Grand Teton National Park is located in the Northwest side of Wyoming, US and lies next to Yellowstone National Park. The park encompasses the Teton Mountain range and the valley known as Jackson Hole. Faris and I took a road trip (July 2020) from Washington to Colorado and stopped at each National Park along the way and Grand Teton National park came in as our number 1. favorite. Grand Teton has so much to offer and is perfect for someone looking to fill their trip with outdoor activities. Therefore we made a list of our favorites, 5 Things to Do in Grand Teton for the Adventure Seeker!
5 Things to Do in Grand Teton for the Adventure Seeker:
- Hiking
- Visit Jenny Lake
- Check Out the Wildlife
- 42 Mile Scenic Loop Drive
- Rent Bikes
1. Hiking
Grand Teton is full of hikes 39 to be exact! Grand Teton offers hikes for all ages and fitness levels! The most popular shorter hikes are: Hidden Falls, Inspiration point, String Lake, Leigh Lake, and Swan and Heron Pond. The most popular challenging day hikes are: Cascade Canyon, Death Canyon, and Paintbrush Canyon. Check out the Grand Teton Hiking Webpage for details on all of the Teton hikes and choose the right ones for you.
Cascade Mountain to Solitude Lake
Our favorite hike was Cascade Canyon to Solitude Lake. This is a challenging 14 mile day hike. (Alltrails suggests this trail is 13.7 miles, my Apple Watch showed about a 15 mile total hike) You have two options for this day hike:
- Shorter Option – take the 12 minute ferry ride from Jenny Lake to the island for $18 and hike Cascade Canyon to Solitude Lake 14 miles round trip.
- Longer Option – start the hike at the Jenny Lake Trail head to Cascade Canyon to Solitude Lake, add an additional 4.8 miles round trip.
It is totally worth the $18 since the 14.5 mile trip from Cascade Canyon to Solitude Lake has every view you could think of: snow peaked mountains, rivers, lakes, wildlife, and flower fields. I don’t think you would be missing much if you skipped the 2.4 mile trail from Jenny Lake Trailhead to Cascade Canyon. Read more details on the Lake Solitude Hike Grand Teton Web page.
We highly recommend this hike if you are in decent shape as it is long but the elevation gain is not too bad at 2,500ft. Like I said the views are unreal along the way, but Lake Solitude was the real treat at the top. We even saw moose and a bear along the way!
Faris was so inspired by this hike he already booked another trip back to Tetons in October 2020 to do the 40 Mile Teton Crest Trail over 3 days! The amount and different levels of hikes here makes hiking number 1. on our list of 5 Things to Do in Grand Teton for the Adventure Seeker.
2. Visit Jenny Lake
Jenny Lake is at the heart of the Tetons and it just happens to be one of the most beautiful lakes on the West Side! There is so much to do around Jenny Lake like renting a boat/kayak, hiking at the Jenny Lake Trailhead, camping at the Jenny Lake Campsite ($30), or simply hanging out and swimming!
Camping
The lake is crystal blue and is surrounded by mountains, this view is hard to beat! We actually tried to get a Jenny Lake Campsite but the reservations are at a first come first serve basis. The amount of sites are small so it is hard to get one, we even got in line at 7 am and still did not get a site. Instead we got a spot at Gros Ventre Campsite which is just about 15 minutes away and was still a great option!
Swimming
Even if you don’t camp here you can just spend the day hanging out. A swim in Jenny Lake was very refreshing after our 14 mile hike from Cascade Canyon to Solitude Lake and back. Bring some water shoes as the shore and bottom of the lake is all pebbles.
Wildlife
One of my favorite memories from Jenny Lake was seeing a Momma black bear and her two cubs crossing the start of the Jenny Lake Trailhead! The park rangers did mention this was a very rare so I wouldn’t bank on it but moose sitings are very common on the Jenny Lake Hike. The pure natural beauty puts Jenny Lake at number 2. on our list of 5 Things to Do in Grand Teton for the Nature Seeker
3. Wildlife Viewing
The wildlife viewing in Grand Teton National Park is known as some of the best in the United States. We took a road trip from Washington to Colorado and stopped at 4 national parks on the way and Grand Teton National Park had more wildlife than any of them! The inhabitants of Grand Tetons include: Bear, Bison, Moose, Elk, Pronghorn, and Eagles.
Where to Find Wildlife
If you are looking to see a Bear or any wildlife your best chance is to ask for the latest sightings from the visitor center, activity center, or park rangers as the areas change daily! The Activity Desk at Jackson Lake Lodge keeps a log of the latest sightings. Although animal sightings areas change daily some of the popular spots include Willow Flats in front of Jackson Lake Lodge, Oxbow Bend, Elk Ranch Flats, and Moose.
We Saw Bear, Moose, Pronghorn and a Bald Eagle!
