June 2015

There is a mythical place to stay when visiting the Tetons. A place with views so grand that they had to be seen to be believed. A place that all the cool kids talk about. And the best part? It is free to stay there. Oh, yes, could this be the holy grail of camping spots? It was a tough mission to find out, but we decided take on the task.

The Upper Teton View is the place of legends. OK, maybe not legends, but it is a pretty sweet place to camp for a bit. Located just outside the Grand Teton National Park on Forest Service land, the prime spots at Upper Teton View offer unrestricted views of the Teton mountains and the valley floor. Located up a slight hill and accessed via gravel roads, Upper Teton View turned out to be everything we had heard.

Upon arrival we found that the area was mainly vacant. As this is dispersed camping, rather than a developed campground, there aren’t defined campsites to use. Instead, there are areas you can plant your RV (or tent). The prime area, with unobstructed views of the Teton mountain range, was completely available. We positioned my house to get the best views out of the side and front windows. We then parked the Jeep in such a way as to “reserve” the area next to us for Dave and Kelly, who would be joining us the next day.

Dave and Kelly couldn’t get enough of us and were following in our footsteps. OK, maybe that wasn’t the case, but they were becoming regular camping buddies as this would be the third time we had been together. Being a nomad, you might see someone multiple times in a fairly short period of time, then you won’t see them for a year or more. Not sure when I will next run into Dave and Kelly as they were headed east as we headed west, but I am sure our paths will cross down the road.

For the last 2 nights of our 7 night stay, we were joined by Kate and Iain, which meant Kathy and I were surrounded by Airstreams. I had briefly met Kate and Iain during my 6 months in Austin but had never camped with them, so it was great to have them join our little group.

The best area of Upper Teton View

First night we were by ourselves

Then Dave and Kelly joined us

With the addition of Kate and Iain, the whole group had assembled

Upper Teton View was a great base for exploring Grand Teton National Park, the town of Jackson, and the surrounding area. It was all that we had hoped it would be, and other than the mosquitoes (not a problem other times of the year), it was a perfect spot to spend a week.

Never got tired of the view