Visiting Grand Teton National Park? READ and WATCH This!
When: Friday, June 11 and Saturday, June 12, 2021
Where: Grand Teton National Park
There are tons of blogs/vlogs out there about visiting Grand Teton National Park. In this blog and video, we’ll add our thoughts to the mix. While you will definitely want to read this if you are first-time visitors to the park, we hope this provides some reminders to repeat visitors as well!
Tip #1: RVers Should Consider Staying In Idaho On the West Side of the Mountains.
To get to Grand Teton National Park, many visitors will need to traverse Teton Pass. As we explained in another blog and video, we were not comfortable driving our RV through the pass given the switchbacks and steep grade. We found the options in the west side of the mountains in Idaho to be a great alternative. The cost per night was competitive to what we would have paid for full hook-ups in the park it self. Plus, there are several cool breweries located in Teton Valley.
Tip #2: You Can See Most of the Park in 1-2 Days.
We were at the national park for two days, and we felt like that was sufficient time to see nearly all of the park’s major features. In fact, we easily drove the 42-mile loop around the park in just a half-day with multiple stops at the pull-outs. Thus, visitors on a time crunch can easily make Grand Teton National Park a part of their journey.
Great views of the mountains are located throughout park, which is perhaps why it is so special. Simply put, there really are not bad views there. My favorite stops on our driving tour included:
Moulton Barn/ Mormon Row in the early morning. We just had to get a photo of that famous barn!
Drive up to Signal Mountain. This is an easy way to see some of the park from a higher vantage point.
Oxbow bend. This is a great place for wildlife spotting, even if it might just be waterfowl.
Snake River Overlook. Remarkably, the views here are pretty much like Ansel Adams saw it in his famous 1942 photograph.
Schwabacher Landing. This was just a peaceful area to walk along the shoreline of the Snake River.
Tip #3: Plan a Couple of Excursions.
After driving Teton Park Road (the loop), that left another 1.5 days to explore the park in more detail. We did our research ahead of time to figure out what we wanted do to fill up that time.
Grand Teton National Park - Bradley Lake Trail
Our first excursion was to hike the Taggart Lake and Bradley Lake Trails. Depending your exact route, that will be about 5-6 miles and will fill up around 3 hours. The Bradley Lake Trail was my favorite because we only saw a few people, and the views of the mountains and lake were phenomenal. Yellow flowers blanketed the hillsides, and I had to stop on multiple occasions to literally smell the flowers.
For our second big outing, we opted to bike along the multi-use pathway that runs parallel to the Teton Park Road for about 8 miles between the Craig Thomas Discovery and Visitor Center to the Jenny Lake Visitor’s Center. There are lots of biking options in the area, but that one seemed to give us an “up close” view of the Tetons that others would not. Folks without e-bikes will have to work a little as the ride includes about 446 feet of elevation gain.
Hidden Falls at Grand Teton National Park
Our final adventure involved taking a boat ride ($18/person) across Jenny Lake to hike to Hidden Falls and then to Inspiration Point along a 1.6 mile trail. While I’m glad I can check this off my “need to do” list, I wouldn’t do it again. Yes, the waterfall is pretty. Yes, the view of Jenny Lake after making 400+ foot clime is nice. BUT…we were literally with a boatload of people the entire time, and at least for me, that is a big distraction. There are plenty of vistas and outlooks to see the beauty of the Tetons without having to deal with so many other tourists. Thus, my advice would be to find another hike (maybe Lakeshore Trail?) and skip Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point.
If you are planning a visit, I’d encourage you to watch our video. You’ll get a much better feel for what you will want to do when you visit.
Tip #4: Look for Traffic Jams!
We quickly learned that a traffic jam is actually a good thing. That is because that usually means a good wildlife encounter is causing the traffic jam. Not every traffic jam will lead to a bear, buffalo, or moose encounter, but there is an upside to slowed traffic. Just be patient, and make sure a non-driver has his/her camera ready!
Tip #5: Pack a Lunch and Bring Snacks.
There are just a handful of food options inside the park, but in our experience, all of them were just too darn busy. Perhaps we made the mistake of thinking we could actually eat during lunchtime or suppertime without waiting an hour. Therefore, our advice is to pack a lunch (or at least some snacks to tide you over) before heading out for the day.
As far as eating options go, the best ones are probably:
Dornan’s near the Moose Entrance. Here, visitors will find the Pizza & Pasta Co and the Chuckwagon Grill. There is also a deli open for lunch.
Jackson Lake Lodge. The Pioneer Grill and Blue Heron Lounge are options for food and cocktails, respectively. They have some interesting huckleberry concoctions on the menu. The Jackson Lake Lodge is worth a stop even if you are not hungry because of its massive windows and views of the mountains. We decided to enjoy a couple of local beers, and felt lucky to find an outdoor table given the crowds.
Leek’s Marina and Pizzeria is located a few minutes up the road from Colter Bay and sits right on Jackson Lake. As of June 2021, the restaurant did not serve alcohol. We didn’t go there. No beer? No broads.
Tip #6: Download the National Parks App and Grand Tetons National Park Map.
Internet is spotty in the park. While paper maps are available at the park entrances, you will want to be sure and download the National Parks Service (“NPS”) Mobile app for Grand Teton National Park so that is is available off-line. The digital map is A LOT more detailed than the paper map, and is filled with all sorts of other interesting information, like amenities, park news, and hiking trails. The self-guided tours for the Menors Ferry area in particular provide some great context for the buildings located there.
Here’s a link to the apps on the NPS website.
Tip #7: Purchase a National Parks Pass.
A seven-day pass for Grand Teton National Park is $35. Likewise, for folks visiting Yellowstone, the weekly fee is $35/week. Thus, most people will find that America the Beautiful Parks Pass for $80 is a more cost effective option because most people visit both parks when in the area. The pass covers entrance fees at national parks and national wildlife refuges as well as standard amenity fees (day use fees) at national forests and grasslands, and at lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Discounts are available for seniors and military/veterans are free!
