Once you’ve hired a car, a certain logic takes hold. You’ve gone to the expense of shelling out for the additional freedom, so it seems an outrageous waste to leave it parked outside the hotel while going on an organised tour. This is particularly the case if the tour just goes to places you can drive to for free. Why on earth would you shell out the extra to be guided around while the car you’ve spent good money on sits in the parking lot?
Why book the Grand Teton small-group wildlife safari by Jeep?
- Search for iconic wildlife: Look for moose, elk, bison, pronghorn and bears in Grand Teton National Park.
- Travel by open-air Jeep: Explore back roads and quieter areas that larger vehicles cannot easily reach.
- Expert naturalist guides: Learn about animal behaviour, ecosystems and local conservation from knowledgeable guides.
- Small-group experience: Limited group sizes allow more flexibility, better viewing opportunities and a relaxed pace.
- Stunning mountain scenery: Enjoy sweeping views of the Teton Range while wildlife spotting throughout the park.
Why self-driving feels like the obvious choice in Grand Teton National Park
In Wyoming’s Grand Teton National Park, this thinking had undeniable logic. We already had the National Park pass, the roads weren’t exactly tricky to drive around, and we’d got precisely the right amount of time there to see what we wanted to see. To waste time and money going on a tour would be the act of a fool, surely?
What we wanted to see in Grand Teton National Park
Well, the problem in this instance came in terms of what we wanted to see. And, very specifically, we wanted to see a moose.
Grand Teton is a visually tremendous place, with the mountains soaring upwards from the plateau in agreeably photogenic fashion. We had looked at the peaks from pretty much every conceivable angle, we’d seen the gorgeous old Mormon homesteads, we’d gorged on elk viewing and we’d snaked up winding roads to majestic lookouts over the lakes.
The frustration of wildlife spotting without a guide
But we hadn’t seen a moose. Or, rather, we had – but just a fleeting glimpse of an antler in the trees on the other side of the Snake River. Frankly, since then it had just been a case of driving around aimlessly, hoping one would magically appear in front of us, doing the Macarena and perhaps banging out a few showtunes.
Why Grand Teton wildlife tours have the advantage
When it comes to animal-spotting, having a tour guide really does help. On our own, we knew that moose are most likely to be found near the willow trees they eat. Our guide book also gave a few tips on where in the park they’re most likely to be found.
But someone who goes out every night looking for wildlife has a different level of knowledge about where to find it. They get to know the individual creatures, and where they hang out.
Searching for moose near Antelope Flats
And so, after a while spotting proghorns through binoculars on the Antelope Flats, and ogling osprey nests, we headed in a specially adapted safari-style vehicle towards the village of Moose.
It is a village name that is both excellent and, it turns out, somewhat apt. On previous runs through, however, we hadn’t been looking in the right place.
A close encounter with a bull moose in Grand Teton National Park
We pulled over near the bridge, and head down the bank to a small islet in the middle of the river. The humungous bull moose who likes to chill there in the evenings is rather difficult to miss. He was right opposite us, and gloriously unconcerned about our presence. He sat like a cat in front of a fireplace, albeit a comically ugly cat with giant antlers.
But to get up this close to one of these lumbering, ungainly beauties is a real privilege. And sometimes it’s a case of needing someone to lead you to that promised land.
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