Grand Teton National Park
This is one of our favorite National Parks. It is centered around the Teton Range which tower over every aspect of the park – but you get so much more than mountain viewing during your time in the Tetons. There are incredible alpine lakes – both accessible on the park road for those that do not want to hike and as destinations at the end of very strenuous hikes for those interested in adventure. There is also wildlife everywhere – from moose and bear to elk and pronghorn to bald eagles to marmots. Hiking isn’t the only activity either as you can take lake cruises or leisurely float on a raft down the Snake River taking in all the beautiful scenery around you. And don’t miss sunset atop Signal Mountain to end one of your days before heading into Jackson Hole for some nightlife!
When to Go
Unless you are a winter sport fanatic – you are going to want to visit the Tetons in the Summer or early Fall. We have primarily visited the Tetons in the month of June and have experienced mostly great weather with the exception of a couple rainy days. If you are interested in doing some of the alpine lake hikes though – June will be too early for you as most of these lakes are snowed in until at least July depending on how harsh the previous winter was.
How to Get Here
The easiest way is to fly directly into Jackson Hole’s airport which does have a few flights each day on the major airlines. Jackson Hole is a vacation destination in itself – but is also right on the border of Grand Teton National Park for extremely easy access. If you are not able to fly in to Jackson Hole – you will need to fly into either Salt Lake City or Billings which are 4.5-5.5 hour drives to the park which isn’t bad and the scenery on those drives is going to be mostly amazing.
Trip Length
Our visits to the Tetons have been about three days long and we always wish we had more time. Keep in mind, Yellowstone National Park borders the Tetons to the north and you can easily spend a week there. So unless you are retired or can convince your boss that you can take two weeks off – it’s hard to spend more than a few days in the Tetons knowing everything there is to do in Yellowstone. If you only wanted to visit the Tetons – you could easily spend a full week and still have plenty to do. This is especially the case if you are interested in some of the longer alpine lake hikes as each can easily take a full day to complete.
Where to Stay
You have a number of options here. As mentioned above, Jackson Hole is located just to the south of the park and has plenty of lodging available at a range of prices if you wanted to day trip into the park and spend the nights having fun in town. The downside of doing this is that you could do a TON of driving as this is a large park and if you all the way up at Jackson Lake Lodge – you are easily going to have at least an hour drive back to your hotel. Therefore, we have always preferred to stay inside the park. On our latest trip in June 2018 – we stayed at Signal Mountain Lodge which was almost perfectly in the middle of the park which made for easy access wherever we wanted to go each day. There are other options inside the park as well such as Jenny Lake Lodge, Jackson Lake Lodge, and Colter Bay Village. The downside of staying in the park at any of those properties is the cost which can be quite high for the added convenience you are getting.
What to Do
We have broken the park up into three main areas below. We are going to start the trip in the southern section of the park (Moose) and then head to the north to Jenny Lake and Jackson Lake areas.
Moose Area
If you are staying or just coming from Jackson Hole, the first area of the park you are going to come across is Moose. Before you even begin you have a decision to make. You can take the main highway from Jackson to Moose like almost everyone else or you could take a short detour out of Jackson to Moose-Wilson road which is aptly named as it connects the towns of Moose and Wilson! Personally, we enjoy the Moose-Wilson road as it is super scenic and you have a great chance of seeing wildlife along the way. On the way, you can stop at the Laurance S. Rockefeller Preserve which will have a number of exhibits and several hiking options for those looking to stretch their legs.
After a quick stop, we recommend heading down the road to the Death Canyon Trailhead. You can take some monster hikes from here, but our recommendation is a little shorter and a good warm-up to hiking in the Tetons.
Phelps Lake Overlook Trail — 2.0 miles RT, Moderate, 1.5 hours
The road to the trailhead is somewhat rough. You are going to see recommendations for 4WD, but we made it in a sedan just fine by being careful and driving slowly. There are many Phelps Lake hiking options, but we prefer this one as the lake from above is beautiful and you will have the start of the Tetons to the right of the lake. The hike to the overlook also has some great views but is uphill quite a bit which makes this moderate. We actually did this hike less than 2 hours after getting off a plane in Jackson. In retrospect, this probably wasn’t the smartest move as our bodies were not adjusted at all to the elevation we were now hiking in.