During our trip we saw a Momma Bear with her two cubs and a Bald Eagle at the Jenny Lake Trailhead and a mile into the hike we saw a Moose. We also saw a Bear, Pronghorn and a few Moose on our hike from Cascade Canyon to Solitude Lake. The amount of animal sightings brings the Wildlife Viewing to number 3. on our list of 5 Things to Do in Grand Teton for the Adventure Seeker.
4. 42 Mile Scenic Loop Drive
The 42 Mile Scenic Loop Drive allows travelers to see what Grand Tetons has to offer from snow capped mountains, lakes, trails, and wildlife! Depending on how many stops you make, plan for at leas 1-2 hours to complete the loop or make it a whole day event and pack a lunch. There are plenty of amazing spots to fill up your day! The amount of stops and views on this mini road trip makes the 42 Mile Scenic Loop Drive number 4. on our list of 5 Things to Do in Grand Teton for the Adventure Seeker.
Popular Spots to Stop Along the 42 Mile Scenic Loop Drive
- Mormon Row – is a Mormon settlement that was built in 1890. In the mid-1900’s Mormon Row was acquired by Grand Teton National Park in order to expand the park. A few of the barns still stand today and bring in photographers from all over the US to capture the colorful sunrise that gleams above these historic barns. The T.A. Moulton Barn is by far the most popular and is definitely worth a picture. This was by far our favorite sunrise of the trip!
- Chapel of the Transfiguration – Stop here for an epic picture of the church with the mountains in the background!
- Jenny Lake Loop Road – Just north you can enter the Jenny Lake Loop which is actually just a one way road that jaunts off the 42 Mile Scenic Loop Road.
- Oxbow Bend – An overlook along 89/191 between Jackson Lake Junction and Moran Junction. You will find a variety of birds, otters, beavers, muskrats, moose, and elk.
- Snake River Overlook– You can find Elk and Bison grazing in the grassy meadows along the river with mountains on the horizon.
How to Enter the 42 Scenic Loop Drive – 3 Entrance Points
- From Jackson, head north on 26-89-191 and enter at Moose Junction.
- If you are coming from Yellowstone follow the Rockefeller Jr. Parkway and enter the park at the Jackson Lake Junction.
- If you are coming from Dubois, WY drive over Togwotee Pass and enter the park at Moran Junction.
5. Rent Bikes
USA today just designated Jackson Hole as one of the 10 most Bike-Friendly Cities in the country! As soon as you enter Jackson Hole you will notice the amazingly flat, smooth bike paths on the side of the roads. You will also see bikers of all levels ranging from kids and families to extreme bikers. The pathway is 67 miles long and the park just added the Jenny Lake Pathway which just brings the bike path’s views up another notch! The amazing bike path and endless bike itineraries brings Renting a Bike to number 4. on our list of 5 Things to Do in Grand Teton for the Adventure Seeker.
Highly Rated Bike Rentals
The park passes are $12 for Bikers and walkers. Bike rentals are available at Teton Village and in the town of Jackson Hole.
Jackson Hole
Teton Village
Biking Itineraries
The 67 miles of bike paths provides endless amounts of bike trips! We’ve listed a few of our favorites!
- Town Jackson to Moose
- Miles Roundtrip: 29 miles
- Total Time Biking: 3 hours
- Stops along the way:
- National Museum of Wildlife Art
- Craig Thomas Discovery Center and tour the Menor’s Ferry Historic District
- Dornan’s for lunch on the deck
- Moose to Jenny Lake
- Miles Roundtrip: 23 miles
- Total Time Biking: 2 hours
- Stops along the way:
- Hang out at Jenny Lake
- Rent a Kayak on Jenny Lake or take the boat cruise around Jenny Lake
- Jenny Lake Lodge for lunch
- Wilson to Teton Village
- Miles Roundtrip: 17 miles
- Total Time Biking: 1.5 hours
- Stops along the way:
- Aspen Market for some snacks and coffee
- Aerial Tram to the top the Rendezvous Mountain
- Have lunch at one of the village restaurants
- Teton Village to Wilson
- Miles Roundtrip: 18 miles
- Total Time Biking: 1.5 hours
- Stops along the way:
- Aspen Market for some snacks and coffee
- Emily’s Pond for a Snake River Lookout Point
- Nora’s Fish Creek for lunch
5 Things to Do in Grand Teton for the Adventure Seeker Conclusion
Grand Teton National Park is an incredible place especially for adventure enthusiasts! There are so many outdoor activities and mountains to explore the possibilities are endless. That’s why we listed our favorites in our 5 Things to Do in Grand Teton for the Adventure Seeker blog! If you enjoyed this blog make sure to check out our 5 Best Things to do in Yellowstone You Can Not Miss and the rest of our blogs!
