Best Things To Do In Grand Teton National Park

If you are looking for the best things to do in Grand Teton National Park, you will find the ultimate guide here.

From hiking to sightseeing, we will highlight the best things to do in Grand Teton National Park.

As one of our favorite National Parks to visit as a family for the openness, the wildlife, the sheer beauty, and crisp fresh air bring calmness and happiness every time. So make the most of visiting Grand Teton National Park!

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Visit Grand Teton National Park

Grand Teton National Park is located about 5 miles north of Jackson, Wyoming aka Jackson Hole. Did you know that Yellowstone National Park’s south entrance is only 31 miles away from the Grand Tetons? Have nothing but time? Why not visit both parks in one trip!

Flying to Grand Teton National Park

Jackson Wyoming airport is the only airport within a National Park. It serves many airlines including Delta, United, American, and seasonally Sun Country and Allegiant. However, Salt Lake City International Airport is a 4 hour and 30-minute drive from Jackson, and Idaho Falls Regional Airport is an hour and 45-minute drive from Jackson.

Jackson or Jackson Hole, Wyoming

So Jackson or Jackson Hole? Which is it? You will hear people refer to this area interchangeably and I was so confused when I first visited the area. Jackson is the name of the town while Jackson Hole refers to an entire valley, including the town of Jackson, Teton Village, Wilson, the Aspens, Moran Junction, Moose, and surrounding areas.

A small town, with a population of a little over 10,000, in the middle of nowhere surrounded by mountains. A ranching community, the cowboy feel, and its natural beauty within the valley of two mountain ranges and the Snake River running through the heart of the valley make it so appealing to visitors.

Looking for the best things to do while in Jackson Hole? Check out my article “The Best Jackson Hole Family Vacation (+ 3 Day Itinerary)”.

Grand Teton National Park Entrance Fees

Entrance fees to Grand Teton National Park vary by a 7-day pass or annual pass however the best bang for your buck if you plan to visit more than one national park within 12 months is to buy an American the Beautiful Pass.

• 7 Day pass to Grand Teton NP- $35 for a private vehicle
• Annual Grand Teton NP pass- $70
• America The Beautiful Annual Pass- $80

Best Things to Do in Grand Teton National Park

We have put together a list of the best things to do in Grand Teton National Park. But first, you should know a little tip…plan ahead. Know what you want to do before you arrive, and plan to get up early to beat the crowds.

I always cringe when I read articles stating to get up early, beat the crowds, ugh. Because I am on vacation, I am supposed to be sleeping in. Wrong! Trust me on this one, you WANT to be up early. Besides, good things come to those who don’t sleep in.

Things to do at Jenny Lake

Some of the best things to do in Grand Teton National Park are located near Jenny Lake. Did you know Jenny Lake is at the center of The Grand Tetons and is one of the most visited areas, sitting at the base of the Teton range? In fact, visitors of Jenny Lake can:

• Explore the visitor center
• Take a boat tour- Shuttles run every 10-15 minutes throughout the day. $18.00 adult Round-trip (12 yrs to 61 yrs) and $10.00 child round-trip (2 yrs to 11 yrs). Check current prices
• Kayak- Rentals are done on a first-come, first-served basis.  If all boats are rented when you arrive, you can be placed on a waiting list and notified when a boat becomes available. $20/hr or $80 a day. Best time to rent is early morning when the lake is calm.
• Admire the lake by walking the paved sidewalk near the shore
• As well as sit on the many benches, enjoy the views, or pack your suit and jump in!

Amenities at Jenny Lake include beautiful bathrooms with flushing toilets, a gift shop with a large variety of snacks, ice cream, as well as souvenirs. Also available are a ranger station and camping.

Jenny Lake Trails

Many popular trails can be hiked from Jenny Lake. For example, visitors can hike the loop of the lake, visit Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point, or hike into the backcountry via Cascade Canyon.

Jenny Lake tip: As I said earlier, Jenny Lake is very popular and the parking lot fills quickly in the summer. Plan to arrive early or be prepared to walk as you will have to park on the road. Or be a “vulture” and follow people to their cars to grab their spot, kinda creepy but we have done it many times, ha!

