How We Spent Two Days At Incredible Grand Teton National Park
Welcome to our new blog post, chronicling our adventures at yet another splendid National Park in the USA – Grand Teton National Park!
Our adventure at Grand Teton National park started as we exited the South Entrance of Yellowstone National Park. Read about our experience at Yellowstone here.
Grand Teton National Park is located in Wyoming. With its Glacial Lakes and the towering peaks surrounding them, our trip at Grand Teton was one magical and enthralling experience for us.
Without much further ado, we would like to take you on our Grand Teton expedition!
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Day 1
Starting from the north end of the park, driving south on US-89 our first stop was Colter Bay Visitor Center. After checking with the park ranger about the details on the hikes, wildlife and must visit areas, we embarked on our journey.
Dark clouds over Colter Bay Marina
Colter Bay Village
Stroll around the Lakeshore trail (2 miles) soaking in the view of Jackson Lake with the backdrop of Teton Range all along the way.
View from Oxbow Bend turn-out
Oxbow Bend Turnout
The most picturesque spot in the park with mesmerizing reflections of the Teton range in the Emma Matilda Lake. Our lenses were immovable from this spot and we spent a good amount of time looking at the grandeur of the towering peaks around us.
After passing the fee station at Moran Junction, you will come across this historic site of the park. From the parking area, walk across to view the cabin with the grasslands surrounding them. The panoramic Teton Range is visible from this site.
Dark cloud cover over the Teton Range
Grand Teton Turnout
Best spot to capture the awe-inspiring peaks up close. The information board here clearly explains the age of each level of the ground and the terraces that you see in front.
This spot can be accessed through a gravel road off of US-89. The Landing has access to snake river and is a launch site for river rafters. Also one of the most spectacular viewpoints and prime photo spot in the park. A good opportunity for spotting wildlife due to flat land grasses and fresh water access.
The information board here will help you to differentiate between snowpack and a glacier. Views of the major glaciers on the Teton Ridge – Teepee glacier, Middle glacier, and Teton glacier.
Taggart Lake Trail
The Taggart lake trail is a 3.3 miles round trip from the trailhead, considered one of the best hikes in Teton Park. The hike took us across sagebrush flats, Taggart Creek, a forest of spruce, lodgepole pine and fir leading to a very tranquil and serene Taggart Lake. Throughout the hike, there was a slight cloud cover and the high peaks were playing hide and seek with us. Once we reached the Taggart Lake, the green waters of the lake were so welcoming, that we sat there for a while before coming back.
Taggart Creek Falls
After the hike, we ended our Day 1 adventure by filling our bellies with some hot and delicious pizzas at Dornan’s Pizza and Pasta Company before continuing towards our stay down south in the Jackson City.
Day 2
Grand Teton National Park has wonderful and fantastic wildlife and to view the same we started our second day quite early and started driving north from Jackson city towards Gros Ventre Junction. We saw pronghorns, birds, and a moose in this area with the Gros Ventre River passing through the green grasslands around us. A mention needs to be made of the John Moulton Barn that we came across near the junction on Gros Ventre and Antelope Flats Rd, which is probably the most photographed barn in the world, with the majestic Grand Teton standing right behind. We continued our adventure inside the park by covering the below areas.
Chapel Of The Transfiguration
A rustic log chapel, which is still a functioning Episcopal Church. A wide window behind the altar gives great opportunity to capture the magnificent Teton Range.
A 0.5-mile long trail from the same parking lot takes you to the Menor’s Cabin and country store. you can check out the replica of the ferry and the cable work built in 1894.
Jenny Lake Area
This area has a visitor center, trailheads for some beautiful hikes, campground and also the second largest Lake in the Park after Jackson Lake. We took a shuttle boat from the Jenny Lake Visitor Area across the lake to do the Hidden Falls trail (1 mile) and the Inspiration Point (2.4 miles) hike. The hikes were marvelous and we were able to witness some wonderful landscapes all around us.
Dramatic Mountain Scenery over Jenny Lake
Signal Mountain Scenic Drive
Driving north on the Teton Park Road from Jenny Lake district, you will come across few turn-outs: Mountain View Turnout, Mount Moran Turnout, Potholes Turnout, etc. The junction to Signal Mountain Road is almost 1.5 miles from Potholes Turnout. The road climbs 800 ft in elevation and presents a tremendous panoramic view of the Teton Range, Jackson Hole Valley, and the Jackson Lake. We were mesmerized with some breathtaking views from the two viewpoints on this scenic drive.
The Scenic Drive starts at the North Jenny Lake junction. The drive runs through the east shore of the Jenny Lake and offers plenty of opportunities to view the paramount peaks in the backdrop of the lake. We took our time through the entire route stopping at the turnouts and walking around to capture the scenery around us. We stopped at the String Lake and the Jenny Lake Lodge before heading on to the Park’s main road.
Stunning Jenny Lake views from the Jenny Lake Scenic Drive
After spending our two days at Grand Teton National Park, we took back with us so many sparkling memories of the beautiful and peaceful lakes surrounded by the grandiose Grand Teton Range that we were finding it very difficult to leave the Park. During our two-day adventure, the weather was overcast and misty so the peaks were often covered with clouds. We absolutely are looking forward to another trip to the park when the sun is shining on the snowcapped peaks!
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To enjoy the Park to the fullest, plan your visit any time after 2nd week of July. July and August are often crowded. To skip the crowds but still enjoy the views September and early October is ideal.
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Jackson Hole Airport, Jackson, Wyoming (JAC), Idaho Falls Regional Airport, Idaho Falls, Idaho (IDA) and Salt Lake City International Airport, Salt Lake City, Utah (SLC).
From Yellowstone National Park: US-89 S/US-191 S/US-287 S towards Colter Bay Village.
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Before your visit, download the NPS Grand Teton App to get the latest park information.
Wildlife viewing is great during dawn and dusk time. Remember to give them room, use your zoom!
Parking at Jenny Lake Visitor Center gets full pretty quickly. Get early to avoid the crowds and wait times.
Bring your bear spray on the hikes to be safe!