After you complete this hike, head towards Moose where you will find the Craig Thomas Discovery and Visitor Center. On your way feel free to pull over a few times as the view of the Tetons from the park road is simply stunning at several points! Once you reach the Visitor Center head in to look at several exhibits and watch the park video. Also make sure to get a picture with the giant moose statute out front this is a rite of passage into Grand Teton National Park. Before getting back in the car walk out to the road and backtrack a bit to the bridge just before the visitor center. If you are lucky, there will be a moose or two down in the snake river. We have about a 50% hit rate on this so it is worth a shot.
From the visitor center you have another decision to make. You can head left and go up towards Jenny Lake or you can head right to Moose Junction and then go left to get to the highway which will take you north much faster. Before we get to the Jenny Lake area let’s head towards Moose Junction as there are some sights and amazing outlooks along the highway.
Antelope Flats Road
Soon after you turn left at Moose Junction, you will come across Antelope Flats Road on your right. This is worth a drive from a wildlife standpoint as you are likely to see bison roaming near the road in the summertime. The main reason for heading down this road is to find the world famous T.A. Moulton Barn. By itself the barn isn’t that special and if you didn’t know any better, you would just continue on your way without a second thought. But if you get out of your car and walk over to the barn you will immediately notice you have a stunning photo opportunity on your hands as the Tetons are perfectly framed behind the barn. This has become an iconic photo around the world and really defines Grand Teton National Park.
Highway Overlooks
If you continue north on the highway when you are finished taking photos at T.A. Moulton’s Barn, you will come across several great overlooks. First is the Glacier View Turnout which will give you more great photos of Tetons. Next is a short road to your left taking you down to Schwabacher’s Landing on the Snake River which is a great spot to look for beaver and otters. The road down is a little rough so be careful if you are not in a 4WD vehicle. Finally, you will come across the Snake River Outlook which is famous for its amazing sunsets as well as a photo by Ansel Adams showing the bend of the Snake River with the Tetons in the background.
From here you can continue north to Jackson Lake, or you can head back south to Moose Junction and then turn towards Jenny Lake which is where some of the park’s best hikes are located.
Jenny Lake
This is the most visited area of Grand Teton National Park for good reason. The lake itself is beautiful with the Tetons as a backdrop. This is the starting point to a number of very popular trails. You can start by visiting the Jenny Lake Visitor Center to get information on the various trails in the area. Your next decision is going to whether you want to take the boat across the lake ($15 RT in 2018) or if you want to walk 2 miles to the other side. We have done both and would recommend taking the shuttle boat across as you get great views of the mountains out of the water. Hiking 3 miles over is nice but you likely are going to have a long hike back if you chose to do other trails once crossing the lake. Another option is to hike the 3 miles over and then take the boat back across on your return.
Forks of Cascade Canyon – 9.7 miles RT, Moderate, 6 hours
This is our favorite hike in the park so far (with admittedly many more trails still to experience in the future). This trail gives you all kinds of options as well as you will be taken past both Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point which are the most popular destinations at Jenny Lake. If you wanted to check out these destinations before turning around, Hidden Falls would be about 1-mile RT and Inspiration Point would be about 2-miles RT assuming you took the shuttle boat over. Many people turn around at these points and head back to the park road to continue exploring. However, what they miss is one of the most stunning hikes we have been on continuing on into Cascade Canyon. It isn’t a strenuous hike as you will climb about 1,100 feet over ~4.8 miles and much of this elevation is actually at the beginning which makes the rest of the trail a pretty easy stroll. The scenery throughout is incredible in the canyon as you will walk through the forest with towering rock faces on both sides. You will eventually reach a fork in the trail which is how you know you have reached the end of this particular trail. You can go right and continue on to Lake Solitude if you want or you can head left to head to Hurricane Pass. We were highly interested in the extra 5.4 miles round-trip to Lake Solitude, but because we came in June this trail was still completely snow covered and the lake was still frozen based on the trail reports. Since we didn’t have the correct gear, we decided to turn around and head back and will save Lake Solitude for another trip maybe in the July/August timeframe. Before heading back, we decided to sit and eat lunch at the fork and were joined by a yellow-bellied marmot who was highly interested in what we were eating.
The walk back was just as scenic, and we got a couple bear views far across Cascade Creek. As we started to approach the steep downhill portion of the return near Jenny Lake, we heard a noise up ahead and couldn’t figure out what it was. Scott just assumed it was the shuttle boat motor as we were fairly close to the lake. Amanda wasn’t so sure, and she would end up being correct. As we came around a corner walking at a fairly brisk pace down the hill a large female moose came into view and was ambling up the trail herself! We stopped to see if she would get off the trail and go around us, but she continued right up the trail forcing us to get off the trail and get behind a tree for some safe photo taking. At one point she lifted her head out of the vegetation she was eating and eyed us for a few seconds, raising our blood pressure quite a bit. She eventually continued on up the trail, and we continued down to the shuttle boat. Definitely one of the closest large wildlife encounters we have ever experienced.
