Van Life Diaries - Grand Teton National Park - Trip Essentials

Grand Teton National Park has LONG ranked as one of my favorite areas in the nation …

Today we explore a brief history of the park and share tips, tricks, stories and recommendations for your next visit.

We also answer listener questions, which include: 

• Do you personally believe in Cryptids? 
• How many miles does your van get per gallon? 
• Is Montana as beautiful as I’ve heard? 
• Where do you shower? 
• Why look into the flathead lake monster specifically? 

Below you'll find links to all my recommendations:

Our Favorite Hike (to Delta Lake):

https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/wyoming/delta-lake-via-lupine-meadows-access


First thing to do upon arriving:

https://exploregtnp.com/42-mile-scenic-drive-grand-teton-national-park/


Great stop for a quick photo:

https://jacksonholehistory.org/learn/archives-research/moulton-barn-landscapes-of-loss/


Outside the park:

Great museum with a restaurant overlooking the valley:

https://www.wildlifeart.org/


Recs for nearby Jackson: 

Live music, dancing, SADDLE SEATS: 

https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=million+dollar+cowboy+bar&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8

Unique bourbon shop:

https://spiritsandspice.com/?srsltid=AfmBOoohLINjPfwxOcPrPvHmYPm7AvhHDzeG7Nfmz3EBX9QRRnJLKiAG

coordinates to my favorite free campsite right outside the park: 

43 45'49.7"N 110 33'09.8"W

Noah and Noodles here!

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Your support fuels our passion and inspires us to keep sharing stories and discover overlooked locations.

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Transcript

Van Life Diaries - Our Recs for Grand Tetons National Park

Welcome to van life diaries! 

My name is Noah and it’s just, myself and my dog Noodles in my van today.

No edits. No script. 

In my travels,I’ve been to many National Parks all around the nation and the Tetons in Wyoming has long ranked as one of my favorites …

Today we explore a brief history of the park and share tips, tricks, stories and recommendations for when you go … a-visiting. 

As always, we’ll answer listener questions at the end…

I’m drinking  a mango sparkling water can’t go wrong - feel free to join with a drink of your own and let’s get started! 

Alright - like I said The Grant Tetons is a National Park located in Northwestern Wyoming - something like a 2 and 1/2 hour drive south of Yellowstone National Park - so you can easily visit both parks in a weekend - I’d recommend doing just that -  But, that’s not what we’re here to talk about - we’re here to talk about Grand Teton National Park … 

Right away - what I love most about the park is the largely flat Jackson Hole Valley that lingers well below the imposing Teton Range.

All throughout the valley the Grand Teton - the tallest peak in the Teton range - acts as centerpiece - almost a reference point for the entire park. Wherever you drive; wherever you go. 

The lack of foothills and obstructions throughout the park make this possible - for whatever geological reason, the valley - throughout time was pushed downwards while the mountains rose…. 

Creating - almost a Disney forced perspective throughout the entire valley. 

(Interesting fact, The core of the Teton range has some of the oldest rocks in North America but the mountains themselves are actually among the youngest on the continent.)

Do with that fact what you will but - how the park itself was established is actually a fascinating story in itself: 

Let’s get into it: 

Gran Tetons is officially established as a National Park by Congress in 1929. 

That’s what every website will tell you. 

But at that time - it’s so  important to note -  it was a fraction of its present day size, which means only parts of the Jackson Hole Valley was protected federally … 

It would have continued this way, if not, for an unlikely ally -  John D Rockefeller Jr - son of the standard oil founder - John d Rockefeller

After visiting the Tetons, he loved the area so much -  he agreed to secretly acquire thousands of acres of land in and around the valley

 Using a cover company called Snake River land Co.

Why not just buy it privately? Not in secret? 

The answer is simple, if John D Rockerfeller started acquiring land concerntated in one specific area the price of land IN that area would skyrocket.

And so, the land acquired under Snake River Land Co was then donated by John D Rockerfeller (Jr)  to the federal government and by extension to what would become Grand Teton National Park. 

 This action - this secret buying of land plots - successfully preventing a trend towards commercialization in the area - and preserved one of my now favorite places to visit in the nation.  

But you’re probably asking yourself - Why should I visit it today? 

Alright the first thing I’d recommend you do  - when you get to the Teton’s -  is drive the 42 mile drive in a loop through the heart of the park. 

It takes you along optional scenic pullouts, lakes, wildlife (if you’re lucky) and it generally is at its core a spacious, calming experience. 

One of these overlooks is the spot where Ansel Adams shot his famous photo of the winding snake rive beneath the grand Teton -Here’s a small caveat - tree grew over the full  original view, but! 

 it’s an interesting experience to stand where he stood - looking at  and capturing what Ansel thought was special about the park… 

Far and away, my favorite perk of the dive is the lake of visitors … there just - usually aren’t that many visitors… 

Sometimes parks like Yellowstone or even Zion, Glacier can feel more like a Disney attraction than an escape int o the wilderness and the Tetons have never felt this way to me…. 

So explore the road first - it’s hard to miss - it’s one of the few roads ( I’ll post a map in the show notes) 

Let’s get into hikes in the park - 

Although there are many beautiful hikes all throughout the park (you can google peoples favorites) my favorite hike - and one that’s so often overlooked - is the 8 mile (total) hike up and back to Delta Lake … a tourquas lake nestled secretly in the mountains …. 

A few things to know before you go - it’s a step incline, a boulder portion where you’ll have to be on all fours, 

BUT -  when you get there it. Is. Worth. It. 

It’s this relatively small beautifully colored glacial lake surrounded by mountains and fronted by an ice cold waterfall that cascades down the hard path you just completed…. 

… I’ll post the trail  location ( along with everything else I recommend) in the show notes … 

If you don’t do anything else I recommend to day - if you completely forget every utterance I’ve made  - remember this -  hike Delta lake… 

A couple other quick recommendations: 

Jackson lake - the biggest lake in the park - is beautiful to visit a great spot to set up a picnic and look at the Tetons over water … Noodles and I hang out around there a lot. 

OH! And I almost forgot the most important recommendation: 

When you’re done with your hike - to delta lake - drive a short ways and  watch the sunset at Dornan’s Pizza and Pasta company - great beer and pizza and overlooks the mountains you just scaled - honestly, the greatest reward you can imagine. 

The hike itself takes 5 to 7 and 1/2 hours - I think it took me and my friend 8,  haha! 

So my rec would be to start early - get back by 5 and head to Dornan’s to relax at sunset…

You writing this down? Haha - just pulling your leg - it’s all in the notes…

One of the most overlooked stops in any national park in my opinion. 

One last recommendation for the park itself: 

Have you ever seen the photo of a rustic brown barn in front of mountains? 

More than likely - its John Moulton Homestead In Mormon Row 

This barn is so often associated with he Tetons…. 

And no trip to the park is complete if you don’t at least dive past it. 

Also, just a general note  - throughout your entire visit -  make sure you keep an eye out for moose, bears,  buffalo and generally beautiful wildlife  - I’ve had so much more luck in the Tetons than other national parks seeing wildlife - be respectful - but appreciate when you see them. 

My friend and I saw an adult bull moose feet away from us - a small heard of buffalo and a black bear on our hike up to delta lake - all in the same day… 

I’m telling you, it’s a magical place - really is… 

In the conclusion, I’ll talk places to go immediately outside the park - but for now let’s get to listener questions: