If you know me, you knew this was coming sooner or later so I’m just going to go ahead and get it out there now. Grand Teton National Park is my favorite place for landscape and wildlife photography. There may be another destination waiting around the corner to bewitch me but this photographer has traveled to more than a few locations, many you might even consider exotic—Borneo, Fiji, Indonesia, Bali, all over the Caribbean, Mexico and quite a bit of the US and yet I continue to return to the Tetons for photography. From my first visit I felt a deep connection to the land and wildlife there that I still not explain.
These are my top 5 reasons that Grand Teton National Park should be high on your photo destination list:
1. The wildlife is so diverse and accessible if you know where to go, when to go, and where to look. Occasionally I offer Grand Teton photography workshops to other photographers simply because it is chock full of photo opportunities which makes for a successful photo trip and happy photographers. We frequently see Moose, Pronghorn, Black and Grizzly Bear, Elk, Big Horn Sheep, Otters, Coyotes, and Bison. There are also beautiful birds and smaller mammals which provide great photo captures.
2. The landscape views are epic and endless. Steep mountains, Historic overlooks where Ansel Adams created some of the most recognizable photographic art in America, open fields of sage dotted with old homesteads, glacier lakes, swift moving rivers and streams, deep forests, and nearby geyser basins. This is a gold mine when the wildlife has decided to play hide and seek which happens frequently as most wildlife photographers know.
3. The size. It’s not as HUGE as it’s big brother Yellowstone Park. Grand Teton National Park has approximately 485 sq. miles whereas Yellowstone National Park encompasses 3,500 sq. miles. That smaller size means you don’t have to spend the entire day driving to see the sites or look for wildlife. Granted there is a lot to see in Yellowstone but the distance from one site to another takes time. In the Tetons, I can typically find something— landscape, wildlife or macro to photograph relatively quickly and in close proximity of my base.
4. Every season has great photo ops so I can never answer the proverbial question, what’s my favorite time to go to the Tetons. Spring means the mountains still have snow and frequently the area continues to experience some snowfall. Snow capped mountains are hard to beat for landscapes. Newborn wildlife is everywhere! Most of the large mammals are giving birth and who doesn’t love baby animals? This also means predators like bears who have woke from a winter’s sleep or wolves are looking for an easy meal and young animals sometimes become casualties of the hunt. Spring is also when wild flowers are everywhere dotting the landscape with color. Summer is great for fishing and hiking but photo opportunities are sometimes less than other months. Wildlife tends to move more at daybreak and dusk to avoid the heat and it’s a popular time for tourist traveling with children on summer breaks. In August the Bison rut begins and and the show is on with bulls battling it out for the girls. It’s great for photos but danger abounds so photographers need to take extra precaution not to get too close and become a TikTok reel on social media!. Black bears are seen frequently in the Hawthorne trees gorging on sweet berries. Fall is spectacular with the leaves changing, and the Elk rut begins. Their morning and evening bugle is magical and even when I can’t see them I can hear them and that’s enough. Snow occasionally falls dusting the high peaks of the Tetons with soft white powder. Grizzly Bears are in hyperphasia consuming as much food as possible before they go to den in Winter. Photographers can see Grizzlies along roads in fields digging for tubers, grasses and small rodents. With the weather cooling off, wildlife may be seen more frequently in the daytime. One of my favorite times to visit the Tetons for photography is early December before the ski crowds arrive. Snow is abundant and changes the landscape I am so familiar with to an entirely different environment. Wildlife is still quite active with regular sitings of Moose, Bison, Mule Deer and Bear. The Elk are moving into the National Elk refuge by the hundreds and the Big Horn sheep have made their way down to the valley floor to breed and graze. Some roads will close and access to sites may be limited but but that’s the beauty of Grand Teton Park. You don’t have to go far to please a photographer.
5. Easy to travel to with regional airports and major hubs close by. I typically fly into Jackson (airport code JAC) and stay in the Jackson Hole area. Car rental companies are located in the airport and off site. Accommodations are varied from private homes and ranches, modern hotels, and campgrounds. Heads up, you won’t see many chain restaurants or big box stores. Jackson Hole has tried to hold on to it’s western heritage and although it continues to experience growing pains, it remains true to its roots.
BONUS REASON: Shopping and galleries. When you need a break from the camera and the car, spend a day walking the streets of Jackson where you will find inspiring art galleries, great food, micro breweries, turquoise, real cowboy boots, and that custom made Ten Gallon Hat you’ve always wanted!
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