Grand Teton National Park Scenic Drives allow visitors to enjoy the diverse beauty and natural surroundings from the comfort of their car and explore the national parks in the region. Anytime during the summer these drives are enjoyable; however, in the fall months when the aspen trees turn a rainbow of colors is truly the best time. Also, keep in mind that even though there might be a beautiful lake to your right alluring your attention, you are still driving- so trust me- heed caution.

Jenny Lake Loop:

This scenic drive is located in The Grand Teton National Park and can be popular in the summer months. Enter the park in Moose, WY and head about twelve miles on Teton Park Road. Make a left when you arrive at the North Jenny Lake Junction and in a few miles you will soon be on a one-way road. On your left, you will pass the historic Jenny Lake Lodge, which during the season is a great place to stop for lunch or breakfast; however, reservations are highly recommended because the space is limited. Continuing on the one-way Jenny Lake Road, you will meander through a dense forest. Keep your eyes open to catch glimpses of any animals hanging around the lake. As you come over a hill you will see the lake in front of you where there is an excellent pull-off. I suggest to pull-off and hop out and snap some amazing photos of Jenny Lake and the reflection of the Tetons glistening in the glacier water. Continue on as you enjoy views of the lake to your right and soon you will arrive back at Teton Park Road. If you loved the loop, you can make a left and do it all over again!

Two Ocean Lake:

If you enter the park at Moose, this drive is in the north section of The Grand Teton National Park. Take the Teton Park road north passing Jenny Lake and Signal Mountain. Soon you will arrive at the Jackson Lake Junction and you should hang a right on to 191 also known as John D. Rockefeller Road. In a few miles you will pass a turn off on your right called Oxbow Bend, a favorite spot for photographers to snap shot of the Tetons at sunset. Continue down the road and make a left at Pacific Creek Road. About four miles down the road, make another left on to an easy-going dirt road. You will meander on this road for a few miles passing beautiful Aspen trees and conifers. The road ends at a parking lot, where you can jump out and walk for just a minute and you will end up at Two Ocean Lake. The reds, yellows and orange of the Aspen trees radiates off the water in the fall making for excellent photos. If you are feeling ambitious, a relaxing hike around the lake takes about three hours and covers 6.4 miles. Two Ocean Lake is off the beaten path amongst many tourists so you should be able to find plenty of solitude here.

Moose-Wilson Road:

This road is normally known as the other way to get to Teton Village; however, it is scenic as well as functional. Moose-Wilson Road is a two way street, so you can enter it two ways, either enter from Teton Village Road or Moose. The road curls around fantastic scenery of lush forests and marshy areas providing an excellent backdrop for many animals. Animal viewing on Moose-Wilson is best around sunset when the moose head here to get a cool drink and the elk retreat down the hills to lower ground for the evening. Just a heads up, the road is really twisty dirt road, so in the fall and spring the road can be bumpy due to recent rain. Just ask at a park entrance or the visitor’s center about the current road quality.

These scenic drives will add some amazing hidden views to your tour of Jackson. I always like to pack a picnic and stop at one of the locations and really take it all in. Whether you enjoy one of these drives or all of them, a scenic drive is a truly relaxing way to see what Jackson has to offer.

The Jackson Hole Hootenanny gives you a reason to pack your harmonica, guitar, and singing voice when planning your trip to Jackson Hole. Even if your talent is lacking, you can always grab a seat and enjoy the Hoot!

The Jackson Hole Hootenanny goes back 50 years when Bill Briggs held “Teton Tea Parties” under a bridge in Grand Teton National Park, where artists gathered and sang together. In the 90’s the Hoot (as most people call it) moved to Dornan’s Bar in Moose and on December 8^th the Hootenanny will celebrate its’ 700^th show. Every Monday night, the Hoot begins at 7pm with artists signing in at 6:15pm. Any and all artists are welcomed to play and some guests throughout the years have included Tom Rush and the late John Denver. Nearly every Monday you can catch the local regular Hootenanny performers jamming out to a two-song set and collaborating amongst each other.

I suggest arriving at Dornan’s around 6:30pm and picking a good seat. I personally love to sit at the bar because you get both a great view of the stage and a great view of the Tetons through large glass windows that frame the bar. After you have your seat situated, either grab a local beer on tap or scoot into the wine store connected to the bar. The wine store has an excellent variety of wine and they will be happy to open the bottle for you to enjoy during the Hoot. Dornan’s is a great location to get an excellent pizza (try ‘The Peak’) or my personal favorite, their meatball sub. By the time your food arrives, the Hoot should be kicking off!

