Moose Wilson Rd, the road less travelled, starts at Moose Junction. This tiny dot on the map is…read moreright next to the Craig Thomas Visitors Center, a lovely large structure that is solely to promote information about the Grand Tetons. It became our launching point for heading to the other side, the western exposure, the Idaho side of those Grand Teton mountains, where we planned to continue our adventure into Yellowstone at the west entrance.
We had done a not-so-thorough couple of hours in the region, stopped in Jackson for lunch, marveled at the magnificence of the craggy, snow covered peaks, inhaled the crisp clean air, and sadly knew we needed to move on, getting to the Idaho side before dark. The burning question was, how do I get there without reliving the horror that is Jackson? Just ask those "in the know" and they will tell you of Moose Wilson, a lesser known, two lane road starting at Moose Junction, that circumvents the clogged roads of Jackson and avoids the downtown crazies that populate that quaint, touristy town. Good to know, we were told it was also extremely scenic, so we decided to go for the shortcut. This became its own self guided tour.
The irony? There was a steady line of cars very cautiously going this way, at least more than we had anticipated. Initially, that slowed us down. The secret passageway was not so secret. But you should also know that they were mostly driving quite cautiously because... about 1/3 of this "secret" roadway is entirely dirt, sometimes only wide enough to accommodate one car, with many large pit holes that will challenge your driving skills and make you think you are being trained for a professional obstacle course. Timing impeccable, as always, we had also managed to be there after a significant rain, and so...guess what...we were fording streams and dodging huge puddles that usually were not there.
Still, oh cautious one, the beauty and serenity was worth it; vast open meadows, dense thickets of indigenous trees. We never saw any moose or any other wildlife other than birds and one or two deer, but based on what we passed, however, it would be extremely likely. You just need to get your timing right.
Words to the wise: I would not try to pull a trailer through here nor would I wish this road on anyone at night. It is so isolated, so many trees, there is nothing to light the way except your handy dandy headlights. So get the H*** out of there before sunset, dear 21st Century Adventurer. This road is closed once winter kicks in, no surprise there.