Amphitheater Lake Trail – 10.1 miles RT, Strenuous, 8 hours
We have not taken this trail as it has always been snow covered still during our June trips, but this is high on the list for a July/August trip in the future. You will head over to Lupine Meadows in the Jenny Lake area to access this trail. The road is a bit rough so be careful without 4WD. The meadows are home to all kinds of wildlife, and you will often see elk and deer in this area. To get to Amphitheater Lake, we understand it is about a 3,000-foot climb over the ~5 miles to the lake – so very strenuous especially if you are not acclimated yet to the higher elevation. We look forward to doing this in the future!
String Lake Trail – 3.7 miles RT, Easy, 2 hours
We have not yet taken this trail either but have hard really good things. This presents a much easier hike around beautiful String Lake. You will get some great views of the Tetons here as well and this is another hike we will for sure be taking on a return trip.
Jackson Lake
As you are driving from Jenny Lake to Jackson Lake you will notice a road to the right taking you up to the summit of Signal Mountain which is a little over 7,200 feet. If it happens to near sunset, make sure to take this road as the summit is one of the best places in the park to experience a sunset. You will have great views of the Teton Range as the sun sets behind them. We highly recommend spending at least one of your sunsets here, preferably on a fairly clear day.
Once you are done there, you can continue to Jackson Lake Junction as there is one view worth checking out before backtracking towards Jackson Lake. You will come across the Oxbow Bend Turnout very quickly on your right, so make sure to pull over and get a view of the Teton Range over the Snake River. This is also a top area for wildlife viewing. After you have relaxed here for a while, you can head back towards Jackson Lake Lodge.
Jackson Lake Lodge is a destination in itself as it is a National Historic Landmark and has a few food options as well. You will likely want to relax in the lobby area which has a giant glass window looking out towards the Teton range which is just a stunning view. Once you have relaxed, there are a number of activities which you can start at the lodge: Snake River Float, Jackson Lake Cruise, and hiking to Grand View Point.
Snake River Float – 3.5 hours, ~$80/person (in 2018)
This is one of those “must do” activities in Grand Teton National Park. There are a couple of operators for you to choose from so make sure to check and ensure you get the best price at the time of your booking as they are exactly the same trip: Jackson Lake Lodge and Signal Mountain Lodge. Since we were staying at Signal Mountain Lodge we chose to go with them. Both operators will take you on a super relaxing 10-mile float trip down the Snake River. There are no intense rapids on these trips, so there is no need to worry about that. You will spend about 90 minutes traveling to and from the river as well as getting all the gear on and receiving a safety briefing from your guide. The other 2 hours will be spent out on the river with amazing views of the Teton range. You will likely at least see some beaver or otter and might get lucky and find some larger wildlife along the river.
Jackson Lake Cruise – 1.5 hours, ~$40/person (in 2018)
This is another activity that is great for everyone. You actually have several options here as Jackson Lake Lodge offers a typical cruise as well as several meal cruises – breakfast, lunch, and a dinner cruise which allows you to stop off and eat on Elk Island in the middle of Jackson Lake. Obviously, the meal cruises are going to be a little more expensive (especially the dinner one which includes steak and trout). No matter which cruise you choose, this is another chance to get out on the water with great views of the Teton range as well as to learn the history of the area from your guide. Scott did the standard cruise back in 2012, and we plan to do the dinner cruise to Elk Island on our next visit.
Grand View Point Trail – 5.6 miles RT, Moderate, 3.5 hours
This not a trail that we have taken yet, but it has great reviews and is one we plan on checking out on our next visit. You can start right from Jackson Lake Lodge and will climb about 1,000 feet for a panoramic view of the Teton Range and even Jackson Hole on a clear day.
Once you are done in the Jackson Lake Lodge area, there is one more place to visit along Jackson Lake – Colter Bay Village. There is another visitor center to check out here which is specifically focused on Native American history. In addition, there is a nice cafeteria if you are interested in lunch or dinner options with a focus on pizza. Once you are done eating, there are a few easy hikes/walks along the lake which are worth considering: Lakeshore Trail, Heron Pond & Swan Lake, and Hermitage Point. If you have had your fill of Tetons and alpine lakes at this point, you can also consider heading north into Yellowstone National Park to continue your vacation!