A Summer at Grand Teton National Park

Last summer, Christina Adele Warburg landed her dream job: Park ranger at Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming. Christina lived and worked at Grand Teton’s Moose Entrance Station, welcoming people to the park. Now she’s sharing her experience and some great insider travel tips for anyone looking to plan a trip to Grand Teton.

Unless you have lived it, it can be hard to understand how truly wonderful it is to spend a summer at Grand Teton.

It’s driving to the post office and seeing wolves eating a moose carcass off the side of the road. It’s waking up at 2 am to an elk bugling a few feet outside your window. It’s hanging around a campfire with your co-workers -- people who become your family. It’s every second of your free time being filled with hikes, wildlife, lakes, rivers, stars and friends. It’s taking away all the distractions of life and learning what really matters. It’s waking up every morning, looking at the peaks and still not being used to the beauty. It’s hearing the same question over a hundred times a day for months on end, and being so happy you don't mind answering it again. It’s not knowing what else is happening around the globe because your whole world is the park.

It is living life amplified -- that’s what Grand Teton is like.

1. What's your favorite hike at Grand Teton? 
Delta Lake is my favorite hike by far. It’s a social trail out of Lupine Meadows and leads to a turquoise lake right at the base of the Grand Teton. Often times I have the lake to myself, and the views during the entire hike of Bradley and Taggart lakes are just stunning.

Photo of Mormon Row.

2. What's one thing most people don't know about Grand Teton? 
Grand Teton probably has the most complicated history of any national park. It took over 50 years of constant struggles to form what is now Grand Teton National Park. Its path to creation led to Wyoming being the only state in which the Antiquities Act is not valid. Its complicated history is also what sets Grand Teton apart from any other park as well. Grand Teton has private in-holdings, a commercial airport, a dammed lake and seasonal hunting. You won't see many (if any) of those things at other national parks.

3. Where is the best place to watch sunset or sunrise? 
Oxbow Bend and Schwabacher Landing are my favorite spots. Both offer great reflections of the Teton Range in the water. While sunrises are great at both spots all year long, the best sunset location depends on the time of year. In summer, it’s Schwabacher. For winter, it’s Oxbow. 

Photo of sunset from Schwabacher Landing.

4. One thing every visitor shouldn't miss at Grand Teton is: 
Schwabacher Landing. The mirror reflection of Grand Teton is beyond compare and its wildlife viewing opportunities are abundant. It’s long been my favorite spot in the park, and I try to visit at least once a day.

5. What's the best thing about working at Grand Teton? 
The best part of my job is getting to personally witness hundreds of thousands of people falling in love with my park for the first time. On top of that, I get to help them plan their visit to this special place and make their trip even more memorable. 

Plan your trip to Grand Teton today at http://www.nps.gov/grte.

All photos courtesy of Christina Adele Warburg.