On the road for a mere thirty-five minutes, heading north from Jackson Hole, Wyoming when towering mountains with jagged tops hid the western horizon. But this time things seemed different. These mountains looked different. And I didn’t know why. Already stunned by the National Parks in the Northwest.
Grand Teton National Park
Grabbing ahold of some Grand Teton literature will surely answer my curiosity as to why I felt the difference. Turns out, the mountains of the Teton Range are a unique feature, past what the naked eye picks up. I was looking at the youngest mountain range in the Rocky Mountains.
I get it. Beginning their growth 9 million years ago, we don’t think ‘young’.
But consider this. The Great Smoky Mountains, a subrange of the Appalachians (that I visited in Tennessee) are 300 million years old!
“So what’s this gotta do with anything?”
The younger the mountains, the less time there has been for erosion to take place. Just look at the jagged peaks on these bad boys!
Further North. Deeper into the National Parks of the Northwest.
For the benefit and the enjoyment of the people
Teddy Roosevelt
There is a reason why the iconic Roosevelt Arch is placed here.
National Park: an area of special scenic, historical, or scientific importance set aside and maintained by a national government and in the U.S. by an act of Congress (Merriam-Webster, 2019).
It was here that the National Park system originated. Thank you, Teddy and Woodrow Wilson. Without them, I wouldn’t even have the opportunity to see the National Parks in the Northwest. Or any of the National Parks for that matter!
The first National Park, originally established in 1872 and worldly established on August 25, 1916…
Yellowstone National Park
Not only is Yellowtone home to the largest concentration of wildlife of the National Parks in the Northwest in the lower 48 states, but it also hosts an unbelievable amount of landforms. Geysers, mountains, lakes, rivers, fields, canyons, waterfalls, forests, hydrothermal beds… I don’t even know if I have named them all. But all of this sits in Yellowstone, which is also a super-volcano itself!
I tightened down my backpack straps as knew I was about to see some things that may only be once in a lifetime. Of course I had to see the iconic pieces of this park for myself. Regardless of the floods of tourists that flock to this park each year, this 2.2 million acre park is big enough that you can find your piece of isolation.
So after countless days of following herds of buffalo, and exploring the eldest of some of my favorite places on earth, I decided to keep going north. One more National Park in the Northwest for this trip.
Sure, I already experienced my first snowfall on the mountain tops, but as I started moving forward, I noticed the leaves beginning to change colors.
Growing up in Ohio, I was lucky enough to experience all four seasons. I like the fall, a lot. Beautiful scenery, great smells, and crisp air. It’s a sign that winter is coming, but gives you a brief moment to warm up some apple cider, and cozy-up next to a bonfire before the bitter cold fully settles in.
And now, unlike any autumn I have ever experienced before, I got to see the colors sprawl across the mountains, and the scenery only got better and better as I made my way deeper into the Pacific Northwest. I feel like one lucky duck.
Just before the Canadian border, I made it to another park that I have always dreamt of seeing and experiencing for myself…
Glacier National Park
The Crown of the Continent, Glacier National Park is home to pristine forests, mountains, and lakes. The unbelievable display of reds and golds mixing into the vibrant greenery that makes up the park kept my eyes wide with every turn I took.
Going-to-the-Sun Road, the scenic byway that takes you from the west side of the park to the east, is a remarkable drive that should come with a warning label, because the amount of time your eyes are on the road compared to being fixated on the everything else around you… let’s just say I recommend driving this with a partner so you can each drive one way.
This park definitely lived up to my imagination! With oddly green-blue water (due to a lack in nutrients in the glacial water), and the densely vegetated forests and mountainsides.. Hiking through these trails was literally a dream come true.
“So what is fall like in the Pacific Northwest?”
It is absolutely incredible! Every which way you look is like taking a step into an artist’s portfolio, and melting into the rustic palette of fall colors. I have found a whole new appreciation for autumn, and the gentle shine presented by the morning frost.
The National Parks in the Northwest. They don’t disappoint. Should you get the chance, take it. I know I will be returning.
If you ask me, seeing the autumn hues sprawled across a mountain is a must-do.
Cheers!
