I love Grand Teton National Park – its best views are super accessible, the amount of wildlife is impressive, and it is the epitome of the West for me. The hardest part wasn’t developing this list from our recent trip, but rather whittling it down to the top 9 things to do in Grand Teton National Park!
There is simply nothing more calming to my soul than mountains, and Grand Teton doesn’t hold back an ounce on that power. The craggy, powerful mountains dominate the park in a similar way to that which you’d find in Glacier, Mount Rainier, the Hurricane Ridge part of Olympic, or North Cascades National Parks.
What is unique about Grand Teton is that you can basically drive, boat, or swim right against the base of the mountains with few foothills and as a result you don’t have to be the most adventurous person and it makes this park very family friendly!
We rented a condo in Wilson, WY which made good base to explore the park from as long as you’re ok driving on a dirt road for part of the way into the park (the Moose Wilson Road). So, let’s head on out and discover the top 9 things to do in Grand Teton National Park!
Top 9 Things to Do in Grand Teton National Park
1. For the Hiker: Hidden Falls, Inspiration Point, and Cascade Canyon
Yes, I have 3 things listed for our top thing to do in Grand Teton. I’m not cheating! These three places are all a part of what is ultimately one hike. And what a hike it is!
We, like most others, took the boat ride across Jenny Lake to save some time and energy and that was fully worthwhile. A few tips – book your trip ahead of time so that you ensure you get the departure time you are wanting. I also highly encourage you getting to the parking area early as it fills up quickly and there is limited space.
Once you are off the boat you will face a choice to either stop off at Hidden Falls or continue on to Inspiration Point and Cascade Canyon. We chose to stop at Hidden Falls, but in retrospect I would have caught it on our way back down and climbed the canyon earlier on. Hidden Falls is the busiest stop on the hike with Inspiration Point following closely behind. The further you hike up the canyon you will notice the crowds rapidly diminish and you can have a peaceful time!
The canyon is home to moose and bear and lots of other wildlife. Hikers who were out earlier than us did get to see a moose a few miles into the canyon. This changes seasonally and being there in July meant the moose were less common. We saw a number of marmot and a pika and both were fun!
2. Avoiding the Crowds: Lakeshore Trail at Colter Bay Village
After shopping, talking to the Ranger, and getting Junior Ranger books, we set off on a walk on the Lakeshore Trail. This trail, made up of a walk along Jackson Lake with two islands connected by a land bridge (a small rocky/sandy path) gave us great views of the Tetons! There is a swimming beach here as well as a marina, and we saw a number of people out on paddleboards, swimming, and enjoying the brisk water.
Our whole family did the loop around the first island, which was pretty! Kim and the kids then headed back to the car to save energy while my Dad and I set off to the loop on the 2nd island. Each island is about a mile loop, the 2nd island has some hills but is still easy. As we came to the last part of the trail we stumbled upon a mama black bear whom we hadn’t heard or seen (don’t forget your bear spray when you hike in the Tetons!). She was just 15 feet away from us when we heard her and then saw her running away and her 2 cubs (we later learned there were 3) climbing trees.
We gave them space and just watched for a bit to see what she was going to do once we were at a safe distance. Since she went back to digging along the trail, we made our way to the lakeshore and made a path around her on the shoreline. This is proof positive that wildlife is all over in Grand Teton, so always be on your toes and keep your kids close!
3. For the Historian: Mormon Row, Antelope Flats
The entire Mormon Row area on Antelope Flats Road is an easy, quick stop just off Highway 191. The road is well traveled, the parking lot is small, and the chances of getting other visitors in your photos high… But, the iconic barns and homesteads are photogenic and a must visit in Grand Teton!
4. For the Photographer: The Overlooks – Oxbow Bend, Willow Flats, Snake River, Schwabacher Landing, etc
One of the best parts of Grand Teton is how accessible the stunning beauty is. Many parks hide their best views on remote hikes with steep climbs, but Grand Teton puts them front and center and easy for literally anyone to enjoy. Simply stop at any (or all!) of the overlooks along the Teton Park Road or Highway 191 and enjoy! This park is simply gorgeous and each overlook gives you a fresh take on these majestic mountains. The Snake River Overlook is a famous stopping point in Grand Teton National Park, as Ansel Adams took an iconic photograph of the Snake River here in 1942. We love Ansel Adams and I recently gifted Kim with a coffee table book that we found in one of the park gift shops entitled Ansel Adams in the National Parks: Photographs from America’s Wild Places. We highly recommend this book if you are passionate about our National Parks and photography like we are.
