20 Best Things to Do in Grand Teton National Park
From the glaciated peaks and alpine lakes to the vast forests and meadows filled with some of the most beautiful wildlife in the lower 48, Grand Teton National Park is truly one of the best National Parks in the country!
That being said, one of the best things about Grand Teton National Park is that there truly is something for everyone, of all abilities, to enjoy! Whether you find yourself summiting the highest peaks in Wyoming or simply sitting back on the banks of the Snake River looking for grizzlies, Grand Teton can be a paradise for any kind of visitor.
In any case, I highly recommend reading through the list below, so that you not only understand some of the best things to do in Grand Teton but also know a little bit more about why I recommend visiting certain areas at certain times based on the crowds in different areas of the park.
My Print - Delta Lake
Hiking Checklist - Yellowstone-Tetons
Obviously, for camping, you will need general backpacking gear. For this reason, I wrote a separate post about what backpacking gear is worth the money, from my experience, and what the best alternatives are to save you money.
Read My Separate Post: Best Ultralight Backpacking Gear
In addition, here is a complete list of must-have things that you will want for any hike in the Yellowstone-Teton area.
20 Best Things to Do in Grand Teton National Park
The following list is written in no particular order of best or worst, but more importantly, I talk about a number of obvious and not-so-obvious tips to know at the end.
Don’t skip over the end, as many are things that I wish I would have known before my first visit to Grand Teton National Park!
On a different note, you can save time when you arrive by purchasing your National Park pass, along with your other outdoor gear, at REI before traveling to the park!
1. Hidden Falls Trail
Distance from Jenny Lake Visitor Center: 4.9 miles / 7.9 km
Distance from String Lake: 4.6 miles / 7.4 km
The Hidden Falls Trail is the most popular day hike in Grand Teton National Park because of its easy accessibility, both by trail and the Jenny Lake boat shuttle.
That being said, Hidden Falls is popular for good reason, as it—along with some of my other suggestions below—is one of the best things to do in the Jenny Lake area of Grand Teton.
Read My Separate Post: Hidden Falls Trail
My Print - Hidden Falls
2. Inspiration Point Trail
Distance: 5.7 miles / 9.2 km
Going along with the hike to Hidden Falls Trail above, the Inspiration Point Trail and Hidden Falls Trail are most commonly combined into one longer adventure.
With that in mind, the viewpoint from Inspiration Point in the photo below is a beautiful east-facing viewpoint above Jenny Lake, located just up the trail from the Hidden Falls junction.
Being the case, I highly recommend reading my separate Inspiration Point article if you’re interested in learning more about both trails, as the Inspiration Point Trail and Hidden Falls Trail are nothing short of one adventure!
Read My Separate Post: Inspiration Point Trail
3. Jenny Lake Loop Trail
Distance: 7.1 miles / 11.4 km
Finally, the Jenny Lake Loop Trail is the complete hike around Jenny Lake that encompasses both of the shorter day hikes to Hidden Falls and the Inspiration Point Trail mentioned above.
That being said, I couldn’t recommend the full loop trail any more if you’re interested in exploring something a little bit longer.
I say this because the Jenny Lake Loop almost always sees fewer hikers compared to Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point, as the full loop is a great way to experience all sides of Jenny Lake without the crowds that the south side of the lake inevitably attracts.
Read My Separate Post: Jenny Lake Loop Trail
4. Moose Ponds Loop Trail
Distance: 2.0 miles / 3.2 km
The Moose Ponds Loop Trail is arguably the best hike you can do on your own to maximize your chances at seeing wildlife in Grand Teton.
If you want to adventure and try to see wildlife such as bears, moose, elk, and more I could recommend the Moose Ponds Loop any higher!
However, nothing on your own is as guaranteed as touring Grand Teton National Park with a local guide. That’s why I recommend considering the Moose Ponds Loop, as well as booking a local guide out of Jackson, which you can read more about below.
Read My Separate Post: Moose Ponds Loop Trail
5. Grand Teton Wildlife Tour
There’s nothing like experiencing a wildlife tour with a local guide from Jackson!
These wildlife tour guides know where to look, when to look, and all sorts of inside information about the bears, elk, moose, and so much more that you just wouldn’t be able to experience on your own!
With that in mind, I recommend booking your guide as early as you know your travel dates, as these are very popular tours during the busy summer travel season!
6. Phelps Lake Jumping Rock
Distance: 5.0 - 5.9 miles / 8.1 - 9.5 km
The Phelps Lake cliff-jumping rock is a 20-ft. (6.1 m) high natural rock formation, located directly along the banks of the east side of the Phelps Lake.
For this reason, the hike to the cliff-jumping rock on the Phelps Lake Loop makes for one of the best adventures in Grand Teton National Park on a hot summer day!
That being said, the reason why the distance above can vary is because it depends on which trailhead you begin, which I go more into detail about in my separate article.
Read My Separate Post: Phelps Lake Jumping Rock Trail
7. Private Fishing Guide
From personal fishing experience with a private guide in the Yellowstone-Teton area, I can tell you I had a great experience catching Rainbow Trout on one of these tours.
Be that as it may, fly fishing for trout can be trickier than fishing for species found in other parts of the country, which is why I highly recommend booking a local guide.
This way, you can best enjoy your time fishing and enjoying the experience, while they take care of all the logistics and planning.
8. Lake of the Crags Trail
Distance from Jenny Lake Visitor Center: 10.6 miles / 17.1 km
The Lake of the Crags Trail is, by far, the most strenuous hike on this list because of how steep the trail is.