Keep in mind that when hiking in the Tetons it is highly recommended to carry bear spray as bear sightings are very common when on trails. And don’t forget to also pack water!

Jenny Lake Loop

As one of the top-rated hiking trails, Jenny Lake Loop trail offers many different views of the Tetons. This trail is a moderate trail looping around Jenny Lake. 7.9 miles round trip. However, plan to be on this hike for the majority of the day. Are you short on time? Take the Jenny Lake ferry across the lake.

Cascade Canyon Trail

Accessible by Jenny Lake Ferry (saving you energy and time) or follow the Jenny Lake trail. 9 miles round trip. Enjoy the beautiful views of Hidden Falls. After the falls and many switchbacks, the trail will lead to Inspiration point providing incredible views of Jenny Lake and the Teton mountains. However, a difficult trial, it is worth the views!

Best Hikes in Grand Teton National Park

There are so many trails to hike in Grand Teton National Park and there is something for every age group. To keep us headed in the right direction we always use the All Trails Pro App. We can download trail maps before heading out while out of range from wifi.

Here are a few of our favorites:

1. Taggart Lake Loop- From a waterfall to foot bridges this trail is one of our favorites! Mostly flat terrain making it easy for everyone topping out at 3.7 miles round trip. This is a high traffic trail so plan to head out early. Pack a suit if you dare (cold glacier water) and fishing pole. The views are amazing!

1. Phelps Lake Trail-On the south end of the park, Phelps Lake Trail is popular for its “jumping rock”. With a 20 foot drop into the water, this is a popluar place to plunge into the ice cold water on a hot summer day. Easy hike for families with little ones and those with limited abilities, leaving is the hard part.
2. Hermitage Point Trail– Located near the Colter Bay Village. A 10 mile trail that leads to the shores of Jackson Lake.  In addition, there are small side trails which include Swan Lake and Heron Pond.
3. Signal Mountain– A 6.8 round trip hike on the north side of the park. Hikers have panoramic views of Jackson Hole and the Teton Range.

Grand Teton National Park Wildlife Tours

Grizzly and black bears, bison, moose, elk, pronghorn, and more live throughout Grand Teton National Park. When viewing animals from your car or on foot, please don’t put yourself in danger, stay a safe distance away at all times. Hence the word, WILD. You are in their home and animals may attack if they feel threatened.

Self Guided Tours

1. Willow Flats Overlook- North of Moran Entrance Station on Highway 91. Be sure to park in the parking lot and proceed to the south end of the lot. In the meadow, Elk typically can be seen grazing on grass. (Make sure to pack your binoculors, my husband recommends these.)
2. Oxbow Bend-One mile east of Jackson Lake Junction.  Moose feed on willows at the water’s edge. Elk occasionally graze in open aspen groves to the east. Also, be on the lookout for river otters, ospreys, bald eagles, American white pelicans feeding on fish.
3. Elk Ranch Flats Turnout– South of Moran on Highway 191. Guaranteed to see bison everytime you drive though at dusk or dawn. Elk and Pronghorn are typically seen as well. In fact we even had to wait for a bison to cross the road!
4. Timbered Island– Southeast of Jenny Lake. Pronghorn antelope (my family calls them speed goats and for good reason, they run FAST and they look kind of like goats!) forage on sagebrush throughout the day. Elk eat grasses at dawn and dusk growing among the surrounding sagebrush.
5. Snake River-Jackson Lake Dam south to Moose. You will find Elk and bison grazing along the river. We saw a ton of bison in this area everytime we passed through.
6. Cascade Canyon-West of Jenny Lake. Mule deer and moose feed on shrubs at the opening of the canyon.

Best Places To Stay Near Grand Teton National Park

Finding options to stay when visiting the Grand Teton National Park is limited to the town of Jackson. However, you will find limited lodging in small towns south of Jackson or across the state line into Idaho.

Best Lodging in Jackson Hole

Hotel tip: Hotels in Jackson are more than my family and I like to pay. Be prepared to pay at the very minimum of $250 a night for a very basic room.

