Spring lasts a long time in the Jackson/Grand Tetons area.  It arrives in the valley and moves up the mountains.  There should be flowers and snow somewhere into July.  I would check with the local CofC or NPS for details.

When you were there before, did you get to Pearle Street Bagels, Anthony's and Bubba's?

Anthony's doesn't take reservations and the line can get long.  I think they open at 5pm.  Get there a bit before that and get in line.  It moves fast early.  Great food.

Right about the Bunnery.  I forgot about it.

I spent a week w/friends in GT and Yellowstone a couple years back in mid-late May.  The weather was chilly; it snowed on our way out of GT up to Yellowstone.  When we got to Yellowstone, one of the major north-south roads through the park was closed due to snow, though it opened during our stay.  At higher elevations, there was easily a foot of snow on the ground, and berms from plows that were taller than I am !  Many shots have snow in them - other places had none.  There was no snow on the ground in Jackson Hole while we were there, but we didn't have to hike up very high within GT Park to encounter snow-covered trails.  On the plus side, the park was not very crowded, and wildlife was abundant ... in the span of a week, we saw & photographed plenty of bison (with calves), elk, caribou & mule deer; also bald eagles (two sightings) & osprey, moose (two sightings, both in GT), pronghorns, grizzly bear, black bear & cubs, coyote (2 sightings), marmot, beaver, a gray owl ... a friend who had been there in summer said that wildlife was nowhere near so easy to find on previous trips.

I, too, love Grand Teton National Park.  The WyoFOTO Web site has a Photo Map you might find interesting.

Just West of the Oxbow Bend turnout is an unmarked dirt road that leads to the junction of Oxbow Bend and the Snake River's main channel.  The road, while rutted, does not require a 4 wheel drive vehicle, probably since the Lodge has a campfire area there.  If you look at the large map from the NPS site and zoom in on the Oxbow Bend area, the road I'm talking about is shown in grey on the West side of Oxbow Bend.

In that area I've encountered moose, deer, hawks, otters, etc.  Along the road is a meadow with Mt. Moran in the background.  This might be a friutful area for Spring flowers, given that the area stays quiet and relatively undistrubed since most tourists don't know about it.  

Until about four years ago "Fisherman's Bridge" crossed the Snake at that junction, but the bridge fell into disrepair and was removed.

A dirt path follows the Bend's bank North from the parking area at the end of the road.

Bob

I'm in the process of planning a trip to Jackson, WY and the area surrounding Grand Teton National Park for next spring.  I was there this past August and it was beautiful.

This time, I'm interested in capturing some of the wild flowers that bloom in spring, but would also like some snow left on the peaks.  I know this may be difficult due to different weather patterns from year to year, but was wondering if any of you have had experiences in this area during the spring season?  Any recommendations as to what month/week may provide the best opportunities would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance.


ljn

Howard,

Thanks much for the input.  Its sounding like June-July would be the time.

To answer your question, we did make it to Bubba's, but did not have time to get to Pearle Street Bagels or Anthony's.  We did hit The Bunnery one time for breakfast.  They have good pastries, etc.

Thanks again,

Larry

I went to the tetons last spring (1st week of June), and luckily just missed the snowfall that hit the park a week earlier.  there were some wildflowers there at the time, but i probably would have been better off going a couple of weeks later.  I was on a three week tour through moab, monument valley, page (wave/antelope), grand canyon, sedona, bryce, tetons and yellowstone.

I had only set aside 3 days for the tetons, which wasn't nearly enoug, so i'd recommend a longer trip, as there is LOTS to shoot!

one word of caution, be careful around oxbow bend at sunset, the night i got in last year a photographer was hit by a car, coz he set his tripod up too close to the road (very tight area at the turnout).

Techman995, my favorite plce to stay is the Gros Ventre campground.  Nice area and close to town and the park.  There are some nice old barns and buildings nearby, too.  Moose Junction is a good place to see waht else - moose.  I have also seen black bears there.  The overlook and road south just west of the Moose post office (narrow paved and dirt) toward Jackson ski area are very good.  The area east of the main north-south road near the airport and old barns is excellant for buffalo.

Jackson just may, no, is, my favorite place.  Winters are unbearable cold.  Summers are hot and dry.  Spring and fall are just wonderful.

I go there every year...I usually drive from Ohio. The best time to catch Wildflowers differs depending on what you want to see. Usually in early June through July you will see Lupines and Indian paintbrush dotting the fields and valleys. To get the really spectacular wildflower displays you see frequently in photos you really only have a narrow window of a couple weeks and its really hard to pin it down - it usually peaks late June to Mid July and then dies down very quickly. At higher altitudes in Yellowstone Pak and the Beartooth mountains the flowers boom later-usually Early August to early September.

There is no real timetable though and nobody can really predict when things will peak. I have seen spectacular displays in early June and also have been there when things peaked as late as early August. Last year was a little dissapointing - there were a few displays of Indian Paintbrush and Lupines but the late season snows and cold mornings killed off a lot of the blooms so it was very below average.

Unfortunately the prime time for wildflowers is not so prime for wildlife and the crowds. This is the busiest time of year and the place is packed and campgrounds and hotels are full. I suggest making reservations NOW if you plan on going in June or July. Many campgrounds or first come first served as well. And you can always back country camp. You will also find it harder to see many Elk or Bison out in the open areas at this time of year. It's kind of a tradeoff.