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Wyoming 2023 Trip➤

In September of 2023, my husband I set out to explore some National Park units in the state of Wyoming. We visited Yellowstone, Grand Teton National Park, The John D. Rockefeller Parkway, and Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area. While in Grand Teton National Park, we hiked to Taggart Lake.

Grand Teton National Park➤

The Tetons are the youngest of all the mountain ranges in the Rocky Mountain chain. Most other mountains in the region are at least 50 million years old but the Tetons are less than 10 million and are still rising. The Jackson Hole valley is of the same age and continues to sink. The tallest peaks tower almost 7,000 feet above the valley floor, already at an elevation of about 6800 feet. With no foothills, the resulting landscape is dramatic and breathtaking.

In the 1920s, John D. Rockefeller Jr. agreed to acquire thousands of acres around Jackson Hole, Wyoming, and then donate this land to the government for a national park. At the urging of Horace Albright, then director of the National Park Service, Rockefeller formed a company called the Snake River Land Company to buy up property around the Snake River in secret. Rockefeller wanted to keep his name out of it to keep the price lower.

Meanwhile, in 1929, President Calvin Coolidge signed the act creating Grand Teton National Park, at half its present size. The park only protected the Teton Range and 6 lakes at the foot of the mountains. Rockefeller encountered resistance from locals when he tried to donate his land to expand the park.

In 1943, Rockefeller told President Franklin Delano Roosevelt he would sell to the highest bidder if the government didn’t use his land for the park. Roosevelt used the Antiquities Act and declared additional land in the valley to be Jackson Hole National Monument. The two units were combined to become the present Grand Teton National Park in 1950.

Taggart Lake➤

On our last day in Grand Teton National Park, we set out on the Taggart Lake Trail, an easy out-and-back hike that features some of the park’s most stunning views. Starting at the Taggart Lake Trailhead, the trail climbs gently through a forested moraine dotted with aspens. Even though it’s considered a relatively easy hike, I found myself struggling a bit on the uphill section—thanks to a lingering cold and the higher altitude. We took it slow and stopped for photo breaks.

As we ascended, the trees thinned, revealing breathtaking glimpses of the towering Teton Range. At the trail junction for Bradley Lake, we stayed left, following the path toward Taggart Lake. The trail leveled out after that, leading us through open meadows and closer to the water.

This hike is incredibly popular, so finding parking at the trailhead took some patience, and we shared the trail with plenty of other hikers. But when we reached the lakeshore, the effort and crowds faded into the background. The scene was pure magic—a tranquil alpine lake with the jagged peaks of the Tetons reflected in its still waters. It’s the kind of view that stops you in your tracks, begging you to stay and soak it all in.

Grand Teton Posts➤

• Snake River Overlook
• Lakeshore Trail
• Jackson Lake
• Oxbow Bend
• Schwabacher Landing
• Jenny Lake
• Teton Wildlife Sunset Tour
• Signal Mountain
• Hidden Falls
• Mormon Row
• National Elk Refuge
• Taggart Lake
• Chapel of the Transfiguration
• Menors Ferry Historic District
• Jackson National Fish Hatchery

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Location: Moose, Wyoming
Designation: National Park
Date designated/established: February 26, 1929
Date of my visit: September 29, 2023