There are two ways to get across Nebraska -- the southern route along the Platte river, or the northern route along the Niobrara & Elkhorn rivers. They both end up in Omaha, but are very different. The northern route is the way to go if you want to avoid the highway and see lots of small towns. The southern route if you want to see more historical spots.
All of these comments are really helpful. I'm beginning to see my journey in my mind"s eye. Please keep them coming.
David
...and don't forget those (rather obvious) distant views of the Tetons from the road to Jackson Hole. I made some great sunset photos here, again in 1973 - with a Nikon F w/300mm lens...and Kodachrome! Some nice views also from the north...of the mountains, including the Snake River in the foreground - thinking of the A. Adams photo?
It's been a few years since I've been there - so hope this holds up -
Keep in mind that this will also be during fire season - depending on how it goes, hard to know until summer gets there - but it may be smoky and will want to plan accordingly.
Dornan's on the south end of the park (Moose) is a nice place, puts you pretty close to many things like the Moulton Barns, Schwabacker Landing, Phelps and Taggard Lakes, and has a lovely roof-top patio where you can watch the sun set behind the Tetons while having pizza and a nice bottle of wine from the shop below. Good place to go even if you aren't staying there.
Signal Mountain Lodge is right on Jackson Lake - Nachos are locally famous. Jackson Lake Lodge is...not actually on the lake, and usually more busy, so might give that one a pass.
May or may not be able to get rooms at any location for this summer, I would start looking now.
Been across Nebraska a number of times and ways - recommend the more northernly route mentioned earlier as it is much more interesting.
If you are in Jackson - I would be sure to check out the Brookover Gallery - lots of his work is large format and/or alternative process.
Happy Trails
The lodges are expensive and can be booked-up well in advance of your trip. I cannot think of one with a deck overlooking a lake. But Jackson Lake Lodge overlooks a very colorful meadow with willows once the fall colors arrive around mid-September. The view towards the Teton Range from there is exceptional, and Jackson Lake is visible in the distance. The JL Lodge hosts the big economic summit around the end of August, and I think availability then would be very limited. You don't have to be staying there to enjoy the surrounding areas, and I have wandered into the lodge on occasion and it seems pretty casual.
There are many camping options though, at developed campgrounds and more informal, dispersed sites, either on the Bridger-Teton National Forest or Targhee NF on the west side of the Tetons. I live in the Teton Basin (on the west side, in Idaho), and over the last 43 years, my work and play often brings me to the backcountry in GTNP and surrounding National Forests. The crowds have thinned since the pandemic, but it is still quite crowded unless you know where to go. Bears are common. The campgrounds in GTNP are generally larger, but are in greater demand because they are in the park. They are also more expensive.
Parking in GTNP is limited unless you get there early, say before 7 AM (in August) or 8 AM in September. There are no shuttle buses, but there are some guide services that use vans for road-side interpretive tours. The scenery etc. in the surrounding NF's is excellent and less crowded.
You can PM me for specifics.
You hit the nail on the head -- basically avoid anyplace that's in a Guide Book.Originally Posted by mmerig
I remember having lunch at Jenny Lake Lodge when I was in the park during early to mid-Sept of 2019 ('last road trip before the COVID saga set in), and after I had parked in their lot and walked across the road that goes by to take some nice pix across a lake and over to some peaks with my 4x5 ('sorry I don't have any jpegs to show here). That Lodge will be very expensive to stay in, but it has a good kitchen and upscale service. I imagine that there are some trails around that area that would take you to many nice photo ops.
When I was there, my wife and I stayed at the Jackson Lake Lodge, and it was pretty good also. They have a very large deck on the back side of the Lodge that overlooks the meadows and swampy areas, and over to some peaks that can catch some really nice clouds for some dramatic sunset pix.
... JMOwens (Mt. Pleasant, Wisc. USA)
"If people only knew how hard I work to gain my mastery, it wouldn't seem so wonderful at all." ...Michelangelo
Friends of mine wrote a guidebook titled "Beyond the Tetons", covering the surrounding ranges on the Bridger-Teton National Forest. Most of these places are still sparsely visited. These days, I think on-line sources have more influence than printed books. A formerly obscure, off-trail hike in the Tetons now gets a lot of use. It all started with an add for a jacket on Instagram, showing a lake and Grand Teton in the background.
There is a similar phenomenon down here in Colorado. Several years ago, some nitwit wrote a book "Colorado's 13ers". Before that, no one ever gave them even a second thought. Now they are as over-run as the 14ers.
Now it's adventure websites. It used to be backcountry guidebooks. The problem with both is that they tend to get written by mountaineers, but end up attracting all kinds of people who are unprepared and inexperienced. Few people realize just how much conditions can potentially change from year to year, or even on the same day. Long ago I got accustomed to finding my own places to go. I got tired of ruined vacations due to having to rescue people and guide them back out. During one of the big fires a few years ago, if you reported a missing hiker, they'd be number 500-something on the search list. Even helicopters couldn't operate during that mess.
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