Road Trip - Grand Teton National Park

2020 Road Trip - Grand Teton National Park

For 2020 we had planned for another long road trip to six national parks in Colorado and Wyoming, but the COVID-19 pandemic changed our plans. After staying isolated for months we wanted to get out and travel, but we had to compromise to limit the risk of exposure. As a result we shortened the trip to just Grand Teton and Yellowstone national parks. We had visited the parks previously in 2010 with Rachel and Lily, but it was the first time for Vivian.

After driving for two days we stayed at the town of Jackson just outside Grand Teton National Park. From there we visited Mormon Row which is a historic area previously populated by Mormon homesteaders in the 1800s. A few barns and farm houses remain along with the scenic backdrop of the Grand Teton mountain range.

Once in the park we found it very crowded especially considering the pandemic. We took a couple of hikes on the scenic Taggart Lake and Colter Bay Lakeshore trails. We spent a considerable amount of time looking for wildlife. On our last trip we saw all kinds of animals, but there were nearly none to be found this time. After some driving we found a buffalo herd, but that was about it. We made two attempts to find moose in areas they frequent, but came up empty both times.

The highlight of the park was our Jackson Lake canoe trip. It was only time we could get away from the crowds. The beauty of the lake and backdrop of the Tetons and Mount Moran made for a pleasant and relaxing paddle. Another highlight was our cabin at Coulter Bay. The single room plus bathroom cabin was a very nice and relaxing place to retreat to after our adventures in the park.

One final note about Grand Teton was the bike trail that crossed the park. We didn’t bring our bikes, but they would have been put to use if we did. An option for a future visit is to stay in Jackson and ride to and explore the park via the trail.