Grand Teton National Park Must Sees
- nicole elizabeth
- Feb 1
- 5 min read
If you've gotten the chance to check out my Yellowstone National Park Must Sees post, we also spent some time in Grand Teton National Park during this trip. If you haven't gotten a chance to check that post out yet, I'll wait right here while you do that first! I spent 2 days in Grand Tetons National Park on my family vacation in September of 2023. Another absolutely stunning national park, and up there as one of the favorites that I've visited so far. Here are some of my must-sees while visiting the park!
Table of Contents:
Grand Teton National Park
Grand Teton National Park is located in northwest Wyoming, close enough in proximity to Yellowstone National Park that you could easily see both parks in one trip. GTNP is known for its diverse wildlife, mountains, valleys, and picturesque scenery, and there are several campgrounds within the park as well. Similar to Yellowstone, the most popular, but also the most crowded time to visit the park is during the summer season. This is best for hiking, wildlife spotting, and, of course, the most ideal weather. While not as popular as Summer, Fall is another pretty popular time to visit due to the slightly cooler temperatures, fewer crowds, the golden aspens, and, for wildlife enthusiasts, elk rutting season. Winter offers good visiting conditions for snow sport enthusiasts, and Spring offers a chance to spot some baby wildlife, howeveer, the temperatures may still be pretty cold. Grand Teton was first established as a National Park in 1929 and was once home to Native American fur trappers. I absolutely loved everything we saw at this park; the scenery was constantly changing!
Moose Entrance - Mormon Row
Starting off strong with Moose-Wilson Road. This is a corridor road located in the southern part of the park connecting the towns of Moose and Wilson and goes through marsh and woodland areas. This is a great place for wildlife viewing, and we got lucky enough to see a couple of moose, a bald eagle, and a cinnamon bear while we were here! The entire road stretches about 8 miles through the park; however, there are several different pull-off sections to check out. The road goes through forests and follows along creeks, which is where we were actually able to see a few moose. This is one of the quieter areas and is a great spot for wildlife enthusiasts and photographers.
Also in this area is the beautiful Mormon Row. Mormon Row is the historic community established by Mormon homesteaders in the late 1800's. The community started with 27 homesteads, with only one still standing today, the homestead of Andy Chambers. Mormon Row also features two Moulton barns with the beautiful Teton Range in the background. I'm probably going to use the word picturesque a lot in this post, but that truly is the best word to describe this whole park, and especially this area! I truly felt like it was right out of a painting.
My last but certainly not least must-see in this area is one of my personal favorite spots in the park- Schwabacher's Landing. This is an amazing, picturesque area located along the channel of the Snake River. The pond offers a breathtaking reflection of the Teton Range above and is a good spot for small wildlife viewing. This area is just north of the Moose Entrance Station and pretty far south of Jenny Lake. This area is best known for sunrise photography, and while we came here midday, it was just as stunning. The water here creates reflections of Grand Teton, Mount Owen, and Teewinot Mountain. To get to the actual viewpoint is just a short, easy walk off the parking lot along a dirt trail.
Jenny Lake Area
Jenny Lake is located at the base of the Teton Range and is one of the most visited areas in the park. This is a natural glacial lake formed by glaciers that carved the valley. This area is one of the closest areas in the park to experience the Tetons up close. There are several hiking trails that leave from Jenny Lake, some of which are accessible only by ferry or canoe. We personally did the Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point hike, and I loved it! Some other popular hikes are the 7-mile Jenny Lake loop and the Cascade Canyon Trail. This is also a popular area for non-motorized boats, such as kayaking and canoeing.
Oxbow Bend
Oxbow Bend is possibly one of the most iconic scenic viewpoints in the entire park. This area is an overlook between Jackson Lake Junction and Moran Junction with a beautiful view of Mt. Moran. It is a beautiful river area that's home to plenty of wildlife with a breathtaking view of the Teton Range! I absolutely loved this area! It follows along US Highway 191/89/287 north of the Jenny Lake area. This area is popular for spotting wildlife such as moose, otters, beavers, swans, pelicans, and bald and golden eagles. This is also another great spot for photographers due to the way Mt. Moran reflects off the water.
Delta Lake
This might be one of the best hikes in the park, if you're up for a challenge! I have a whole separate post just about hiking to this lake that you can check out here. Delta Lake is a stunning alpine lake with gatorade blue water accessible by the Lupine Meadows Trailhead. Although challenging, this is such an amazing hike! This area is located on the western side of the Teton Range, and the hike in total is a little under 9 miles, so if you plan to do this hike, keep in mind that you may have limited time to see or do anything else in the park this day. You can even swim in this lake, although it is typically extremely cold! It's not uncommon for there to be bear sightings in this area, so be sure to be bear aware and carry bear spray if you do this hike.
Final Thoughts & Highlights
Grand Teton National Park is such a unique, beautiful, and diverse park and is an absolute must-visit if you have the chance! I can't wait to come back here one day and experience more of the hiking the park has to offer, and I would absolutely love to camp here one time. This park truly is one of the most beautiful places I've ever been lucky enough to visit! There truly is something for everyone here, from hikers, photographers, wildlife enthusiasts, or just those who love a stunning view! What I appreciated about this park, too, was that everything was pretty close to drive to, and a lot of the overlooks were drive-up, so you really are able to see a lot in one day. If you decide to visit the park, I highly recommend adding some of these stops to your trip! Thanks for reading, and remember, there's always more to be explored :)
-nicole elizabeth
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