5. For the Swimmer: String Lake
After our hike into the Cascade Canyon we headed up to swim in String Lake. It was the perfect place to cool off but parking was a total mess and required a lot of patience (most people say to get here before 10am if you want a spot). It’s super popular to swim here as it is a shallow lake and warms up faster than many of the other lakes in the park. It shares the parking lot with Leigh Lake, so be flexible as we tried a 2nd time to come back and hike to Leigh Lake and had to bail once we saw the cars lined up waiting and hoping for someone to leave. The lot simply doesn’t turn over that quickly as people spend hours at the lake and this area is a popular hiking trailhead as well. If you do want to spend some time swimming and happen to get a parking spot, be prepared with beach chairs, towels, floaties and sunscreen. There are larger, sandy areas along the shore that are clear of tree and bushes but the cleared spots get claimed quickly so we just claimed a small area that had a rock for Kim to sit on while we swam (we were not prepared with chairs or floaties). The bottom of the lake has some rather rocky spots, so you will probably want water shoes as well.
6: For the Moose Hunter: Two Ocean Lake, Moose-Wilson Road, and Gros Ventre
We were on a moose hunt… My family knows well that when I know there are moose in an area I become driven to find and photograph these amazing animals. We’ve been down many a dirt road in Northern Minnesota looking for (and finding!) moose, and, after having spent a few days in Grand Teton without seeing a single moose, I hijacked the morning and we went off.
So, off we went and drove once again down the Moose-Wilson Road, stopping at the overlook. Trust me, you will know you are there as there will be a lineup of tour vehicles parked with hopeful guests looking out over the edge hoping that the moose will emerge to the river. Striking out, we set off for Two Ocean Lake. Pacific Creek Road was pretty but the dirt road to to Two Ocean does get rough, but remains scenic the whole way. It was certainly passable in nearly any vehicle, however.
Two Ocean Lake is a trailhead, has a pit toilet, and overlooks the lake. The mosquitoes were prominent (SO many, bring your bug spray!), we saw a few birds swimming, but still no moose. That being said, there were a number of wildlife tours that came and went during the brief time we were here, so don’t write this spot off either! Sometimes the season drives your luck more than anything else. In fact, one guide shared with me that in the spring he saw 21 moose before noon!
Finally, while driving along Gros Ventre River off Gros Ventre Road I spotted a dark animal on the shoreline and carefully pulled over to the side of the road and grabbed the camera. I snapped a few quick photos with the biggest zoom lens I have and watched him lay down in my viewfinder. I watched the spot for a few minutes but he didn’t stand up again so we set off. Moose hunt completed!
7. For letting the car do the hard work: Signal Mountain Road
Signal Mountain Road is a fairly short road that climbs, of course, Signal Mountain. From the top you get a great view to the east, but trees block most of your view west to the Tetons. We did see a black bear in the woods off the road here, but they were moving uphill away from us as we descended. It is a pretty spot and an easy family destination!
8. For a side trip from Jenny Lake: hiking the Moose Ponds
This hike, about 3 miles in length if you do the whole loop, was quiet and the further we got from Jenny Lake the more overgrown it was. We had beautiful views of Teewinot Mountain as you walk right at the base of it. While we didn’t see any moose, we did enjoy the beauty, serenity, and blooming wildflowers that lined the trail. The trail starts and ends at the Jenny Lake trailhead but you can save some time and distance by parking along the road to the Lupine Meadows trailhead.
9: For the treat: Moo’s Ice Cream
Yes, this is not in Grand Teton. And yes, it isn’t a hike, scenic spot, or wildlife adventure. It is ice cream though! Come on – ice cream is as much a part of a vacation as anything else! Honestly we enjoy a lot more ice cream than we write about on here and that is a travesty that I’ll start fixing right now. So, Moos. The ice cream is delicious, organic, AND the sorbet has less than 1% cane sugar so even Kim could enjoy it without a big affect on her blood sugars (Type 1 Diabetic). Honestly, it is like eating vitamins and you are healthier after eating it… Right?
And there you have it! Our top 9 things to do in Grand Teton National Park!
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