15 Attractions In Grand Teton National Park

Grand Teton National Park

Grand Teton National Park and Yellowstone National Park go together like peanut butter and jelly. You could enjoy one without the other, but why would you? Yellowstone and Grand Teton are so close together it makes no sense to not just visit both parks.

If I am being completely honest, I prefer Grand Teton over Yellowstone National Park. To me, it is a much more peaceful park. The park really speaks to the soul. The crowds are much smaller. The drive is easier. In my opinion the views are better. Wildlife is amazing. Additionally, the smells are also much more enjoyable.

 I just really enjoyed Grand Teton National Park a lot better than Yellowstone National Park. Of coarse that is not taking away from Yellowstone, it is amazing in its own way.

While visiting Grand Teton National Park, there are plenty of activities to experience. There are many more options that are not going to be covered in this post. What I am going to cover are some of the things we did on our visit. As always do your own research and see what fits your family needs.

Signal Mountain

Signal Mountain is a summit within Jackson Hole. This summit allows you to drive to the top and get some fantastic views of Jackson Hole and the Teton Mountains. This is the first site we went to when we entered Grand Teton National Park.

There are a few different ways to enjoy this summit. You can drive through a mountain road that winds its way up to the top. You can hike your way up a moderate trail to the top. If you choose to drive, as we did, you can enjoy this mountain in about an hour. That will also give you time to get out and take some pictures. I recommend coming here as soon as you get to the park. That will allow you to have a panoramic view of everything you are going to be able to see over your visit.

 Jackson Lake Dam

There is no shortage of breathtaking views in Grand Teton National Park. I suggest driving the loop roads in both directions and make the most out of your trip. Driving Teton Park Rd will get you the best views of the mountains. This gets you up close and personal with the Lakes and spectacular mountain views.

Driving Hwy 101 will get you the best views of wildlife. Keep in mind this is a Highway! You will also have semi-trucks traveling it as well. Give them space and get out of their way. Even though you are on vacation, they are trying to work.

Jackson Lake Dam is a great spot to pull off and take in the views of Jackson lake. This lake is a 400 ft. deep glacier fed natural lake. The damn was added in the early 1900’s and added an additional 39 ft. to the lake. This is a great spot to do some fishing in the Snake River or just to pull over and take some pictures.

Mountain Turnout

Mountain turnout is a little further down Teton Park Rd and offer spectacular views of the mountains. Also, great views of all the sagebrush. Sagebrush is everywhere in the Grand Teton national Park. It is one of the few plants that thrive here. I have no idea why but the sagebrush became something beautiful to me. I even thought about planting some in a pot here at home.

There are various other turnouts along the way. They all offer different views of the mountain range. All the turnouts are worth enjoying. It will not take a lot of time to stop and view, but all will be worth the investment of time spent.

Jenny Lake

Jenny lake is one of the busiest spots in the Grand Teton National Park, for good reason. There is so much to do and so much to see from this one location. There are multiple hiking trails that are family friendly, some that are a little more advanced. You can take a boat ride across the lake. You can also stop for a picnic.

Jenny Lake Hiking Trails

Discovery Trail

This trail is a paved trail. It stretches .35 miles and will take you right to Jenny Lake. It is a great trail for the family as there is no elevation changes making it an easy hike.

Hidden Falls

There is a few ways you can get to hidden falls. You can either hike around Jenny Lake, or take a boat. We choose to take the boat and I recommend that for families. The hike to Hidden Falls is 2 miles round trip. There is a 200 ft gently climb to make it to Hidden Falls, but you will be rewarded with a 100 ft waterfall fed from snow melt.

Inspiration Point

Once you reach Hidden Falls you can continue on the trail another .5 mile up to Inspiration Point. This point gives you great views of the Cathedral Group, Cascade Canyon, and Jenny lake.

We took to boat ride over to Hidden Falls trail. I will say again I defiantly recommend taking the boat. You are on amazing clear, beautiful water. You will get fantastic shots of the mountains. Plus, you get to ride a boat in the Grand Teton National Park.

