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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
