Photos: Wyoming's stunning Grand Tetons

In and around Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming has some of the most beautiful mountains in the country.

CNET Reviews staff

July 21, 2009 10:00 a.m. PT

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Grand Tetons

Everyone knows that Yellowstone National Park is one of the most beautiful areas in the United States. But not far south of Yellowstone, near Jackson, Wyo., is Grand Tetons National Park. Perhaps lesser known because of its smaller size and shorter list of recreational activities, Grand Tetons features some of the most amazing mountains in all of North America, including its namesake, Grand Teton.

CNET News reporter Daniel Terdiman went through Grand Tetons on Road Trip 2009, and found it one of the most visually stunning places he's visited.

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Behind Grand Teton

A view of Grand Teton from the west, a view many people don't see, as the main north-south road from Yellowstone runs along its eastern side.

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Tram

The "New Tram," that takes visitors to the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, near Jackson, Wyo., to the top of the 10,450-foot-high Rendezvous Mountain.

From there, you get a sweeping view of Jackson, including the Snake River, to the south, as well as Grand Teton National Park to the east, and a series of other fantastic mountains to the north and west.

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A view down the tram line

A trip on the tram to the top of Rendezvous Mountain, atop Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, can be a harrowing experience, given its 9-minute, 4,139-foot ascent to 10,450 feet.

This is a view down the tram line on the south side of Rendezvous Mountain.

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Tram meetup

A tram heading down Rendezvous Mountain is about to pass the one taking CNET News reporter Daniel Terdiman up.

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Sheer rock face

From the top of Rendezvous Mountain, views like this one of a nearby mountain with a sheer rock face are standard.

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Bannon and Fossil

After taking the tram to the top of Rendezvous Mountain, visitors can take long hikes back down to the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, can go paragliding, or can simply stop and enjoy the view of some of the nearby mountain peaks.

On the left is the peak of 10,916-foot Fossil Mountain, and on the right is the peak of 10,966-foot Mount Bannon.

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Due to uncooperative wind conditions, a group of people being taken on tandem paragliding flights were turned back when their tram got to the top of Rendezvous Mountain. But this man, who was flying on his own, didn't seem to care. He pulled out his "wing," leaned into the wind to inflate in, and ran off the side of the mountain.

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Grand Tetons from Jenny Lake

A view of the Grand Tetons, including Grand Teton mountain (on the left) from across Jenny Lake, north of Jackson, Wyo.

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Grand Tetons from the north

The Grand Tetons are blessed with some of the most beautiful lakes as foreground, including the incomparable Jackson Lake, seen here with the mountains to the southwest.

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Jackson

From the top of Rendezvous Mountain, Jackson, Wyo., is seen to the south, including the Snake River, which cuts through the town.

Because of its proximity to Grand Teton National Park, Jackson is known throughout the world as a leading mountaineering center.

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Tiny people

They're hard to see, but there are two people--one is in blue--hiking up the middle area of this mountain face.

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Rendezvous hillside

A view of the slope of Rendezvous Mountain to the west.

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Mountain top cell tower

Probably because of this cell tower on the top of Rendezvous Mountain, it was possible to get a very strong signal, including Verizon's EV-DO service, and AT&T's 3G service, from the top, despite being miles from Jackson.

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Wind River Range

Although several miles to the east and north of Grand Tetons, the Wind River Range, and its jagged mountain peaks, were a nice final reminder of the beauty of Jackson and its surrounding mountains.

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