Grand Teton National Park

A month ago I had the blessing of being able to go into a road trip to one of the natural jewels of the United States: the Yellowstone National Park (as you can see in Yellowstone National Park (Part I - North) and in Yellowstone National Park (Part II - South) as well). However, just south of Yellowstone there is a yet another fantastic piece of nature preserved for the generations to come: the Grand Teton National Park.

This park is smaller than Yellowstone and therefore is not as chock full of attractions as its larger neighbor, but it has some beautiful vistas all of its own. It has a dramatic scenery: the park is mostly plains with lots of lakes and then, right in the middle of it you can see the impressive Teton mountain range. The highest peak is the Grand Teton, which lends its name to the national park.

As I was spending time in the Yellowstone National Park, I decided to make a day trip to the Grand Teton and I really didn't regret it. As you drive through the flat terrain of the park you can see at a distance the rugged mountains, which are very striking given the contrast between the snow and the naked rocks. In addition, you pass by various lakes with very calm waters, in which you can see the reflection of the peaks. If Yellowstone is all dynamic with its geysers and bubbling ponds, Grand Teton is very much about serenity, with the peaks standing still over the placid lakes. Each park complements each other and it's incredibly fortunate that two such natural wonders live side by side. In fact, together the two parks make the largest concentration of Temperate Forest in the world - and I'm very happy that such natural forest will remain protected for generations.

In short, if you visit Yellowstone, like millions of other tourists do, it will be a very worthy day trip to drive south and check the Grand Teton. If you have the time and the ability to do so, rent a kayak in one of the many lakes there and enjoy some supremely peaceful moments under the shadow of the mountains.













Location: Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming, USA

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