The new pathway in the Grand Teton National Park is amazing. They supposedly spent $10-million building this incredible pathway!
One end starts at the Dornan's Bar & Restaurant overlooking Menor's Ferry.
The other end starts at Jenny Lake.
You can ride right out of the Jenny Lake Campground and be on the new pathway within minutes.
It's the kind of pathway you might see in your dreams.
Beautiful smooth asphalt stretching for miles with hardly any people.
I had to keep pinching myself to make sure I wasn't dreaming.
It's definitely real and 99.99% separated from vehicle traffic.
After a nice ride to Dornan's the food and beverage possibilities are bewildering.
There's even a brand new, high dollar bridge over Cottonwood Creek.
This could be one of America's premier bicycle pathways.
Every twist and turn brings new perspectives, all in the comfort of knowing you're safe from the speeding vehicles.
Yes, it's idyllic.
Casual cyclists will have a photographic field day.
As there are typical calendar shots galore.
It's a great pleasure to enjoy these views while the speeding steel capsules swhoosh by on the regular road.
This is about as close to the road as the pathway gets. Everywhere else it is farther away.
The pathway goes straight to the Craig Thomas Visitor Center. One could spend quite a bit of time there.
Currently, you could park at the Visitor Center and enjoy the pathway fee-free. They are not charging cyclists fees this summer. They probably will next summer.
Magically, the Park Service extended the pathway clear over to the property line of Dornan's. This fifth-generation family operation is a real hoot. They have everything.
Yes, there are ABSOLUTELY NO PETS on the pathway. The Park Police will give you a ticket if you dare bring a dog! They are strictly forbidden whether on leash or not!
Dornan's is a real zoo, as you might expect. However, they have a genuine bike shop there. Yep, you can buy parts and the folks there have all the tools and knowledge to make almost every kind of repair.
The restaurant is on the far end of the parking lot.
Yep, you can see it's pretty busy there!
Luckily, there's a nice wooden bike rack outside of the restaurant and bar overlooking the historic Menor's Ferry.
A good overview of the Menor's Ferry story is told by interpretive signs along a trail to the river.
Evelyn Dornan from Pennsylvania visited a dude ranch in the area and wound up homesteading this location in 1906. It's been in the family ever since. Google Dornan's for more info.
The bar in Dornan's boasts one of the best bar views of all time!
There's two patios--one downstairs, one upstairs, plus the indoor bar. You order at the kitchen and they deliver food to your table.
There are many ways to get to Dornan's. This old Yellowstone Coach was certainly the most colorful.
Those historic Yellowstone coaches are a reminder of public transit from yesteryear.
This is a really Rancho Deluxe Bicycle Bathway. I wonder how long that sign will last before someone steals it for their dorm room?
Signage along the pathway is outstanding. It's very understated and most excellent!
Someone with a lot of foresight years ago built this bridge with a bikeway already installed! WHEW!
You can take a nice detour over to the Menor's Ferry Historic District on the other side of the Snake from Dornan's.
The ferry is a 100% faithful reproduction of the original operation.
Depending on the season, you can still actually RIDE this ferry. No, they don't allow bicycles on the boat.
The original Menor's Ferry residence has been restored and there's even a crusty caretaker, too.
The Chapel of The Transfiguration is one of the perennial highlights of the Menor's Ferry District.
Maude Noble's cabin is also near the ferry and you can ride right up to the front porch. It was here on July 26, 1923, that the plan was hatched to create a national park.
Check this out! Permanent solar-powered speed monitors! The pathway does actually cross the highway once. The speed monitors are on either side of this crossing and the vehicles are 'supposed' to stop for you. We waited until the coast was clear.
One nice thing about the pathway is avoiding the 'jams.' This was a 'moose jam' at Taggart Lake. Traffic was backed up both ways and came to a complete stop while people crowded the road looking at some moose eating willows. We bicycled right on by.
What can you say about a Taj Mahal pathway where 100% of your ride looks out toward the majectic Tetons?
