Glamping in the Grand Tetons for the Eclipse!

[Tom Rankin]

I'm headed to the Grand Tetons to watch the Solar Eclipse next month. We're staying in a tent, which has bunk beds and a wood stove, so it doesn't sound like roughing it too much. (The only hotels near by were $600 / night! )

Has anyone stayed in or near the Park? Any recommendations on what to do?

I'm an amateur astronomer, so I'll be prepared with Eclipse glasses, cameras, binocs, etc.

P.S. The 4/8/24 Eclipse will pass over The ADKs, Northern VT/NH, and Kahtadin! Down side: April...

 

[jfb]

Here's a top ten list: http://enjoyyourparks.com/GrandTetonParkTopTen10.html

 

[Lost Dad]

I have been to the area a few times over the last 30 or so years; never as a hardcore hiker, only as a tourist a little more willing to go off the beaten track. We have enjoyed the following: Snake River float trip, take the tram to the top of Jackson Hole Mountain Resort and hike off the backside around to the base, parasailing from JHMR, horseback rides out in the national forest and taking a ferry across Jenny Lake and hiking up into Cascade Canyon.

On 2 separate trips; we took the scenic raft trip early in our visit; both raft trips resulted in a number of good recommendations from both our guide and other tourists for places to eat and other things to do while in Jackson Hole and Grand Teton NP.

FWIW, our most successful visit to the area had us stay at the ski area in the condos at the base of the mountain; centrally located between the town of JH and the National Park. Reasonably priced, Kitchen, Laundry and close to decent restaurants.

 

[Driver8]

I'm headed to the Grand Tetons to watch the Solar Eclipse next month. We're staying in a tent, which has bunk beds and a wood stove, so it doesn't sound like roughing it too much. (The only hotels near by were $600 / night! )

Has anyone stayed in or near the Park? Any recommendations on what to do?

I'm an amateur astronomer, so I'll be prepared with Eclipse glasses, cameras, binocs, etc.

P.S. The 4/8/24 Eclipse will pass over The ADKs, Northern VT/NH, and Kahtadin! Down side: April...

You'll be pretty close to Yellowstone, no? That would be a temptation I'd slake.

 

[Snowflea]

About 10 years ago we did a dayhike on Death Canyon Trail in the Tetons and encountered a thankfully very mellow grizzly bear. At the time I didn't even realize grizzlies lived in the Tetons. Doh!

Spent only a day there so can't really offer any recommendations other than to be aware that there are grizzlies there.

 

[DougPaul]

Just a thought:
Your chance of clear skies is better you are out in the flatter lands to the east (downwind) of the big hills.

It may also be worth checking the weather forecast and driving to a clearer area if your area is likely to be socked in.

Doug

 

[Tom Rankin]

Plan A was to be near the Jackson Hole airport, just because I know it's right on the center line and easy to get to.

 

[jfb]

Plan A was to be near the Jackson Hole airport, just because I know it's right on the center line and easy to get to.

The view from Signal Mountain would probably be pretty good.

 

[Billy]

...Has anyone stayed in or near the Park? Any recommendations on what to do?...

Tom

Some suggestions:

Hike the Cascade Canyon Trail. Once you get past Inspiration Point, you'll lose 90% of the crowd. Turn around wherever you like. The canyon is beautiful. We came around a tight restricted-view corner and came face-to-face (well....almost...it was about 15 feet away) with a huge bull moose coming toward us on the trail.

Hike the Two Ocean Lake. Nice flat hike. Great view of the Tetons with the lake and/or beautiful meadows in the foreground.

In the southern part of the park, take the tram up to Rendezvous Mountain. If time is an issue, it's a nice easy way to do a high elevation day-hike. Sort of like driving up the Mt Washington auto road and then day hiking along the Presidential Range.

Raft ride on Snake River

Drive to the top of Signal Mountain for a sunrise or sunset. Great views of Tetons and also Jackson Hole.

Get take-out dinner and spend part of the evening hanging out on the back deck of Jackson Lake Lodge. Have your binoculars with you. From the deck, you're overlooking Willow Flats...great opportunity to see wildlife. Great place for sunset too.

Drive along Antelope Flats and Mormon Row. See the classic shot of the old barns with the Tetons in the background.

Lots of great pullouts along the main road, such as Schwabacher's Landing, Deadmans Bar, Owbow Bend, etc.

Ask the Rangers about recent kills, and then drive to that general area. Might see something interesting. That's what got us to do the Two Ocean Lake hike, but all we saw was a bear paw print in the mud.

Please post some photos of your trip.

 

[Tom Rankin]

Thanks for all the great suggestions!

 

[Paul_Bear]

Be ready for crowds. Parking / traffic can be an issue even without celestial events, so I imagine it will be worse. The Jackson area and the National Park Service has been planning for some time for this event. NPS says it's planning for the busiest day in park history. I know the tram up Rendezvous Mountain sold out some time ago for eclipse day. I would think limiting / avoiding driving the day of the eclipse would be wise. The good news is that anywhere in the valley should be a fine place to view it.

We're planning on being somewhat nearby in the national forest, hoping that gets us some crowd relief. All this is conjecture, of course. We'll see when the event arrives just how large a crowd it draws.

http://tetoneclipse.com/eclipse/
https://www.nps.gov/grte/planyourvisit/2017-solar-eclipse.htm


There's lots of nice hiking in Teton NP ... can't go wrong on any of the trails. The Jenny Lake boat ride and Cascade Canyon hike is probably the most popular ... you'll meet several hundred people on a nice day hiking up into the canyon ... think something like Franconia Loop on a nice Saturday.

 

[Tom Rankin]

Good information. If worse comes to worse, my tent is under the umbra. I do hope to get farther South though.

Aside from the actual eclipse day, I will be in the area for 8 more days, so there should be plenty of time for exploration.

 

[Chip]

The day you got married we flew into Jackson Hole. Next morning I hiked/climbed Disappointment Peak with a guide.
It's a solid half day if you leave very early. Not technically technical but there was an exposed chimney/scramble near the top that the guide roped me in for.
Great hike and climb to 11,600 feet I think. Postage stamp/wedgie summit looking out at the entire valley and over to Grand Teton.
Well worth it. You could both do it as long as no one is the least bit Acrophobic.

 

[Chip]

you won't need 8 days in the tetons. spend at least a couple outside the valley.

 

[Chip]

bunk beds ? what the...?