Things to do in Grand Teton NP

In addition to my previous best wildlife photos of Grand Teton I’d like to share the things that I think (after thorough research, talking with various rangers and a stay of three days in the area) are most fun to do in here and where best to spot the moose and bears!

Leaving the many wonders of Yellowstone behind, we decided to keep on working on our hiking adventure list at its southern neighbour: Grand Teton National Park. Compared to Yellowstone this national park – wrapped around its epic mountain range on the western edge of the scenic valley known as Jackson Hole – is a lot less popular, which I thought made it all the more exciting to explore the area.

Grand Teton National Park was created in 1929, but initially only protected the mountains itself and the glacier lakes at its base. It grew to its current size in 1950 when John D. Rockefeller donated heaps of land to protect the valley floor as well. What an awesome way to build a legacy.

With over 230 miles of trails GTNP is a hiker’s dream. Many miles even lead up to the mountains and their glacier lakes. Hiking all the way up was though obviously, but we were instantly rewarded for that as we saw so much more animals in here compared to Yellowstone. Especially black bears seemed to be all around – our very own bearmuda triangle.

Apart from spotting the bear during our hikes, some of them we actually saw from the road (bearjam!). On top of all the bears, we had way better luck with the moose and coyotes in here too compared to the wildlife spotting in Yellowstone.

So what hiking trails would I recommend?

The hike to Surprise Lake and Amphitheater Lake

A 4-5 hour roundtrip | 10 miles / 16 km roundtrip.

Although the climb towards the glacier lakes Surprise and Amphitheater is though, it surely is a rewarding one. With every step you climb into the Teton range the view on the valley below gets prettier. As some parts of the road are a little more flat this is still a doable hike, even if you’re not a pro.

Apart from the nice vistas, you’ll encounter a lot of wildlife on the way. We saw (a heard!) many many pika’s – those small, bunny-like creatures -, marmots and a grouse. This is also a nice trail for birdwatching in general.

And if you’re finally at Amphitheater Lake (the end of the road) can jump into the lakes too, if you dare!

The hike around Jenny Lake

A 2 – 3 hour roundtrip | 7.5 miles / 12 km roundtrip.

A nice little loop around the prettiest lake of Grand Teton. Start at Jenny Lake Visitor Center and walk southwards. On the southern side of the country you can also do a detour towards the Lupine Meadows, if you don’t mind walking an extra hour. It’s worth it in my opinion, because over there you might encounter a moose or two on the loose, especially during the early morning hours.

Hike on to the Hidden Falls, in the middle of the western lake flank and Inspiration Point for a beautiful overview on the lake. You could either decide over there to take the shuttle boat back to Jenny Lake Visitor Center or continue to Jenny Lake Lodge on the northern side. This bit of the trail has been the side of a recent burn. Albeit a bit of a sad surrounding because of that, it’s always fascinating and comforting to see for nature bounces back. Wildflowers are all around in the area and the osprey aren’t flying far away either.

Take a break a fancy Jenny Lake Lodge (if you dare entering this expensive lodge with your dirty shoes :)), before continuing south again along the eastern shore.

The hike to Lake Solitude

An 7 – 9 hour roundtrip | 15 miles / 24 km roundtrip.

This is a full day trip. You can start at either String Lake Trailhead or Jenny Lake Trailhead ór if you want to shorten the hike, take a shuttle boat from Jenny Lake Visitor Center towards the opposite side of the lake. That’ll save you an hour.

From Inspiration Point it’s a steep hike up towards the Cascade Canyon, but once you’re there for quite a while you’ll walk along a flat road along the meadows (look out for moose!). At the end of the canyon, you need to conquer the Petersen Glacier before you reach Lake Solitude.

Be on your guard for bears along the way (we saw them both close to us and far away).

If you want to return via another route – hike towards Paintbrush Canyon along Holly Lake. As this road does take longer, count some extra time. Whatever trail you hike back and forth, start early – this is going to be a long day in the mountains!

Backcountry permits along the way are available as well in case you want to make this a multi-day trekking.

The hike to Leigh Lake and Bearpaw Lake

A 2 hour roundtrip | 7.8 miles / 12 km roundtrip

I didn’t do this hike myself (we lacked the time), but the ranger at Jenny Lake Visitor Center was super enthusiastic about this trail, so therefore I just háve to include it.

Starting nearby Jenny Lake at Leigh Lake Trailhead, this hike’s supposed to be a bit easier (compared to the previous two – because little gain in elevation) and less travelled (according to the ranger) too.

Bear safety

I was kind of afraid to encounter bears, so I tried being noisy throughout the trail, but it didn’t prevent us from seeing some – both far away and from up close. Luckily they seemed to care little about us, which is always a healthy wildlife sign.

Remember to remain at a safe distant at all times, but especially if there are cubs around. Carry bear bells, sing a song or two, shout ‘hey bear’ (or ‘hola osa’ if you want to upkeep your Spanish like me) and carry bear spray for the ‘just in case moments’ and know how to use it. In general if you make enough noise or walk in a group, you will be very unlikely to run into them. But you never know.

Obviously don’t feed any wildlife. A fed bear is a dead bear. For real. Once bears get accustomed to people they’ll try to come for the food, and they will get shot for that eventually.

