This is part eleven of a travel series to Yellowstone and the Grand Teton National Parks. If you'd like to start at the beginning, go HERE!
Yes, you can see the Grand Teton's in a single day. In Part One I explained how we traveled the Scenic Loop starting from Jackson Hole. We stopped at Mormon Row first which is located just outside the park, then we drove into the north entrance of the park and went to the Craig Thomas Discovery and Visitor Center, then onto the glorious Jenny Lake. In this post I will cover the rest of the sites we saw on the scenic loop.
Mt Moran Turnout
Looking at our trusty little map below, we are now past midway of the top left of the loop. On the loop are many pullovers which show pretty views and points of interests. There are so many pullovers on this loop, most of which you can see just driving slowly from your vehicle, so we didn't stop at all of them.
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We did stop at the Mt. Moran overlook which reflects all the geologic forces shaping the Teton Range. Did you know what makes the Teton so unique compared to other mountain ranges? There are no foothills! The mountains just jut up 13,775 feet from the flat plains. Incredible!
Signal Mountain
Jackson Point Overlook
Continuing our drive south, there is a mountain road on your right called "Signal Mountain Road". Although a bit scary at times because the road is quite narrow, this is a must-see detour for it gives you higher up views of the Tetons. You can park in a larger parking lot below and hike up, but driving up is much easier. Parking on top is limited so many people are forced to hike up, but we were one of the lucky ones and found parking on top.
Signal Mountain Overlook
The views from on top are amazing! The mountain road climbs 800 feet to give you panoramic views of the Teton Range, Jackson Hole, and Jackson Lake.
Chapel of the Sacred Heart
There is the cutest, log chapel in the park. I love old churches, and this one is certainly unique. I mean, how many churches do you see built out of logs?
The Catholic Chapel still offers weekend services during the summer months.
There is also another chapel inside the park called the Chapel of the Transfiguration which has a scenic window of the Tetons. Somehow we missed that one; probably because it's located just inside the south entrance and we entered from the north entrance. But that one looks really cool too!
At the top of the scenic loop is the Jackson Lake Dam and Reservoir. From the bridge, you get beautiful views of the lake and Tetons.
There is a path below the parking area where you can walk along the water and get some nice photos of the dam.
Jackson Lake Lodge
Now it was time for a fun little break. We are at the very top of the southern portion of the scenic loop now, and we actually exited the loop to go to Jackson Lake Lodge. Prior to our trip I read that the lodge had the best Huckleberry Shakes, so that was the main purpose of our stop. However, little did I know that the lodge was so much more than milkshakes! It is an enormous hotel with multiple restaurants and gift shops.
The main lobby is absolutely stunning made with stone and wood accents.
The lobby has huge picture windows also with incredible views of the Tetons.
The restaurants were appealing to all visitors because they offered many different dining options and cuisines for all budgets. We weren't hungry for lunch as it was still a little early but we did grab our Huckleberry milkshakes and they were incredible!
We got our milkshakes to go and just sat outside and enjoyed the view!
Oxbow Bend Turnout
After our bellies were full with milkshakes, we hit the scenic loop again for our next stop: Oxbow Turnout. This was one of my favorite stops, I just loved the view of the river with the Tetons in the background.
Elk Ranch Flats Turnout
Our next stop was Elk Ranch Flats Turnout. The grassy fields attract elk, pronghorn, and bison, but on this day we saw horses from a private ranch.
Snake River Overlook
Once in the car again we headed north in the direction we came. We drove past some of the other overlooks as we had actually seen them the day before when driving into Jackson Hole. We did pull over for this one because you can't see it from the road. It is located almost to the end of the scenic loop.
The Snake River Overlook was such a disappointment because the trees grew up and covered the view. Pictured below is how the overlook used to look before the trees grew.
I actually see this a lot in my travels: overgrown vegetation obstructing once scenic views. And I have often wondered why they don't cut the vegetation down. Is it for conservation or budget reasons? I don't know, but I would prefer them to cut the trees down.
Buffalo Siting!
As we exited the park and were driving back to Jackson Hole for the night, once again we had to stop for buffalo standing in the middle of the road. This is a common experience in the west, but that's ok because I got some great photos of the buffalo with the Tetons in the background.
I hope you enjoyed our day in the Tetons as much as I did! Next week, we begin the journey home, but we still had a lot of fun stops driving home too!
Have A Great Day! Amy
Linking Up with these Fabulous Blogs HERE!
For more information on our trip out west, please check out these posts:
YELLOWSTONE:
Fountain Paint Pot, Lake Hotel and Cabins, and Hayden Valley
The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone
The Yellowstone Caldera, Tower Fall, Calcite Springs, & the Roosevelt Arch
The Golden Gate of Yellowstone, Mud Volcanos and the Fishing Bridge
Nearby Western Towns Not To Be Missed:
The Grand Tetons:
