Photo courtesy of National Park Service
Photo by Bryan Harry
Wyoming. Yellowstone National Park, the Grand Tetons, Jackson Hole, the Grand Teton National Park . Breathtaking imagery, towering spires, an awe-inspiring national treasure.. and one of the most incredible summer mountain vacation destinations anywhere!
Playing in the shadows and backdrop of such magnificent sights as the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone is an experience all in its own league. Winter visitors are certainly familiar with the incredible skiing at Jackson Hole, but what about the summer months? Summers are when the mountains step up and shine! The weather is perfection, the clear blue skies pristine, and all around there's a magical sense of serenity – and excitement!
The list is truly incredible, nearly as huge as the mountains themselves! Of course there's mountaineering, and the fly fishing is flat out famous. Canoe and kayak paddling, hot air balloon rides, horseback riding, camping, hiking... Floating, golf, just for starters.
Or get truly adventurous and sign on for a trip back into the mountains by horseback. You'll ride and pack in, the same way the original cowboys and settlers did,in a wondrous journey back through time. Try your hand at fishing in a stream few have ever even seen!
Jackson Hole offers clear running rivers that run down from the mountains, across and through the valleys all around. It's one of the few places where you can still pack back into true wilderness, or choose to enjoy the sights and pleasures a bit closer in.
There are also bus tours from Jackson Hole into the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone. During the tour, a guide will narrate, highlighting and explaining aspects of the history and geology of the area – a fine introduction to the area and its parks.
Lodgings provide all the comforts of home in a rustic appearance. Mountain chalet styling, log cabins and the like are the style , with condo rentals, bed & breakfast and four-star hotel rooms available for your stay. There are no bad views in the Grand Tetons. It's a wonder people ever get past the awe of these magnificent mountains to go in and explore them!
Mountain bikes are also very popular in the area. There's a quad-chair lift which will take you up the mountain. Of course, mountain bike and equipment rentals are available as well.
Paragliding is another of the extreme sports catching on quickly. Gliding silently down the mountainside, held aloft by a specially shaped parachute in a harness.... what a rush!
Golf? You bet, and great courses as well! (There's even Disc Golf available!) There are championship golf courses, and you haven't lived until you've played the Arnold Palmer-designed 18 holes on a perfect green before the towering, spectacular Grand Teton mountains!
Concerts, film festivals, all manner of culture and fine dining at 9 thousand feet... Truly, all the best of everything is gathered there in the Grand Tetons – what may be one of the most excellent places on earth!
Between what is undeniably the most spectacularly magnificent landscape in the nation, amongst the most awe-inspiring in the world, and a near-perfect climate in which to explore and play in that wondrous place, Jackson Hole, Wyoming has got to be the quintessential mountain vacation destination! Make it your summer vacation destination once, and there'll be no keeping you away!