My kids love boats, so they really enjoyed the ride. Only complaining about it being too short. I think they thought we was going to stay out there all day, maybe go to a beach. I dunno. What the kids did not love was the hike to Hidden Falls. We were wanting to make it to Inspiration point, but the boys got to hidden falls and just gave up. They decided they needed a break and started complaining about everything. In their defense it is a dirt path, that is going up hill the entire time. Looking back on it now, I think maybe they just wanted to get back on the boat. Smart kids!

Laurence S Rockefeller Preserve

The Laurence S Rockefeller Preserve is a must do while visiting Grand Teton National Park. This preserve is located on the Moose-Wilson Road. You will want to get here as early as possible. Part of the reason for that is the Laurence S Rockefeller Preserve has very limited parking. The parking lot only can hold 50 vehicles and usually fills up by 9 AM. The limited parking capacity was by design. It does not allow the Preserve to have too many guests all at once. This allows you to have a feeling like you are the only ones out on the trails. It is spectacular!

When you get to the Laurence S Rockefeller Preserve, be prepared for a good hike. There are no short trails here, but there are some easy ones. We stayed on an easy trail called Lake Creek-Woodland Trail Loop.  The boys and had no problems at all. The loop is a 3-mile trail. Consisting of a 300 ft climb. The Lake Creek-Woodland Trial loop will take you to Phelps Lake and along the Lake Creek.  Being out on this preserve was one of the most relaxing experiences of my life. It is so quite and peaceful.

The views are spectacular. Some of the most beautiful areas in our country. It is hard to believe this all was owned by Laurence S Rockefeller, he donated this land in 2001 equaling 1,106 acres. Laurence father John D Rockefeller donated 33,000 acres of land to the National Park Service back in 1949. This is what has become part of the Grand Teton National Park today.

Always be prepared!!

 I would make sure you have bear spray and know how to use it. This preserve is home to black bears as well as grizzly bears. We always keep a can on us no matter what hike you are doing. It is a small investment that could save your life. Also, make plenty of noise. With the children, that is fairly easy to do. We just let them do their thing and that will ensure we do not “sneak up” on an animal and surprise it. Most animals want nothing to do with humans and will run away when they hear or smell you.

Moose-Wilson Road

Another reason for arriving early is you must travel on the Moose-Wilson road.  This is some of the best wildlife areas of the park. While traveling this road we came across some wetland with a huge line of vehicles that are at a complete stop. This of coarse is a sure sign that there is wildlife in view from the road. We drove past and seen a beautiful moose lounging in the marsh waters. We found a place to pull over and got out to get our own view of this magnificent animal. Remember to keep at least 100 yards between you and any wild animal you come across.

Some of the Moose-Wilson Road is windy, slow moving, narrow, and not paved. Don’t let this be discouraging to you. We drove this road in a 4-door sedan with no problems at all. With that being said, this road is closed to all RV travel. So, you will want to bring a dingy or rent a car to make it through here. You also will want to check with a park office before heading out to make sure the road is open. It does close from time to time.

Chapel of Transfiguration

The Chapel of Transfiguration is a serene and beautiful experience all in itself. One of my favorite things about it is, there is no crowds here. When we visited it, there was only a handful of other cars to be seen. This is a good attraction to visit when all the hiking trails are full and you are looking for something calm to just relax and take in the cool mountain breeze.

The Chapel of Transfiguration is located just past the Southern Entrance to Grand Teton National Park. Its about 1 mile north of the Moose Junction.

The Chapel is only open from May to September to the public. You can enjoy Sunday Mass here. As well as get married within the Chapel. If you are like us, you just wanted to come and enjoy the view, take a few pictures and soak it all in. There truly is not a wrong way to enjoy this chapel.

Cunningham Cabin

Making a stop at the Cunningham Cabin will only take you about 10 minutes. It is 10 minutes well spent. This cabin was built in the 1800’s and is still standing today. There is a lot of history in the cabin, from shootouts to it being used as a Fort in 1895. It is a stop worth making and taking some photos. The kids will enjoy being able to run in and out of it. Taking photos standing in the windows.