Budget Hotels:

1. Anvil Hotel: What a super cute motel! Rich textures and essential details. Within walking distance to Town Square. Includes free parking although limited.
2. Anter Inn: Comfy beds and clean rooms and within walking distance to Town Square resturants and shops. Free parking. Breakfast not included. My parents have stayed here and enjoyed their stay. Also, my dad raved about Pearl Street Bagels for breakfast across the street.
3. Elk Refuge Inn: Great views, 2 miles from downtown. Free parking. Kids also stay free. Breakfast not included.

Mid Range Hotels:

1. Modern Mountain Motel: Cute boutique motel 2 blocks from Town Square. They have an onsite resturant and lobby cafe. Pool, hottub, and also includes free parking.
2. SpringHill Suites by Marriott: Within walking distance to Town Square. Complementary breakfast and fitness center. Perks include a pool, hottub, and also a complementary shuttle to Jackson Hole Mountain Resort. Parking $19/day.
3. The Hampton Inn: A Hilton collection (use your hotel rewards). Outdoor seating with cozy fire pits, an indoor hot tub, and restaurants within walking distance. Includes free daily hot breakfast and parking. Also, pet friendly rooms.

Luxury Hotels:

1. Four Seasons Resort and Residences: Located within Teton Village, a five-star resort. From traditional hotel room to five bedroom penthouse suites. This is as fancy as it gets!
2. The Cloudveil: A Marriott collection (use your hotel rewards). Located within Town Square. Each room offers sitting areas with couches, chairs and ottomans. In-room Vertuo Nespresso machine which will have you ready to hit the trails bright and early!
3. Hotel Jackson: Named “The Most Beautiful Hotel in Wyoming”.  All rooms have natural gas fireplaces, spa-like bathrooms, and Nespresso espresso machines. They also offer discounted private aviation on private charter flights to their guests, whoa!!

Camping Near Grand Teton

We love to camp and for many reasons. Because it’s the cheapest way to travel and it’s more like home. We also save money on meals by cooking our own. And, we can take a lot of crap with us from home and have room for all the things we buy when traveling, ha!

Well you say, I don’t own a camper so that is out of the question. We don’t either. However, we used to own a camper when our kids were little, so we know all the ins and out of camping. We now rent from local private owners. In fact, we rent from Outdoorsy.com. Search for campers locally in your area that fit your needs. Some also offer their trucks for rent if needed to pull the travel trailer.

Campgrounds In Grand Teton National Park

Camping tip: Advanced planning is a must if you are thinking of camping within Grand Teton National Park. Because reservations open the first week of January and fill up quickly. Don’t be discouraged though. However, you may get lucky and score some days within the park, you may need to be flexible with your dates. Very few campgrounds within the park offer first come first serve anymore.

Popular campgrounds include:

1. Jenny Lake: Tents only
2. Colter Bay: Electric hookup, 45-foot length limit, and dump station
3. Colter Bay RV Park: Full hookup pull-through sites and full hookup back-in sites
4. Gros Ventre: Electric hookup, 45-foot length limit, and dump station
5. Lizard Creek: 30-foot length limit
6. Signal Mountain: Electric hookup, 30-foot length limit, and dump station
7. Headwaters: Full hookup pull-through, camper cabins, 45-foot length limit, as well as showers

Camprounds Near Grand Teton National Park

The last time we traveled to The Grand Teton National Park we took a chance camping in Dispersed Camping Areas. What in the world is that you ask? The US Forest Service uses the term “Dispersed Camping” to mean that visitors are camping outside of a developed campground facility.  Visitors are simply finding a place in the forest where they can drive to in order to camp for free where no development other than a road exists. Five-day limit when camping in Dispersed camping.

Our site was pretty sweet, on top of a bluff directly facing the Grand Teton mountain range. For example, I could sit on the toilet and look right at the mountains, ha! The only thing that sucked was the dust from the road leading up to our site but that was nothing in exchange for the views we had. Definitely, a spot we will go back to.

Need all the amenities of a private campground? I hear ya, I like those too however we found prices to be quite more than we wanted to pay.

Other campgrounds include Yellowstone National Park and John D. Rockefeller, Jr Memorial Parkway.

You ready to plan your trip to Grand Teton National Park?

Hopefully, this article was helpful in choosing the best things to do in Grand Teton National Park. Besides, if you love the mountains and being outdoors, Grand Teton National Park should be on your bucket list!

Safe adventures,

Brooke