Get up in the morning in Idaho Falls and face the East. Only 50 miles as the eagle flies is the magnificent playground of Teton Valley, Idaho and the Targhee National Forest. Toss in a couple of National Parks, Jackson, and the Grand Loop highway connecting them all and you have – Wydaho! Idaho Falls and Rexburg are spoiled by the incredible recreational opportunities and splendor of the most expansive public playground in the continental U.S.
Whether driving from Idaho Falls through beautiful Swan Valley the 64 miles to Victor, or the 46 miles from Rexburg to Driggs, one cannot help but be struck by the Teton mountain range overlooking Teton County, Idaho. Sure, there is also a Teton County, Wyoming where world famous Jackson Hole thrives, but for residents of the Idaho Falls/Rexburg corridor, it is one big, beautiful Wydaho playground.
Skiing at Grand Targhee Resort has long been a too well kept secret for us. 
That is about to change. Grand Targhee resort is just a dozen miles up the road from Driggs, and it has joined the elite list of major national ski areas now with over 2,500 acres of ski terrain on two peaks with the base at 8,000 feet. Located in that same Caribou – Targhee National Forest, the ski area enjoys over 500 inches of fresh powder annually. There are 15 km of groomed Nordic Ski Trails, 5 trails and track set plus a skating lane.
The Teton Valley, Idaho basin meets with state line of Wyoming at the foot of Teton Range, the 40 mile long mountain front rising some 6,000 feet from the valley floor. Anchored by Grand Teton peak at 13,770 feet (4,198 m)--- and at least twelve pinnacles over 12,000 feet (3,658 m), there are seven morainal lakes that adorn the base of the range, and more than 100 alpine lakes dot the backcountry. Add the 2.63 Million acres of the Caribou-Targhee National Forests, including the two major Wilderness Areas inside it, and two of the nation’s most impressive national parks, Teton and Yellowstone, and we think you get the idea. If it is an outdoor lifestyle that works for you, this part of the world offers you some work. 
Major efforts are underway for the enhancement of Teton Valley, Idaho. Lead by a long awaited, recently approved expansion of Grand Targhee Resort, the valley is now home to four new major golf course resorts, major urban renewal projects being undertaken by both Driggs and Victor cities, and a major new environmental movement recently accomplished by the Teton County Commission. That broad Planned Unit Development Ordinance assures a future of a very controlled and sensitive future for development within the County.
The year 2008 has brought about major new plans with substantial federal grants for urban renewal, combined with the new Geo Tourism center becoming a spotlight for the National Geographic publication this Spring, launching Driggs and the Teton Valley into a whole different dimension of tourism. What is designated as the “Grand Loop” now includes a scenic byway plan linking Victor and Driggs Idaho into Yellowstone National Park, Grand Teton National Park, and Jackson Hole, Wyoming.
All of this, and you get there from here, Idaho Falls and Rexburg – the Gateway to Wydaho, USA!
8 years ago
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment