The Grand Teton Photo and Field Guide is an encapsulation of the flora, fauna, and photography of Jackson Hole Wyoming and Grand Teton National Park. Also included are thumbnails of the history and geology of the valley. This is an overview, not an encyclopedia. It is a guide and not a novel, so skip over what doesn’t interest you and find what tickles your curiosity. This book is for all visitors with a desire to seek out wildlife, photograph the landscape, or merely learn about the history, geology, and lay of the land of Grand Teton National Park. The author provides general overviews including hot links with more in-depth descriptions of subjects of individual interest.
In the “Lay of the Land†section, includes the obvious highlights along the loop through Grand Teton Park. Hot links to side roads will give you more in-depth description of side roads and feeder roads and their highlights. Also included are descriptions of all two-rut roads that are legal to travel on in Grand Teton Park. GPS links to Google Maps are provided throughout.
As a field guide, profiles of most of animals and birds in the area are described. Jackson Hole is full of wildlife but there are places where animals are, and there are places where they are not. It is a waste of time to scrutinize a landscape devoid of what you are looking for, so this guide narrows options down to the hot spots. Provided is a map of the likeliest places to find the popular critters of Grand Teton National Park. Also covered are common trees, shrubs, and wildflowers with minimal explanations. Also included are explanations of the Greater Yellowstone ecology and wildlife safety tips.
In the photography section the author includes chapters on composition, exposure basics, when to shoot and why. Daryl has summarized what he teaches in his, half day, Grand Teton workshops in a simple concise way.
If you are only in Grand Teton Park for a day there is a chapter called the “Portfolio Packer Morning Trip,†that does just that, all the icons and several favorite places in a five-hour blitz. But it is better to spend more time and dig deep into the embarrassment of riches of Grand Teton National Park.