Already valued at an estimated $185 billion, the worldwide ecotourism segment is expected to exceed $374 billion in global impact within the decade.
25.07.2023 - 10:47 / matadornetwork.com / Rocky Mountains / National Park
Winter is a magical time to visit Tetonia and Driggs, Idaho, when the region transforms into a snowy wonderland with endless opportunities for outdoor winter activities. On a recent trip, we stayed at the Teton Peaks Resort in Tetonia, which served as the perfect homebase for all our cool (pun intended) adventures.
Teton Peaks Resort and all of the properties in the JET Hospitality lineup came highly recommended by some friends of ours who are also RVers and road warriors. When we arrived, we were greeted by innkeepers Tory and Josh, who showed us around and gave some advice on where to go and what to do in the area. But it all started, and ended, at the resort.
Photo: Teton Peaks Resort
JET Hospitality has six resorts across the Rocky Mountains. The accommodation options span bungalows, hotel rooms, tiny homes, and classic RV hookup resorts with game rooms, laundry, and full bathhouses for men and women (glamping will be an added option at all of their resorts in the near future). We took advantage of two during our stay: We were able to connect our RV, but since it was freezing temperatures, we ended up staying in one of their beautifully remodeled hotel rooms.
Photo: Teton Peaks Resort
Since Teton Peaks Resort, and all of the JET properties, are pet friendly, it was perfect for us and our two pups, Wilson and Journey. As a newly renovated room with all the modern fixtures and a view out the window at Grand Teton in the distance, this place ranks at the top of our list of hotels we have stayed at (Wilson and Journey both agree). Throw in the fact that we also saw horses, deer, and a moose from our window, and Teton Peaks was an amazing place to call our home base on this magical winter adventure while exploring everything the Teton Valley has to offer.
Photo: Teton Peaks Resort
With so many outdoor activities to choose from, this place is a nature lover’s dream when you want to get off the property and explore the region.
Photo: Our Mixed Journey
Barely 15 minutes from downtown Driggs lies a hiker, or in our case a snowshoer’s, dream. The short, picturesque drive takes you partially up the backside of the world-famous Teton mountain range to the New Sheep Bridge trailhead. A popular trail for locals and their pets alike, we felt like we were transported into a fairytale as we hiked beneath snow-covered pines, took pictures on Sheep’s Bridge as the frigid and partially frozen waters flowed beneath our snowshoes. We even stopped for the obligatory snow angel in a meadow between furry greetings from the many pups that were out and about. This gem of hike also provides gorgeous views of Grand Teton when the clouds clear, and it isn’t to be missed on your visit to the area.
The only snowmobile tour company found
Already valued at an estimated $185 billion, the worldwide ecotourism segment is expected to exceed $374 billion in global impact within the decade.
Great Smoky Mountains National Park has closed a park road due to bear activity during a time when the animals are foraging for food.
In the century-plus since its inception in 1910, Glacier National Park in northwest Montana — the Crown of the Continent — has seen drastic changes.
The chance to spot a bear, bison, or bald eagle in the wild is one of the major reasons travelers visit the United States’ 63 national parks. You might assume that a megafauna mecca like Yellowstone National Park would offer the best odds of seeing multiple animals.
When the U.S. National Park Service (NPS) proposed drastic hikes to admission fees last fall, the reaction was swift and negative. It seems the NPS heard what people will saying.
Glacier National Park is one of the most gorgeous parks in the national park system. The sprawling park is in northern Montana and is home to some of the oldest glaciers in the US — not to mention wildlife like grizzly and brown bears, mountain goats, bighorn sheep, pumas, wolves, elk, moose, and more. The park has gorgeous day hikes running between half a mile or 20 miles, and some of the best backcountry backpacking in the US. You can even hike from the US into Waterton Lakes National Park, the attached national park just on the other side of the US-Canada border.
Tsingy National Park (full name: The Tsingy de Bemaraha National Park) is a national park in Madagascar. The name “tsingy” comes from a Malagasy word meaning “walking on tiptoes,” which is an apt description of the landscape of the park. It is known for its unique karst formations, formed by rain that dissolved the soft limestone over time, creating sharp, rocky spires.
Big Bend National Park shares a border with Mexico in a stunning stretch of southwestern Texas, where evenings are defined by orange skies reflecting against red-rock canyons. While such stunning scenes are commonplace within Big Bend, the massive desert preserve remains overlooked among US national parks. It’s never had more than 500,000 visitors in a single year since it was made a national park in 1944, making it one of the least-visited parks in the lower 48.
Grand Canyon National Park is one of the most-visited parks in the national park system, but don’t let that stop you from visiting — it’s absolutely stunning and there’s plenty of room for everyone. It’s also a great park for both active visitors and more laid-back travelers, as you can do a 20-plus-mile hike all the way through the canyon or just stay on the top, strolling between viewpoints and checking out the various visitors centers.
Winter may not seem like the ideal time to visit the wilds of a national park, but really there’s no bad time to enjoy the beauty of America’s public lands. Some national parks in temperate or even tropical climates are better to visit in winter when they’re free from the scalding heat of summer. If you don’t mind the potential for a bit of snow, you’ll enjoy relative quiet in some of the larger parks visited en masse during warmer months.
For most travelers, there are a few trips considered bucket list must-dos: seeing the northern lights, sleeping in a tropical over-water bungalow, and walking through Times Square in New York City are just a few. And for many, one of those dream trips is also taking an African safari.
Abutting the US border with Canada, North Cascades National Park is a land of contrasts. Cerulean blue lakes sit at the foot of mountains forested in deep green pines, with their peaks capped in snow and pointing to the heavens. The park mirrors the various landscapes of the Pacific Northwest, shifting from mountainous areas dominated by rain showers and heavy snowfall to arid plateaus cut by glaciers since melted into alpine rivers and lakes. The park is remote, accessible only by the beautiful North Cascades Highway or from hiking trails to the north.