & A
Restaurant recommendations?
Jackson Hole Town: Merry Piglets for a good Mexican food Spring Greek Ranch for expensive dinner with nice view. We enjoyed bison stake there which was amazing.Tips you would give a friend?
Go to the lovely cowboy clothing stores and buy yourself cowboy boots and a hat so you will fit better to this town style! (Believe me, you see real cowboys everywhere!)Packing tips?
Its very warm during the days and cold at night!Transportation Tips?
Rent a car!Any surprises?
When we fly to Jackson, biggest thing what surprised me was the amazing view from a plain window. If you want to see gorgeous rocky mountains, make sure you have the window seat for yourself!
Lodging
Four Seasons Resort and Residences Jackson Hole: It offers the perfect mix of rustic adventure, fine dining & luxury accommodations in the heart of Teton Village. The Wort Hotel: Small historical hotel in downtown of Jackson.
You can enjoy the many free camping spots overlooking the valley with the lovely mountain view. There is fire places in each spot.
You can find many free camping spots. We found a lovely place by the river which was nice because of the hot summer days!
If you want to stay in lovely historic hotel, you should try the Old Faithful Inn. You can find camping spots all over the park. Camping cost around 20 usd / night. If the park is too full you can also find camping spots outside of the park.