Grand Teton National Park
Explore the unrivaled beauty of the Grand Teton mountains, Jackson Lake and the Rockefeller Parkway in Wyoming's Grand Teton National Park.
Wyoming
2002, 2003, 2005, 2008, 2019
About The Park
If you are traveling north out of Jackson, Wyoming, towards Yellowstone National Park, on the Teton Park Road, with the majestic Teton Mountains paralleling it for its entire length, it is a truly magnificent ride.
Between ski trips and summer trips to Yellowstone National Park we’ve been to Grand Teton National Park on five different occasions and have always marveled at what a beautiful mountain range these granite peaks make.
Grand Teton National Park, and Yellowstone National Park, are two parks that, thanks to my love of skiing, I’ve had the pleasure of visiting in winter. All the other national parks have had me visiting in summer when the driving is easier and packing is lighter. Both of these parks are spectacularly scenic any time of year but in the winter there’s the added advantage of many fewer people.
A bit further north, along what is now the Rockefeller Parkway, takes you past the 15 mile long Jackson Lake, the largest lake in the park. Near the northern end of Jackson Lake there is a point called the Jackson Lake Overlook. I’ve been here several times and gotten the same really beautiful picture of a still lake with its surface reflecting the magnificent Teton Mountains that form the backdrop behind the lake. It is right next to the road so stopping for the view and the picture is a must.
If you fly into the Jackson Airport you’ll be treated to the airport with the most scenic view anywhere. Looking out past the tarmac is an unobstructed view of the Teton Mountains with Grand Teton mountain right in the middle.
Wildlife
Large mammal life in the park consists of grizzly and black bear, elk, moose, bison, pronghorn, gray wolves and bighorn sheep. Relatively common sightings of coyote, river otter, marten and badger and occasional sightings of cougar, lynx and wolverine are reported annually.
Lodging
There’s various lodging options in the park itself. There are rustic cabins at Flagg Ranch (just outside the entrance to Yellowstone National Park). There are cabins at Colter Bay on Jackson Lake and the Signal Mountain Lodge also at Jackson Lake. Lodging at Jenny Lake is more expensive ($300+ /night) and accommodations at the Jackson Lake lodge more than doubles that.
There’s plenty of lodging in the town of Jackson for all price ranges and you are less than 10 miles south of the park. All of the major chains have a presence there.
Unlike some national parks that have only one lodge, the options at Grand Teton National Park are more plentiful but booking well in advance of your visit is advisable if you want to stay in the park.
Hiking
Inspiration Point
A few years ago we did a summer hike to Inspiration Point near Cascade Canyon at Jenny Lake. To get to the trail head you can walk about a mile and a half along the edge of the lake from the Jenny Lake visitor center or you can take a small ferry, which holds around a dozen people, that leaves from the visitor center.
The trail from the boat dock up to Inspiration Point is a bit steep and rocky but it is only about ½ mile from the trail head so I would still call it a fairly easy hike. Inspiration Point overlooks the beautiful Jenny Lake and it’s a nice place to sit and have lunch or to just sit and contemplate the beauty of the Tetons.
The negative side is that it is a popular trail and does get its share of traffic although not as much as the Hidden Falls Trail hike. Both the Inspiration Point and Hidden Falls hikes are close together and both can be reached from where the ferry docks or hiked to from the visitor center. They can be incorporated into one loop hike starting from the visitor center. That loop would be about 4 miles total. Parking at the visitor center is also very limited and it is recommended to get there early or late afternoon.
Taggart Canyon
Just this past March (2019) I took a day off of skiing to take a snowshoe hike to Taggart Canyon. The trail head was just a few minutes drive out of the Jackson Hole ski area. This was advantageous because by not having to travel for any length of time to a trail head we were able to spend that much more time hiking in the park. While you can hike without a guide, unless you are a seasoned winter hiker, with good navigational skills, you could get lost. In the summer time you have the advantage of having lots of people on the trails; in winter you’ll see far fewer people. We only saw two hikers on the way back. The winter nights are much colder, often well below zero, and you don’t want to have to spend a night(s). Also by taking a guided hike there is the advantage of not having to have your own equipment (snowshoes, poles etc.). You only need to dress appropriately and, if the reason you are out at Jackson is because you are a skier, then you should have plenty of cold weather gear for a hike in the park. The trail that we took was relatively flat and all told we covered about 3 miles or so. With large, endless expanses of pristine white snow, surrounded by snow-
Another advantage to winter hiking is that you don’t need to worry about bears and encounters with bears are something any hiker in the northern Rockies has to be prepared for. Of course the moose are still out there and they certainly can be as dangerous as a bear. At least with moose if you give them enough space they could care less about you. That may not be true with the bear although most of the time, if the bear knows you’re there, they will avoid you.
Grand Teton National Park Photo Gallery
Other Resources
Grand Teton National Park on the National Parks Service website -
Other National Parks and National Monuments Within a Day’s Drive
Yellowstone National Park You can see the Old Faithful geyser, mud pots, steam vents and magnificent wildlife in this park which is adjacent to the northern boundary of Grand Teton National Park.
Craters of the Moon National Monument Where you can see a stark landscape indicative of Idaho’s volcanic past just 205 miles to the west and about a 3.5 hour drive.
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Updated 02/11/23 7:04 PM
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