Grand Teton National Park Warnings Or Dangers

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Grand Teton was no different than Yellowstone in that there were plenty of Bison roaming around, especially in the southern portion of Grand Teton. When we left Jackson to return northward to our Lodge, we took a different route back – along the banks of the Gros Ventre River on the eastern side of the park. Just like the Hayden Valley drive along the Yellowstone River we were to experience the next day, there were bison all over the place and whenever they felt like crossing the highway, they just did it. The largest male bisons can be up to 6-ft tall, 10-ft (3 m) long and weigh up to 2000-lb (1000 kg), so you don’t want them to be messing with the exterior of your car!

There have also been several cases of tourists being injured by charging Bison when they try to get a bit too close to these docile appearing animals for that 'perfect' shot. Bison can run as fast as 35-mph so you won't have a hope in a sprint (they are bigger than humans too)!

Bear attacks are not frequent in Grand Teton National Park, but there have been instances of attacks by both Grizzly and Black bears in recent years. In 2007 a middle-aged male hiker was out for an early morning walk not far from Jackson Lake Lodge when he inadvertently came too close to a female Grizzly and her cubs feeding on an Elk kill. He was immediately attacked by one of the bears even though he shouted and laid down in a submissive posture. Luckily, a nearby wrangler heard the commotion and startled the bears into leaving before serious injuries took place.

Since our August visit, park officials have also had to euthanize a male Black bear which was making a habit of breaking into ranch buildings while trying to gain access to food. The good news is that 2010 has been a quiet year regarding bear problems – with this Black bear being the only one requiring action by the authorities.

In our case, we knew we would not really have enough time on our lightning trip to two National Parks to be able to do any serious hiking. Still, we contemplated it on our short hike along the lakeshore at the Jenny Lake Visitor Center and, in fact, did start out along the trail. However, we had not gone far before we decided this is crazy – we had no bear spray or any other means of defending ourselves! Let’s not spoil a great trip now by being stupid. We turned around and went back to Jenny Lake where we enjoyed ourselves along the beachfront instead.

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There is a lot of gorgeous water to drink in the backcountry and you will likely have never tasted better. At this elevation, it's cold as ice and there is nothing more refreshing than hiking for miles uphill and stopping to take a long drink of the stuff. But you have to treat it first as it can contain microorganisms that can wreck havoc on your body. You can use chemicals or a filter. I've tried both and must say the water tastes best with a filter even if it's a bit more weight to carry. No matter how you do it, it's one of the great pleasure of the backcountry so enjoy it.

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bedankt voor uw bezoek en tot nog eens.

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Thanks for your visit and you are welcome to revisit later on.

Loose rocks and the steepness made me realize that walking down can be almost as difficult as walking up.. This trail from the top of Grand Targhee going down to the resort was somewhat difficult but fun.. My wife fell a couple of times. The rest of us almost fell...Also I have this fear of grizzly bears that is why I am watching over my son.. No Grizzlies on this day though.

The is a National Park, not a zoo or a farm! I was astonished how close people would go to the wildlife for a "good" picture. This is their home, you are just a visitor. Please respect them! It is the animals that you are here to see, no? So please do not endanger yourself, or the animals. The rule is approach no closer than 25 yards, with bears being the exception, approach no closer than 100 yards from bears.
If you want fantastic photos of animals, buy a camera with a good zoom, or if you are experienced with photography and have an SLR, get a telephoto lens, preferably a decent focal length of at LEAST 300mm. Good photos, safe people and animals, that's the way to do it!

Similar advice to that I gave on my Yellowstone National Park Page, be wary of animals on the road. This is their home and they wander where ever they please. Drive with caution, and obey the speed limits, especially at night when animals are harder to see.
Also be aware of Bison Jams, they happen in this park as well,. perhaps not with the frequency of Yellowstone, but they do happen. Bison like to take their time crossing the road, or in some cases, they just take a leisurely stroll down the road. Traffic can build up quite heavily when this happens. It is best to stay in your car. Remember that these are large, powerful , wild animals and that you should not approach them, no matter how "tame" they may appear.

It's horrible to see dead animals on the side of the road, 10 fold if you are in a National Park.

We witnessed a Elk being hit with a car by a person that was going way over the speed limit at night. To make matters worse, the Elk's stunned and confused companion almost got clobbered by an on-coming Semi as well.

This is what occurs especially since Hwy 191 and an airport are located within a National Park!

Once you enter the park you receive a flyer that states "Speed Kills" more than 100 bears, elk, bison, deer, moose and wolves are killed per year.