Fodor's the Complete Guide to the National Parks of the West by Fodor's

Author:Fodor's
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
ISBN: 9781400008261
Publisher: Fodor's
Published: 2010-04-20T10:00:00+00:00

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SPORTS AND THE OUTDOORS

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BICYCLING

Teton Park Road and Jackson Hole Highway are generally flat with long, gradual inclines, and have well-marked shoulders. Cyclists should be very careful when sharing the road with vehicles, especially RVs and trailers. The first phase of a paved bike path along Teton Park Road was completed in 2008 and runs between Moose and the visitor center at Jenny Lake. A bike lane allows for northbound bike traffic along the one-way Jenny Lake Loop Road, a one-hour ride. The River Road, 4 mi north of Moose, is an easy four-hour mountain-bike ride along a ridge above the Snake River on a gravel road. Bicycles are not allowed on trails or in the backcountry.

In Jackson, ride the Snow King trails system that begins at Snow King resort. The Cache Creek to Game Creek loop is a 25-mi ride on dirt roads and trails. The two trails systems also link together. In addition, the surrounding Bridger-Teton National Forest has abundant mountain-biking trails and roads.

OUTFITTERS AND EXPEDITIONS

Jackson’s hub for cycling culture, Fitzgerald’s Bicycles (245 W. Hansen St., Jackson 83001 | 307/734–6886) offers mountain- and road-bike rentals, sales, accessories, and repairs. Mountain bikers of all skill levels can take guided half-, full-, or multiday tours with Teton Mountain Bike Tours (307/733–0712 or 800/733–0788 | www.wybike.com | Half- to full-day trips $60–$150, multiday trips $379–$400 per day | May–Sept.) into both Grand Teton and Yellowstone national parks, as well as to the Bridger-Teton and Caribou-Targhee national forests.

BIRD-WATCHING

With over 300 species of birds in the park, the Tetons make for excellent bird-watching country. Here you might spot both the calliope hummingbird (the smallest North American hummingbird) and the trumpeter swan (the world’s largest waterfowl). The two riparian habitats described below draw lots of attention, but there are many other bird-busy areas as well. Birds of prey circle around Antelope Flats Road, for instance—the surrounding fields are good hunting turf for red-tailed hawks and prairie falcons. At Taggart Lake you’ll see woodpeckers, bluebirds, and hummingbirds. Look for songbirds, such as pine and evening grosbeaks and Cassin’s finches, in surrounding open pine and aspen forests.

Oxbow Bend.

Some seriously impressive birds tend to congregate at this quiet spot. In spring, white pelicans stop by during their northerly migration; in summer, bald eagles, great blue herons, and osprey nest nearby. Year-round, you’ll have a good chance of seeing trumpeter swans. Nearby Willow Flats has similar bird life, plus sandhill cranes. | U.S. 89/191/287, 2 mi east of Jackson Lake Junction 83013.

Phelps Lake.

The moderate 1.8-mi round-trip Phelps Lake Overlook Trail takes you from the Death Canyon trailhead up conifer- and aspen-lined glacial moraine to a view that’s accessible only by trail. Expect abundant bird life: Western tanagers, northern flickers, and ruby-crowned kinglets thrive in the bordering woods, and hummingbirds feed on scarlet gilia beneath the overlook. Don’t neglect the newly opened Phelps Lake Trail, which circles the lake and is accessible from either Death Canyon or the Rockefeller Preserve.

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