Fall is too early for you to see the National Elk Refuge, adjacent to the northern side of the town of Jackson, in full swing (the elk take their time migrating into the valley from the mountains above) but there should still be enough of the big guys and gals around by late October for you to get a sense of what mid-winter's 7,500-elk-peak might look like.

Directly across from the refuge, the National Museum of Wildlife Art offers horse-drawn sleigh rides out into the middle of the herd from mid-December until April. In early autumn, head into Grand Teton National Park (the area around Timbered Island is ideal) after sunset to listen to elk bugling. The eerie sounds come from males trying to attract females in heat.

Exiting the park back onto Highway 89/191, head north one mile and turn right onto Antelope Flats Road. Jackson Hole's bison herd, about 600-strong, often hangs out within easy sight of here. If you reach a "T" in the road without spotting any of the giant beasts, hang another right and head for the town of Kelly. Eighty-percent of the time, the herd is somewhere in this area.