Encounters in Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks

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“A thousand Yellowstone wonders are calling. ‘Look up and down and round about you.’” – John Muir 1898

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In 2010, my boyfriend and I embarked on a cross country road trip from Prince Edward Island, Canada, to Vancouver Island, British Columbia driving through the US. It was a trip to move my boyfriend to Vancouver Island, while I was going to remain in Prince Edward Island to finish veterinary school. We decided to make a vacation out of it and take the opportunity to do some hiking in one of the top national parks in the United States, Yellowstone.

Yellowstone is considered the first park to be designated a national park in 1872 when the Yellowstone National Park Protection Act was established. Prior to this there were several expeditions, with the first organized expedition in 1860, which failed as they attempted to explore the Yellowstone Plateau. In 1870, the Washburn-Langford-Doane Expedition occurred and the Old Faithful Geyser was named. In 1948, Yellowstone had its first 1 million visitors.

This park is steeped in history and has been shaped into what it is today by many, becoming one of the most popular national parks in the world. It also has some pretty cool geothermal activity too. As you walk the paths to the different geysers and geothermal sites, there is a smell of Sulphur in the air and a hot steam that constantly washes over you. From geysers, to hot springs, to the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone and Yellowstone Falls, in Canyon Village there is something for everyone.

The Grand Canyon of Yellowstone is the first canyon downstream from Yellowstone Falls along the Yellowstone River. The canyon is approximately 24 miles long and is an impressive sight to behold.

The park is very user friendly, with very well-connected roads and platforms for access to up close and personal views of these natural wonders of nature. Along the way you can see bison, wolves, bears, deer and more. Just a fair warning that these are wild animals and are capable of doing more than just injuring a person. In 2015, 5 visitors were gored by Bison because they got to close. Trust me that selfie isn’t worth it. When we visited there was a family taking pictures standing just a couple feet away from a bull bison and you could tell that bison was getting pretty pissed off. I could feel the anxiety welling up as I just waited for the bison to attack the young child that kept inching closer and closer.

Close to Yellowstone is Grand Teton National Park.  Another historic park, Grand Teton National Park was so named in 1929. Nestled close to Jackson Hole, this area has a rich Indian Culture that remains today. With over 200 miles in trails, there is something here for everyone and the wildlife is out of this world. We did most of our hiking here, including two spectacular trails, Death Canyon Trail and Lupine Meadow Trail.

Lupine Meadow Trail

We chose to do the Lupine Meadow Trail to Amphitheater Lake first. Roundtrip, this is a strenuous 10.2-mile hike, with an elevation change of 2,980ft. There are a lot of switchbacks on this trail but there are also some really pretty flat, meadow sections where you can see mule deer and ruffled grouse. There are views of the Tetons and Jackson Hole along the way as well. If you are looking to have wildlife encounters, this trail is a good bet.

At one point during this trail we thought we saw a moose in the woods and stopped to check it out. The movement in the trees stopped and I thought that it must have gone off so I continued on along the trail, leaving my boyfriend behind, when suddenly he shouted, “It’s a bear!” I turned and saw a bear slowly meandering across the trail in between us. My heart immediately shot up into my mouth and I did the one thing you should never do, I ran. The bear, however, didn’t care one iota for us and just went on his merry way but my boyfriend was not very impressed. With my adrenaline pumping and him shouting at me that I’m not supposed to run I finally slowed down.

Once I got ahold of myself we rounded a corner to see a peaceful mule dear snacking on the meadow grass. I stopped here, caught my breath and settled my heart down into it’s proper place while I took in the beautiful creature.

About 5 miles into the hike there is a side trail to Surprise Lake.

It’s a short quarter mile hike off the main trail to the lake but it is worth the sidebar if you have the time. After Surprise Lake it’s the final hike to Amphitheater Lake, arguably the most beautiful spot in the park. The lake is surrounded by Middle Teton, Disappointment Peak (11,618-feet), Grand Teton, Mount Owen, and Teewinot Mountain. The views here will take your breath away and it’s a great place to have some lunch.

Death Canyon Trail

We did the Death Canyon Trail the next day and I’m not going to lie I was looking all around me, ever vigilant for bears after the previous days encounter. Honestly, after that encounter I do it on every hike we go on, no matter where in the world I am. Death Canyon Trail is a 10.5-mile trail, if you do the whole thing and is considered strenuous with an approximate elevation gain of about 2,500ft. You can opt to do a shorter version, however, which is what we did, to the Death Canyon Patrol Cabin, which is a strenuous 7.9-miles roundtrip, with an elevation gain of 2040ft. This trail sounds scary but it is a spectacular hike, with beautiful scenery every step of the way.

You start the hike at the Death Canyon Trailhead and after a short distance you will turn onto the Valley Trail, which leads to the Patrol Cabin. At 1 mile you reach the Phelps Lake Overlook, an area surrounded by trees and a beautiful panorama view of Phelps Lake.

At around 1.7-miles you reach the Death Canyon Trail junction and at 2.5-miles you are officially in the Canyon, with a lovely river trickling through and rock walls soring overhead on either side of you. Once you reach the upper part of the canyon the hike levels out and becomes very easy walking. There are lots of spots along the river to stop for lunch (this seems to be a theme for me) and to get some great pictures.

At the end is the historic Death Canyon Patrol Cabin, originally built as a barn in 1935 by the Civilian Conservation Corps. It became a ranger patrol cabin in 1945 and is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Have you been to Yellowstone or Grand Teton National Park? If you are looking for your next National Park adventure check out this post by DQ Family Travel.

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