September 14-21, 2018 — The third week of September was an unusual one as we started and ended in the same location but during the week visited Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks.
This trip to the national parks was purposely timed to coincide with the peak fall colors as autumn is our favorite season. We were not disappointed with the sights but with fall colors comes cold nights. The lows during our short stay dipped to the low 30’s and the 20’s were forecasted to follow soon. With those low temperatures on the way we decided to pack up and move south. We did manage to take in a lot of sights during our short stay and look forward to returning another time.
All nights this week were spent dry camping with four nights at Gros Ventre Campground at Grand Teton National Park ($15/night) and three nights at Walmart
A waterfall on the Snake River in Idaho Falls, Idaho. The city features the Idaho Falls Greenbelt, a five mile river walk along both sides of the Snake River offering great views of both the city and the river. Nice place for a walk or bike ride.
Our first moose sighting in Idaho. This one is a statue along the Idaho Falls Greenbelt.
Only in an Idaho Walmart would you see a John Deere tractor driven by a potato pulling a trailer full of 50 pound bags of potatoes.
We took a day trip to see the highlights of Yellowstone National Park. Luckily being in late September the park wasn’t terribly crowded and we were able see many of the sights in a short amount of time. We look forward to returning and spending considerable more time exploring this stunning park.
Old Faithful blows her top right on schedule. The geysers at Yellowstone are amazing!
Grand Prismatic Spring in Yellowstone National Park. Such an amazing site with the intense colors and textures.
Opal Pool at Yellowstone National Park. The water is so clear that you can almost see the base of the pool.
Gibbon River as seen by the Gibbon Falls Wildlife Trail in Yellowstone National Park.
Lower Falls of the Yellowstone River. The water was incredibly loud as it made its way over the falls.
This little tree somehow overcame obstacles and learned to survive without soil as it is growing out of a rock.
Grand Teton National Park. 310,000 acres of mountains, lakes, wildlife, history and beauty.
Our campsite at Gros Ventre Campground in Grand Teton National Park. The campground is huge with 300+ sites. Most sites are dry camping but a few offer electricity. Reservations are not accepted so arrive early to ensure a spot. The campground was full during most nights of our stay.
The T. A. Moulton barn on Mormon Row in Grand Teton Nation Park is said to be the most photographed barn in America. The dramatic backdrop of the Teton Mountains creates a beautiful canvas.
The white puffs in the sky resemble clouds but is actually smoke from the Roosevelt wildfire located south of Teton County in Wyoming. The photo was taken from Antelope Flats Road in Grand Teton National Park looking south.
The Jackson Lake Dam on the Snake River at Grand Teton National Park. The dam was constructed to provide irrigation water for Idaho and Wyoming farmland.
The wildlife around Jenny Lake in Grand Teton National Park are not so wild. This fellow walked right up to our car and looked at us as if he was anticipating a handout.
Jenny Lake as seen from the Jenny Lake Overlook in Grand Teton National Park. Such beauty!
View of the Teton Canyon from E Alta Ski Hill Road near Alta, Idaho. The haze on the Teton Mountain Range is from wildfire smoke.
A glimpse of the gorgeous views when driving between Jackson, Wyoming and Idaho Falls, Idaho on highways 89 and 26. The route follows the Snake River and is breathtakingly beautiful. Always be on the lookout for wildlife on this route. We saw the aftermath of an unfortunate encounter between a moose and truck on Highway 26 and it wasn’t a good sight for either party involved.
The Spud Drive-In Theatre in Driggs, Idaho. The drive-in was built in 1953 and is still operating today.
Antler Arches of Jackson. One of four arches at the Town Square in Jackson, Wyoming.
Welcome to Wyoming. It’s the best welcome sign we’ve seen so far. This one was at the Idaho/Wyoming state line on Highways 33 (Idaho) and 22 (Wyoming) on the Teton Pass.
Yikes! The Teton Pass is not for the timid driver with 10 percent grades going up and down the summit (8,431 feet) of the southern end of the Teton Mountain Range. We were thankful that we were in the car on this mountain pass and not in the RV!
Upon leaving Gros Ventre Campground in Grand Teton National Park we were stalled by a traffic jam caused by a moose. The campground is a popular area for moose due to the close proximity of the Gros Ventre River.
We really enjoyed our our visit to these two incredible National Parks. We do regret that it was a short visit but our paths will cross again in the future. The opportunity to visit later in the season was definitely an advantage because of the reduced traffic and the beauty of the fall color change.
Thank you for following our journey. Tune in next week as we visit a new state by winding our way through the artistic landscape of Utah. See you then!
Thank you for hanging out at Off Our Rocker RV.
Please take a moment to comment, share and like our post using the buttons below. Don’t miss is a single thing! Subscribe today to stay in the loop.
Interested in supporting our site? Become an OORRV Patron or simply use our Amazon Affiliate link. Same great prices but we get a small referral bonus.
Great review! Definitely adding these parks to my list!
Thanks! They are beautiful parks and we look forward to exploring them more in the future.
Both parks are on our list. Can’t wait to visit. And Idaho Falls looks beautiful. We’ll have to make a stop there as well.
We loved every stop we made in Idaho. It’s a beautiful state!
I love your pictures! We can’t wait to visit Yellowstone some day ourselves.
Thank you! Yellowstone is beautiful and we look forward to returning there to explore more.