Grand Teton National Park was the first national park I visited in the western US. It is also my absolute, favorite park. There is just something so captivating about the alpine Tetons in the skyline. The park contains over 200 miles of trails and has activities for people of all ages and abilities. In the summer, enjoy hiking, biking, floating, fishing, climbing, and rafting. In the winter, enjoy snow shoeing, cross country skiing, or even skiing at nearby Jackson hole.
The first time we visited Grand Teton National Park, my husband and I did a quick 5-day road trip through Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks. The second time, we hit Glacier, Yellowstone, and Grand Teton with our then, 10-year-old. It was quite the long haul, but absolutely worth it.
If you are planning a quick trip and want to squeeze in as much as possible, I highly recommend a detailed itinerary. You should also research lodging and road openings/closures. During our trip, we used a 2-day itinerary by Dirt in my Shoes, and it was amazing! I highly recommend her itineraries for all things National Park related. You can also check out offered guided tours by clicking this link. Now, to get to the highlights of our Teton visits!
How to Get to Grand Teton National Park
Jackson Hole (JAC)
This is the closest airport to Grand Teton National Park and actually the only airport within National Park boundaries! This would be my first option if the flight choices and pricing works for you.
Bozeman (BZN)
This airport is approximately 4 hours from Grand Teton National Park, but it is a large airport. There will be a lot more flight options here along with cheaper prices.
Idaho Falls (IDA)
This airport is approximately 2 hours from Grand Teton National Park. You can sometimes find better pricing than the flights into JAC.
If you’re planning on visiting Yellowstone and Jackson Hole, these airports may be of interest to you.
Cody (COD)
This airport is located near Yellowstone’s east entrance and it’s another option if you plan on visiting both parks during one stay.
West Yellowstone (WYS)
This is the closest airport to Yellowstone National Park. If you plan on visiting both parks during a trip, this airport may be an option for you.
Our first visit was in August 2018. We flew in and out of Jackson Hole this trip. I love the Jackson Hole airport. *heart eyes*
Where to stay near Grand Teton National Park?
There are multiple areas to choose from, but the closest options are going to be lodging within Grand Teton National Park or in Jackson Hole ($$$).
We stayed in a cabin in Idaho, that looked deceptively closer to the park by reading the VRBO description. The Teton range was in view from the cabin in several of the photos. I assumed this meant the park was close. I assumed WRONG. It was actually approximately an hour drive to the park. Thankfully, Shane didn’t complain about it and we took advantage of the gorgeous scenery on our drive.
On our visit in July of 2020, we stayed in Jackson Hole. Fair warning, the accommodations are pretty pricey, but if you’re looking for convenience and camping in the park isn’t your niche, then I’d advise you to stay in Jackson Hole. It’s such a quaint little town with good food and cute stores. Check out this cute little coffee shop. They had the most amazing breakfast.
On our second trip, we flew into Kalispell and went to Glacier first, and then flew home from Jackson Hole. It is also important to research rental car availability. This is especially important if you are considering one-way travel. Most car rental companies charge an additional fee ($$$) for one-way travel, but sometimes they don’t have the stock to allow a one-way trip. If you are traveling in an RV, be aware that vehicles longer than 23.3 feet are not permitted on Moose-Wilson road.
Before getting started for the day, make sure to bring adequate amounts of water and snacks. There are several water refilling stations throughout the park. We refill our backpack bladders throughout the day and pack sandwiches and snacks. Also, do not forget that this is grizzly bear country. It is important to be familiar with bear safety tips. Most car rental companies will rent bear spray to you along with your car rental. You cannot fly with bear spray.
We spent 2 full days on each trip in the park. I would love to go back and do 3 full days. One full day can be spent in the Jenny Lake Area, and one full day can be spent on the Outer Park Road. I would love to go back and spend a day hiking at Delta Lake. I wasn’t aware of this hike when we made our first trip and during our second trip I was pretty pregnant and our 10-year-old was not up for the challenge. Delta lake is an approximately 8-mile hike that is rated as Hard on All Trails. You can access this hike via the Surprise and Amphitheater lake hikes, but there’s also an unmarked trail from the Lupine Meadows Access which is what I have linked to this post. It is very steep and you have to cross a couple boulder fields to make it to the top. It is definitely on our list for the next trip!
Jenny Lake Area
I would advise that you get here early. It is sometimes difficult to find parking in this area later in the day. We took the ferry across Jenny Lake and did the Hidden Falls trail and Inspiration Point.
After we got to Inspiration Point, we decided to keep walking out through Cascade Canyon and try to see some wildlife. This hike is not difficult, but there is a rock section that can seem a little scary if you are afraid of heights. It is approximately 2.2 miles’ round trip to Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point if you take the boat shuttle.
After shuttling back across the lake, we made our way to String Lake and Leigh Lake. We have an inflatable 2-person kayak. We pack it in my standup paddle board bag when we go on these sorts of trips and check it with our luggage. When we brought our daughter along, we also brought an inflatable tube and tied her to our kayak. She was living the easy life. Be aware that if you bring a boating/floating device, it must be inspected by park services prior to use in the water. Click here for more information about boating and floating.
We picnicked at String Lake and then hiked out to Leigh Lake first. We blew the kayak up there and floated around a bit before we portaged our kayak back to String Lake. (0.1 mile walk) String Lake is gorgeous. It is clear, and shallow in most places, so it makes the perfect swimming spot. Leigh Lake is much deeper and bigger, but I found that it was also very peaceful because not as many people continue past String Lake.
Once we left String Lake, we headed on to Taggart Lake. This trail is 3 miles round trip and flat. It gives an amazing view of the Grand Teton with a majestic reflection in the water. This was one of my favorite hikes
Outer Park Road
We started our morning by traveling Moose-Wilson Rd to search for wildlife. We saw a moose on this road during both of our visits!
We then proceeded to the Lauren Rockefeller Preserve at sunrise to hike the Lake Creek Trail to Phelps Lake. During our second visit, we tried to do this hike in the afternoon and the parking lot was full. I advise getting there early. This trail is 3 miles round trip and is not difficult. Since we arrived so early, it was so peaceful at the lake. We were the only people there for about 30 minutes.
After leaving Moose-Wilson Rd we traveled to Antelope Flats Rd to look for wildlife and to Mormon Row to see the iconic Moulton barn that you see in so many Teton photos.
Then, we made our way to Schwabacher’s Landing. I feel like this is seriously, one of the most underrated and talked about spots in the Tetons. There’s a short trail that leads to a beaver pond and around a stream. This spot offers one of my favorite views on the Teton peaks in the park.
After leaving here, we headed out to Oxbow bend. We saw otters here and walked down to the water’s edge to enjoy the views of the Snake River.
After that, we drove on out to Colter Bay, Jackson Lake Lodge, and Signal Mountain Lodge. During our first trip, we drove on to Yellowstone this direction.
During our second trip, we were able to drive out and park along the road to see the NEOWISE comet! It was such a once in a lifetime experience.
I hope you enjoyed this post and it gave you some insight into my favorite park! If you are new to hiking and would like some basic day hiking tips, check out my post here!
