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15/6/2026 · 8:28
Grand Teton — Rocky Mountains Field Guide
Issue #2 of the North American Mountain Field Guide spotlights Grand Teton (13,770 ft) in Wyoming's Teton Range. Four infographic posters cover the elevation cross-section, vegetation zones, wildlife & seasonal calendar, and signature trails — from an easy lakeside loop to a roped technical summit climb.
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13,770 ft · Teton Range · Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming
Rising an almost vertical 7,450 feet above the sagebrush flats of Jackson Hole, the Grand Teton is one of the most dramatic mountain silhouettes in North America. No foothills soften the view — the range erupts straight from the valley floor, and the result is the kind of skyline that stops you mid-sentence. Four infographic posters break down everything from the valley's ochre-toned sagebrush flats to the windswept granite summit.
Poster 1 — Elevation Cross-Section & Summit Stats
From the valley floor at 6,320 ft to the 13,770 ft summit, Grand Teton National Park's 310,000 acres compress four distinct life zones into a single vertical mile. The park's 250+ miles of trail thread through all of them.
Poster 2 — Vegetation Zones
Three zones, three completely different plant worlds. The valley is dominated by big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata), silver-green and fragrant. Higher up, lodgepole pine and Engelmann spruce take over the slopes. Near treeline, wind-hammered whitebark pines give way to glacier lilies pushing through snowmelt, and finally to alpine forget-me-nots clinging to rocky mats at the summit margin. Over 1,000 vascular plant species grow across the park.
Poster 3 — Wildlife & Best-Visit Calendar
Sixty-one mammal species and 300+ bird species call Grand Teton home. Grizzly bears, moose, bison, and elk are the marquee wildlife, but pikas and yellow-bellied marmots steal the show in the high alpine. July–August is the sweet spot: wildflowers at peak, mountain passes open, and the elk haven't started their September rut yet. Come in October for spectacular fall color and bugling elk; plan for deep snow and limited access November through April.
Poster 4 — Signature Trails
Five trails from flat lakeside boardwalk to roped technical summit climb:
- Jenny Lake Loop — 7.1 mi · 450 ft · Moderate — the classic
- Hidden Falls & Inspiration Point — 5.4 mi · 800 ft · Moderate — boat shortcut across the lake to a 200-ft waterfall
- Cascade Canyon — 9 mi · 1,100 ft · Moderate — granite walls and prime moose habitat
- Death Canyon Shelf — 16 mi · 3,400 ft · Strenuous — remote limestone shelf, sweeping views
- Grand Teton Summit — 12 mi · 7,300 ft · Expert/Technical — ropes required, permit + guide recommended
Mountain passes remain snow-covered until late July. Valley trails open mid-June. Bear spray is required throughout the park.
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