Mormon Row

Mormon Row is another great spot to come when everything else is full. You can enjoy the six clusters of buildings that are early homesteads. There is no fee to view and enjoy these buildings. Parking is plentiful and the crowds where minimal. It was not my favorite part of the Grand Teton National Park, but it was worth the stop.

Menor’s Ferry

Just North of Moose is a small trail that is rich with history in the Grand Teton National Park. This small trail is only .5 miles long and is an easy hike for the entire family. It is not crowded at all. We only came across 2 other families while exploring this area, and we were here in July.

This property is located directly on the Snake River. The trail will lead you to the river, where you can get great pics of the beauty and power of the river. Along the path you will come across a ferry. This is a replica of the original ferry that was set up here by Menor in 1894.

The original ferry played a vital role in allowing early settlers in Jackson Hole to cross the river. This allowed them to hunt, gather wood, forage for berries and other edibles. Contributing to early settlers inhibiting the harsh terrain that later became Grand Teton National Park.

Grand Teton National Park Hikes

I know we already covered the hikes at Jenny lake earlier in this post. I wanted to sperate those from the following hikes because they are part of the entire Jenny Lake experience. Here I want to cover some other hiking trails that are scattered through the park. Grand Teton national Park is a hikers paradise. Cool air along with the beautiful mountains aids in the experience of hiking this park. No matter what kind of hiking you are looking for, you will find it in Grand Teton national Park. There is plenty of generally flat easy hikes. There are also some challenging hikes taking you into valleys and large elevation changes. Set your own pace and know your limits. Here is a small list of family friendly hikes throughout Grand Teton National Park.

Taggart Lake

Trailhead is located a few miles North of the Moose Entrance. Taggart Lake trial is an easy hike the family will enjoy. This is one of the more popular hikes in the park, so please try and plan accordingly. The trail is rated as an easy hike and will take you 3.3 Miles. You will experience a gain in elevation of 300ft. Taggart Lake trail will give you stunning views of the Grand Teton Mountain, sagebrush fields, and lake views.

Lakeshore Trail

Lakeshore trail is located at Colter Bay Visitor Center. This trail will give you good views of the lake, some wooded areas, and the Grand Teton Mountain. This loop is 2.1 miles long. Rated Easy and is partially paved, partial dirt path. There is a small elevation change of approximately 150ft.

Leigh Lake

Leigh Lake trailhead is located just North of Jenny Lake. This trail offers views of the Tetons and a lake view. It is a longer trail at 3.1-miles long but there is only a 50 ft elevation change. Making this an easy relaxing hike for the family.

Schwabacher’s Landing 

One of my favorite trails in Grand Teton National Park is Schwabachers Landing. This trial walks along the snake river just East of the Grand Teton Mountains. This allows beautiful views of the mountains reflecting off the rivers water. When I think about the Tetons, this is the picture that always comes to my mind.

To get to Schwabachers Landing there is a small gravel road leading to a gravel parking lot right off I-89. I believe there was a small sign that is barely noticeable as well. You will defiantly not run into crowds here, but you will come across some photographers taking in the sights. As well as taking some shots of the awesome wildlife this trail will allow you to come across. If you are a bird watcher, this is the place for you.

There is a 4-mile hiking trail the follows the Snake River. Along this trail you will come across breathtaking views as well as a lot of opportunity to see wildlife. Make sure you have your bear spray and your camera. This hike is considered easy as it is fairly flat. The only concern to have is there is some uneven ground along the dirt path. The trail does come close to the waters edge, so watch the kids when hiking here.

A true National Park that speaks to your soul

There are so many things to do and explore during your visit to Grand Teton National Park. Unfortunately, there is no way for us to list them all. We spent 4 days in the park and I felt that was perfect for us. I would add a few extra days if you are planning on doing some of the more extreme hikes. No matter how you plan on enjoying this area, you just cannot go wrong. It is so peaceful and beautiful. Therefore, Grand Teton National Park has become my favorite National Park I have visited thus far and has earned a place in my heart.

Share us on the Socials

Check out our Latest Post