photo tips in Yellowstone, Grand Teton, Mount Rushmore, Badlands

[Sid]

Next week I am planning to go to Yellowstone N.P, Grand Teton,
Mt. Rushmore and Badlands N.P with family. We will be driving
from Colorado heading north west to Grand Teton. Yellowstone
will be the second destination. Then, we will be driving to
east to Mt. Rushmore and Badlands N.P.

Since this is our first visit, I am not really sure what to expect.
I do like taking landscape, animal and insect photos.

Could anyone suggest places to take photo, so that (hopefully) I
could be there at the right time?. It would be nice if those places
are close to camp ground.

[Angela]

I was up at Grand Teton/Yellowstone about two weeks ago. Wildflowers
were still blooming. I've always found Grand Teton to be far more scenic
than Yellowstone. Leaving Jackson going north on 191, there will be a
pull out at the Nat'l Elk Refuge, there's a big pond there, stop and see
if there are any swans in it. In Grand Teton for early morning
shots...Mormon Row, you want to be there right at sunrise for the best
photos. As you come in from the south end of Grand Teton, turn right
onto Antelope Flats Road, you'll see the houses on your right, you'll
have to park and walk a bit, the road is chained off. Get back in the
car and turn around to follow the Mormon Row road south, there's another
barn down there. You may also find buffalo in this area. Back on the
main road, further north after going through the park entrance at Moran
is Oxbow Bend, this is another spot that's really only good early
morning. Also on the main road after Antelope Flats and before Moran is
a turn off for a dirt road to Schwabacher Landing. Follow this one to
the Lower Landing and photograph the Tetons reflected in the river.
Chapel of the Transfiguration is another morning shot, on the other side
of the park, but not early AM, it takes a bit for the sun to clear a
hill and light it. You may see elk on this side of the park. The Chapel
is at the south end of the park just past the Moose entrance station. If
there is no wedding going on, go inside and shoot the Tetons through a
huge picture window. From the town of Moose inside the park, there is a
road that runs to Wilson, not surprisingly, it's named the Moose-Wilson
Road. This is a very narrow but mostly paved road that runs along some
marshy areas. It's a good place to look for moose. It'll end at Hwy 22,
I believe, it's the Teton Pass highway anyway, turn left at the stop
light to return to Jackson.

In Yellowstone, there are of course geothermal features galore. If
you've never been before, you'll want to see Old Faithful on the west
side of the lower loop, there will be a sign stating when the next
eruption is due. If it's going to be a while, take the boardwalk and
look at all of the other stuff in this basin. The Morning Glory pool is
at the end of the walk. Back on the road, you'll also want to stop at
Kepler Cascade, maybe if you get there early enough you can get a decent
photo. I've never got a good one of it because they have a wooden
balcony for the overlook and every time I've been there somebody has
stepped onto the thing causing my tripod to jiggle. Artist's Paint pots
are cool. Dragon's Mouth (or maybe it's Breath, don't remember now) is
also pretty cool. All along both sides of the lower loop you're likely
to find elk, deer and buffalo. I've seen a bear there. On the east side
of the lower loop, you'll want to see Artist's Point, the Lower Falls of
the Yellowstone, Hayden Meadow. There may be bear around the Fishing
bridge area.

Usually, if you're going to do the whole park, you do a figure 8. You
can't do this right now, they've got Canyon to Tower closed to replace
the road. I've never found this particular stretch of road to be
particularly nice though, so you probably won't be missing much. On the
upper loop, you'll want to see Mammoth Hot Springs, there's quite often
elk in this area.

Mt. Rushmore I've not been to, however I have read that you need to be
there at the crack of dawn to get good photos of the mountain. If you
are going to be passing through Moorcroft, WY, you might want to add
Devil's Tower Nat'l Monument to the itinerary. This is the formation
that you will recognize from the movie "Close Encounters of the Third
Kind". You might want to consider buying the year long National Park
pass as well instead of paying at each park. The year long pass is $50
and is good for an entire 12 months. GT/YNP's regular 3 day (I think, it
may be good for 5 days) pass is $20, most other NP's are $10. If you did
GTNP, YNP, Devil's Tower, Mt Rushmore and Badlands, the $50 is covered
plus you'll still have a pass that's good for the rest of the year
anywhere else. If you want to see the maps that you will receive as you
enter each park:
http://data2.itc.nps.gov/parksearch/atoz.cfm
Click on the park. Click on the Plan Your Trip link. Click on Maps.
Download the PDF maps, these are exactly what you get when you enter the
parks.

[BJ Larkin]

You've already had a number of first rate suggestions for the Grand
Tetons and Yellowstone and I'd not argue with any of them. It sounds
like you are on a whirlwind trip so time may be more of a problem for
you than would be the case if you had a month to spend in these two
alone. So here is a list of 15 great along-the-main-road photographs.

Grand Tetons - all morning shots

Chapel of the Transfiguration

The Ansel Adams Snake River and Grand Tetons shot from the Overlook
road

Oxbow Bend

The Grand Tetons at sun rise from the top of Signal Mountain

Mount Moran from Jackson Lake Lodge

The Grand Tetons reflected in Jenny Lake


Yellowstone National Park

Yellowstone Canyon from Grand View Point

The Lower Falls from Artist Point (half hour after sun rise)

Lake Yellowstone with Absaroka Mts in background from Yellowstone Lake
Hotel

Buffalo herd on Firehole River (1/2 mi south of Madison on way to Old
Faithful)

Old Faithful (required)

Opal Terrace (Mammoth Hot Springs)

Lamar Valley (from the Yellowstone Institute area or anywhere else,
depending on time of day)

Elk, bear, deer, wolf (wherever is convenient)

[Mark]

Mount Rushmore area, Custer State Park, for Elk, Bighorn Sheep, Pronghorns,
Antelope, Mule deer, white tail deer, coyote, buffalo, and begging feral
donkeys. Try the needles highway for scenic rock formations, hiking, rock
climbing, etc. The road up Mount Coolidge is nice at sunrise or sunset.
Sylvan Lake is very picturesque.

Custer State Park borders Wind Cave National Park, the grasslands and
rolling hills above the cave system are nice if you have a high clearance
vehicle to drive the gravel roads.