Scenic drives

The Teton Loop

Take half a day to drive the Teton Loop – from Jackson Lake Junction head to the east (along Oxbow Bend) before driving south at the Moran Junction. Add the southern Moose Junction, drive up again along the Teton Park Road.

The views along the ridge are superb. As the eastern road is a bit higher up than the Teton Park Road, you’ll have a good vista on both the winding Snake River and the mountains. There are a LOT of pullout, but at least make sure to stop at Oxbow Bend, Snake River Lookout, Swabacher Landing. Perhaps you also want to visit one of the historic barns along the way.

Count at least 4 hours for this road (including stops) and preferably drive it early in the morning or at the end of the day, when the pastel tints start to appear on and beyond the mountains.

Signal Mountain Road

At the end of the day, you’ll see so many animals on the road towards the top of Signal Mountain. The drive will take at least 30 minutes and you might even want to take it slower, as herds of elk and deer roam the roads from time to time.

From the parking lot on the top it’s a small hike up to the platform from where you have a superb view on the meadows of the Snake River.

Jenny Lake Road

This one-way loop is a fun little detour along the Teton Park Road. It has a nice viewpoint in the middle of the loop on Cascade Canyon ↓ and you might encounter deer and other mammals too along the way.

Moose Wilson Road

If you’re planning to leave the park from its southern exit, you might want to drive the Moose Wilson Road. From here, with a bit of luck, you can spot a lot of wildlife from the car. A ranger told us she even saw a wolf walking down the road in here, right in the middle of the morning.

Keep your driving speed slow as you never know what’ll cross the road!

Sunset galore: the spots

Oxbow Bend

A popular stop for sunset watching. On a clear day the views in here are drop-dead gorgeous. If you’re lucky you might see a moose in here at the same time too (if you do, you’d get me very jealous!)

Willow’s Flats Overlook

Another great spot nearby the previous place for both moose and sunset watching!

Schwabacher Landing

I loved it in here. With few people around you’ll can get a tranquil break in here. As this area is a meadow, again you might just see a moose or something a little smaller in here.

Schwabacher's Landing, Grand Teton, Wyoming

Snake River Scenic Overlook

The best viewpoint if you want to picture both the snake river and its gorgeous mountainous backdrop.

Snake River Overlook, Grand Teton, Wyoming

Signal Mountain Lodge / Jackson Lake Lodge

Want to have dinner with a view? Both locations offer a couple of decent dining options and all you have to do is sit. Great for when the colder nights hit in and you can’t keep warm anymore outside while waiting for the sunset.

Craig Thomas Discovery and Visitor Center

I came in here for the National Park stamp (I collect them, even though my hubby thinks I’m the greatest geek because of that), but I really loved the ‘discovery’ part of this modern visitor center.

The exhibit tells about the history of the place, about the first tribes in the area, the first trappers, how Grand Teton NP came to be and what kind of wildlife you can encounter. Apart from that, the large glass windows offer a nice outlook on the mountains.

In general, this place is a good place of starting your trip. The ranger can give you up-to-date advice and in the central hall you’ll see an enormous relief map of the area. It really shows how enormous the area is and gives you a bit of information on the sides.

Also, in the meadows below the nearby bridge that connects the little village of Moose with the Rockefeller Highway, you may encounter a … moose. What’s in a name right!

Ánd, if you’re in need of groceries Dornan’s Moose Trading Point is a big supermarket with decent prices. It was quite a relief to see that for us, as we had been grocery shopping at the expensive supermarkets in Yellowstone for days.

Lupine Meadows

We visited this area twice and also ran into a moose … twice! It might have been the same creature though, but you never know.

Nevertheless, this place is known for it’s many long-legged, elegant creatures, so make a quick detour and see if you can spot one in the high grass as well!

Where to camp?

Jenny Lake Campground!

Yes, that campground deserves an exclamation mark. What a beautiful spot to sleep this is. Perhaps I’m also very excited about Jenny Lake Campground because we had a horrible tent site at Bridge Bay Campground in Yellowstone (next to the toilet building), but anyway, gosh this was a cosy and quiet little area.

Although the campground doesn’t have a view on the lake itself, it’s beautifully positioned next to the pretty Teton peaks. There are no shower facilities, but you can drive for that to Signal Mountain Lodge.

Get in here early, especially in the summer months, as this is also the most popular campground of Grand Teton. You can’t reserve, so you just really have to be there before 8am. We had to stand in line before they let the entire traffic jam in. But once you’ve conquered your place, all will be good, I promise. At the time of our visit (mid August), the campground was full around 8:30 am.

Signal Mountain Campground

Another nice campground on the eastern side of Jackson Lake. Close to many facilities, restaurants, a mini-market, sunset spots, wifi (! – only for free next to the mini market) and Signal Mountain itself, the location of this campground is very convenient. A shower unfortunately comes at the insane amount of $6,- for 7 minutes (if I remember correctly), but apart from that, this is a great campground too!

Enjoy the view!

No worries, wherever you go, whatever you do, these majestic peaks will always accompany you during your stay and make sure you’ll fall in love with them sooner or later!

Here you can find all of the spots!