Grand Teton National Park is one of the most visited national parks in the U.S. It is located in northeastern Wyoming and is only 10 miles south of Yellowstone National Park. The draw to the Grand Tetons is the amazing views of the Teton Mountain Range and the diverse natural landscape.
Our Itinerary
Visiting the Grand Teton National Park can include a week-long visit of hikes and photographic opportunities or it can be a 2 day visit on a larger road trip.
On our trip, we included Grand Tetons on a road trip through Wyoming, Montana, and South Dakota and packed in all the adventures we could in under 2 days. This guide will provide information on the hikes and views that we found most spectacular. If you have more time, you can add in more hikes and spend longer at your stops.
How to Get to Grand Teton National Park
The easiest way to get to Grand Teton National Park is to fly into Jackson, Wyoming. In my research most itineraries started with Jackson Wyoming and went north from there. During 2021, we struggled to find an affordable rental car and needed to start in Bozeman Montana and move south. Our itinerary is based on north to south, but it is easy to reverse to match your destination in Jackson.
Where to Stay When Visiting Grand Teton National Park
I always recommend trying to stay in the National Parks where possible. National Park lodging really gives you an immersive experience and also makes revisiting any of your favorite stops easy as you are centrally located. There are many places to choose from by visiting the National Park site here. I think Jenny Lake is the most gorgeous place on earth, so I have a goal at staying at Jenny Lake Lodge at some point.
LINK to Grand Teton Lodging
Other lodges to consider are Jackson Lake Lodge, Signal Mountain Lodge and Colter Bay Village. We stayed at Headwaters Lodge at Flagg Ranch and Togwotee Mountain Lodge as we booked our trip late. Your best bet is to call the Lodging phone number and let them know what you need. They will answer your questions to make sure the room you are getting fits your needs.
For those that may be booking late or wanting something a little less rustic, there are many choices in Jackson Wyoming. Staying in Jackson also gives you the benefit of many nice restaurants, coffee shops, shopping and bars to enjoy as well. It is only a 15 minute drive from Jackson into Grand Teton National Park.
When to go to Grand Teton National Park
For a place that has snow in the mountains all year, you can imagine that snow could be a factor. Most people will come to the park between June and October. We arrived at the end of May and we had unseasonably warm weather. July and August are great time to visit for weather and hiking, but is also the most crowded times. June and September / October are less crowded and usually temperate enough for hiking and exploring. If you go after September you may be able to see the aspens turning their classic yellow and also see more wildlife before winter. While many flock to Jacson Hole for skiing, you will find most of the roads in Grand Teton closed.
Things to Know Before you Go
National Park Pass – To get into the park you need a national park pass which costs $35 for one car entrance for 7 days. If you are someone who frequents national parks, you will want to consider the America The Beautiful Pass which is $80 and gives you admissions to many national park facilities for 1 year. If you are super lucky like me, you travel with some who can get the Senior Lifetime America the Beautiful Pass which is $80 for those over 62.
What to Pack – Always pack layers as the weather can change frequently. Even within a day you will need to shed a layer or two frequently depending on your altitude. Also, we learned the hard way the need for bug spray. And finally, it is important to have downloaded or printed maps. Cellular coverage is of course not great in the park and when venturing out of the park or around the park, you will need help with navigation.
What to Do when Visiting Grand Teton National Park
This is my itinerary starting north and moving south. Please adjust for your location.
Jackson Overlook – We were very excited seeing the beautiful snow-capped mountains that we stopped at many of the overlooks. Our favorite at the north of the park was Jackson Overlook. The view over Jackson Lake was incredible.
Colter Bay Visitor Center – We stopped here for breakfast in the Ranch House. There is a visitor center and some nice hiking trails. The Colter Bay Lakeshore Trail is an easy 2.5 mile trail around a peninsula. It is a great hike and it was great for birdwatching. There are a lot of other trails including Hermitage Point that are much longer for those with more time. All hikes are level and easy.
Oxbow Bend – My research told me this was a must-see for the view. We felt that all the views were great and almost didn’t stop here. This is where we got the shot of all shots. The view is the Teton range with the reflection in the water. No matter how long you are at Grand Teton National Park, this must be on your itinerary. We were here pretty early and it was not crowded.
Jackson Lake Dam – This is not a big one on anyone’s itinerary, but we were excited and stopping everywhere. I have seen dams before, but this was a nice walk. We walked to the river’s edge with the other fisherman. The dam was a backdrop and the multi-colored rocks on the riverside were really a nice stop.
Chapel of the Sacred Heart – We stopped here and the chapel was a nice stop. After viewing the chapel, we followed a few others and walked down a somewhat steep trail to the water.
Signal Mountain Road – Another stop we almost skipped. The narrow winding road takes you to the top of Signal Mountain Road with great views looking down into the valley. There are two stops with great views. While standing there, a bald eagle flew right underneath us. It was truly an amazing experience we will never forget. This stop takes about 30 minutes to an hour, but well worth the time for the views alone.
Jenny Lake Visitor Center and Junction
This is a stop that you will need to budget at least half a day. Please read by post on Hiking Jenny Lake. This was the highlight of the time in the Grand Tetons. The plan for this area is to hike to Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point. There are several ways to get there. The easiest is taking the Jenny Boat shuttle across the lake. A scenic boat ride and leaves you 0.5 miles from Hidden Falls and 1.0 miles from Inspiration Point. Others will want to hike Jenny Lake Trail which will add 2.0 miles. Many will hike one way and take the shuttle the other.
No matter how you chose, the hike from the boat dock up to Inspiration Point is one that can’t be missed. We were there in late May and it was unseasonably warm. There was a large amount of snowmelt that caused the waterfalls and rivers to be quite active. Part of the hike walks beside the Cascade Creek. The water flow was incredibly strong and we enjoyed just sitting and enjoying the white water rapids.
Hidden Falls – There is a junction where left is Hidden Falls and straight ahead. Hidden Falls was a tremendous waterfall that you could get up close to. There are some nice rocks where you can sit and rest before the climb to Inspiration Point.
Inspiration Point – The climb to Inspiration Point is moderately steep and there are a few places where you will need to hold close to the rocks to scale up. But we are not avid hikers and even a little afraid of heights and we felt it was not challenging. The view from the top is well worth the climb.
Taggart Lake Trailhead – Another good choice for hiking. There are many trails and by using AllTrails you can find one that is perfect for you time frame.
Mormon Row – By taking Antelope Flats Rd., there are some historic buildings call Mormon Row. The main attraction here is a picture of the barn with the mountains behind it. We made a quick stop for this, but you could spend more time here to explore and look around.
Schwabacher Road – This is another quick stop that has great views and a wall near a small creek. It only takes a few minutes and is worth the time.
