i am planning a float trip in grand tetons in june and wonder is it justified getting up at dawn for the sunrise trip. do you see much more wildlife or is it the solitude which attracts most people.

Yes, it's worth getting up early for the trip. We did it nine years ago. It was foggy out, which created and eerie atmosphere and actually added to the enjoyment. We are returning this summer and plan to take another, this time in the late afternoon/early evening to catch the sun going down.

I did the late afternoon, dinner float trip several years ago. Early evening is when many animals are just starting to move about and we saw tons of wildlife. Add a beautiful sunset and picnic dinner and it remains one of the highlights of many years of travel.

how do you select a float trip company?

I did a float trip, followed by a whitewater trip about 8 years ago. I enjoyed the float trip much more.

I think we just got a list of recommended outfitters from the Grand Tetons NP visitors' center and made reservations for the next couple of days. This may be naive, but I assume the park wouldn't have anyone disreputable on their list. I'd trust a ranger to make a reasonable recommendation. We also used Moon Publishing's Wyoming Handbook a lot on that trip.

I think I'd choose the afternoon trip, since dawn comes pretty early so close to the solstice.

Have a great time!