Off the Beaten Path

As one of America’s most-loved natural areas, Yellowstone [1] and Grand Teton National Parks [2] attract millions of visitors annually. Yet despite the crowds, it can be surprisingly easy to escape to the natural world. Here are a few ways to avoid the hordes and have the parks to yourself.

• • Visit in the off-season, especially autumn. Fall colors come late to the region, typically peaking the first week of October. The town of Jackson [3] is still busy, but it’s much quieter than in midsummer. Lodging rates are lower, the elk are bugling, and hiking trails are uncrowded.
• • The 15-mile River Road [4] provides an alternative route through the sagebrush of Grand Teton National Park, and is a good place to see elk in the fall.
• • The mostly gravel road into Gros Ventre Valley [5] east of Kelly extends 30 miles into red-rock badlands.
• • Take a backcountry hike to two of the wildest parts of Yellowstone: the Bechler River [6] area and the Thorofare [7] region.
• • Looking to escape the Old Faithful [8] madhouse? Directly behind the geyser, Observation Point Loop Trail [9] climbs up Geyser Hill, with a view over the entire area.
• • Most folks just ride up Jackson Hole Ski Resort [10]’s popular tram and then head back down, but several excellent alpine trails [11] fan out from here for short hikes or multi-night wilderness treks.
• • In winter, book a trip to a rustic tent cabin along Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River [12], a fine base camp to explore by ski or snowshoe [13].
• • Elude the Jackson Hole [14] winter scene with hut-to-hut cross-country ski trips [15] that lead to remote yet comfortable yurts.
• • An hour southeast of Jackson, Granite Hot Springs [16] is a delightful spot for a soak.
• • The 10,947-foot Beartooth Pass cuts through a wide-open landscape northeast of Yellowstone with knife-edged peaks, alpine lakes, pretty campgrounds, and miles of hiking trails.
• • The Heart Mountain Interpretive Center, north of Cody, commemorates the thousands of Japanese-Americans who were incarcerated here during World War II.
• • Take the dirt road into Whiskey Basin near Dubois to find herds of Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep in winter and spring.