The Jackson Hole Hootenanny is truly a hidden gem of Jackson and a great way to catch up on all your favorite cowboy songs. A favorite song was one by Lynn Castle when she did her version of “Crazy” by Patsy Cline; however, not every song is country and some artists mix it up with versions of popular songs such as “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” by The Rolling Stones.

Even if you don’t muster up the courage to sign up and sing a two-song set, the Hoot always seems to end with a song everyone sings along too. Slap your knee, clap your hand and sing along- I mean, the saying goes, “When in Jackson…” Right?

Grand Teton National Park in the fall time offers an amazing display of golden yellow Aspen and Cottonwood trees contrasted again the snow capped peaks of the Teton Range.  Photographer and blogger, Latham Jenkins shares a few of the main photo and video locations in Grand Teton National Park.

Starting at the Moulton Barn and moving north, featuring Schwabacher’s Landing on the Snake River, the Snake River Overlook (made famous by Ansel Adams), the fence line out in front of Triangle X Ranch, and the Oxbow Bend of the Snake River.

Photography Tips
Shooting photos and video in Grand Teton National Park is generally best at sunrise and you will want to use a graduated split neutral density filter to balance out the light.  First light offers a warm red glow on the Tetons as the valley is left still lightless, so you need to average the two areas out.  Ask your local camera shop to help you get a filter set-up.  Check the sunrise times and be ready, the warm light fades fast and the shooting areas can be busy.  Getting there approx 15-20 minutes before sunrise will help to ensure a good tripod location for yourself and preparation for the first light.  Watch the clouds in the sky to the East on the horizon to see if you have good light.

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Provided by Grand Teton National Park:

Fall Colors in the Tetons
Grand Teton National Park is a wonderful place to visit any time of year, but fall is especially magical for a number of reasons. Beautiful fall colors, wildlife, and few crowds make for a wonderful and relaxing time of year. Visitors often want to know when the fall occurs and when the peak for fall colors happens. In general, fall in the Tetons lasts from the beginning of September until about mid-October. But like all natural events, fall too depends on local climatic conditions. The amount of rainfall and the nighttime temperatures both play important roles in determining fall colors. While no one can accurately predict exact “peaks” of fall colors, in the Tetons, the third week has historically been about the peak week for fall colors. And of course, some years are better than others are! No matter when you come in the fall, the park holds many wonders to explore.

The Teton Range has large stands of deciduous trees whose leaves blaze mostly yellow and orange (and occasionally red) shades in the fall. Cottonwoods line the banks of the Snake River and other creeks in the area. Aspens are found on hillsides and scattered throughout the park’s moist areas. Numerous species of willows, as well as other shrubs, transform lake and canyon trails into yellow and red carpets in the fall.

Fall is also an important time for the deer species, whose annual rut (breeding season) takes place during this time. Male elk actively bugle to signal their dominance and attract females, an eerie sound that pierces early evenings. You may even witness a sparring match between two dominant male elk — truly an incredible sight to behold. The bull moose in the park are also actively searching for females as well and may at times spar for dominance too. Bears are actively searching for the berries and any other food source they can find, as they only have a few short weeks left to gain the additional fat they will need to survive hibernation. Since so much wildlife is active (and often aggressive) in the fall, please enjoy viewing them from your car, or a safe distance away (25 yards at least for most wildlife, and 100 yards for bears).

Jackson Hole Paragliding offers a way to boost your vacation to a new level and the guides at Jackson Hole Paragliding will help you take flight. A relaxing gondola ride almost to the top of Jackson Hole Mountain Resort followed by a short jaunt to the launch site and you are ready to go.  Experience is not necessary for a tandem flight and your guide will basically do all the work.  Once you are all set to launch with your guide just lean forward, walk and then slightly jog and before you know it you are flying! Paragliding is a great way to see the valley and also enjoy a comfortable seat in the sky. Scott Harris and the guides at Jackson Hole Paragliding are expertly trained and will make you feel relaxed as you are soaring above the valley floor. Depending on your comfort level, guides sometimes will twirl you around in acrobatic twists and maneuvers called aerials. Be sure to wear pants, a jacket or sweatshirt, and sturdy shoes. Sunglasses help too. Paragliding heavily relies on wind conditions, so schedule a window of days to get the best conditions. Contact Jackson Hole Paragliding for a view of the valley and Tetons like none other!