We camped at the Gros Ventre (pronounced “grow vaunt”) campground, which is about 30 minutes from the ski resort town of Jackson, Wyo. The campground has beautiful views of the Teton range, as well as plenty of wildlife to see. During the day, it was sunny and about 80 degrees F, but at night it dropped to the 30s or 40s. Being a native Floridian, I walked around in my thickest jacket and wool socks and kept the heater cranked up at night.
It’s incredible to look up at the peaks and still see snow in the summer. Driving along the wide, open roads, I saw the beautiful mountain range and several animal crossing signs, so I wasn’t sure if I should enjoy the beauty of the mountains or pay close attention to any elk or bison darting across the road.
This is also supposed to be bear country, but I have yet to see any proof of that (and yes, I am eager to see a bear!).
But we have seen bison,
a moose,
and more bison.
At this point, I’m so unimpressed by bison that last time my dad announced, “There’s bison!” while driving, I told him, “We do NOT stop unless it’s a bear!”
The Teton range is beautiful, but my discovery of the fact that early French voyageurs named its three highest peaks les Trois Tétons, meaning “the three breasts,” kind of took away some of its majesty for me.
While out exploring, we found a neat little cafe that had coffee, made-to-order sandwiches, basic camping supplies, and free wi-fi in Kelly, Wyo., which is near the Gros Ventre campground. For about 8 bucks, you can get a delicious sandwich, and the owner is super animated and gives great tips on local spots you should visit. She told us about an off-the-beaten path campground outside of the Grand Teton National Park. Just drive down the main road, past the Gros Ventre campground, and (if the campground was on your right), you’ll see a side road on your right leading up to the mountains. Drive up there, and in a few miles, you’ll see a small campground by Slide Lake. This place is smaller and quieter than sites you’ll find in the National Park, and a lot of locals stay here. Slide Lake is named after the 1925 landslide that created it, but I hope that doesn’t stop you from camping there.