However, because the Lake of the Crags Trail is such a challenging adventure, few visitors venture this far up an unmarked trail, making Lake of the Crags one of the best and most secluded lakes in Grand Teton National Park!
Read My Separate Post: Lake of the Crags Trail
My Print - Lake of the Crags
9. Delta Lake Trail
Distance: 7.4 miles / 11.9 km
The Delta Lake Trail in Grand Teton National Park is a steep but stunning adventure that ends at the turquoise-blue Delta Lake, situated directly below the Grand Teton and the Teton Glacier.
That being said, the Delta Lake Trail is the most popular 'social trail' of any day hike in Grand Teton National Park.
By this, I mean that the trail to Delta Lake is not established; it’s a path made entirely by foot traffic and not maintained by the National Park Service, hence the name 'social trail'. Therefore, don’t expect to see any signs marking the Delta Lake Trail, as making it to the lake will require some route finding to get there, which you can read more about in my separate post!
Read My Separate Post: Delta Lake Trail
10. Surprise & Amphitheater Lakes Trail
Distance: 10.1 miles / 16.3 km
The beautiful emerald-green waters of Surprise and Amphitheater Lakes are easily one of the best, but also challenging, day hikes in Grand Teton National Park.
In fact, both lakes are the continuation of the Delta Lake Trail via Lupine Meadows mentioned above, meaning that if you’re interested in either, you may find it best to combine both hikes into one adventure, which you can read more about it using the link below.
Read My Separate Post: Surprise & Amphitheater Lakes Trail
11. Schwabacher Landing
Schwabacher Landing is a beautiful scenic spot, located right along the banks of the Snake River in Grand Teton National Park.
That being said, the location was made popular by the stunning landscape photos that you can capture as the first light hits the top of the Tetons at sunrise, but expect the area to be busy with photographers if you choose to visit at this time, which is why I recommend arriving well before sunrise if you want to secure a specific angle.
Google Maps Directions: Schwabacher Landing
My Print - Schwabacher Landing
12. Grand Teton River Trips
One of the best things to do in the beautiful Teton Range is a scenic river float or whitewater trip that you can book on the Snake River with one of the local guides out of Jackson!
Furthermore, all three of these options are located within a short drive of Grand Teton, making them a great option for a fun, half-day adventure in the park.
13. Moulton Barn (Mormon Row)
Going right along with Schwabacher Landing, the Moulton Barn and Mormon Row are among some of the best places to capture stunning photos on the Teton plateau!
Again, sunrise seems to be more popular than sunset, but I captured this on a pretty cloudy sunset and was a bit happier to not see the same crowds that Schwabacher Landing experiences at sunrise.
Google Maps Directions: Moulton Barn
14. String Lake Loop Trail
Distance: 3.8 miles / 6.1 km
In my opinion, the String Lake Loop Trail is one of the best kid-friendly hikes in Grand Teton National Park.
On top of this, if bears are of concern when planning your trip, I would also consider the String Lake Loop to be one of the least-likely places to see bears on any trail, which I talk about in more detail in my separate post.
Read My Separate Post: String Lake Loop Trail
15. Paddle Boarding String Lake
Paddle Boarding on String Lake is one of the best ways to spend a hot summer day in Grand Teton National Park!
That being said, String Lake is extremely shallow, meaning that paddle boarding on the lake is generally considered to be much safer compared to some of the larger, colder, and deeper alpine lakes within the park.
16. Jenny Lake Lodge & Cabins
The Jenny Lake Lodge is easily the best place to stay in Grand Teton National Park!
I say this because the accessibility of the lodge to Jenny Lake, a number of hiking trails, and all of the best things to do on this list easily make the Jenny Lake Lodge one of the best things to do within the park—especially if you’re interested in having a quieter stay compared to how busy the town of Jackson can be!
Jenny Lake Cabins
Jenny Lake Lodge
Jenny Lake Lodge
17. Phelps Lake Loop Trail
Distance: 7.2 miles / 11.6 km
Of all the loop trails talked about on this list, I saved the best for last!
This is because the Phelps Lake Loop Trail at the mouth of Death Canyon is easily the most scenic loop trail in Grand Teton National Park!
On top of this, the Phelps Lake Loop also passes by the cliff-jumping rock mentioned earlier, as well as a beautiful beach on the upper side of the lake that both make for great places to slow down and enjoy this longer adventure!
Read My Separate Post: Phelps Lake Loop Trail
18. Phelps Lake Overlook Trail
Distance: 2.0 miles / 3.2 km
Whether you’re looking for a short trail to hike with the kids or an easy rainy day adventure, the Phelps Lake Overlook Trail is the perfect choice for an easy hike in Grand Teton National Park!
Additionally, I love the Phelps Lake Overlook, just like the Phelps Lake Loop mentioned above, because this area of the park is far less crowded compared to other, more popular places, like the Jenny Lake Loop to Hidden Falls.
Read My Separate Post: Phelps Lake Overlook Trail
19. Moose Wilson Road Overlook
As the name might imply, the Moose Wilson Overlook is a popular place to see moose and other wildlife in Grand Teton National Park, especially in the early morning!
Personally, I suggest checking out the overlook first thing in the morning before heading out on any other adventures, but know that just because you arrive at the right time doesn’t mean that anything is guaranteed when it comes to wildlife.
That being said, you’ll have a good idea if they’re present or not, based on the crowds at the overlook, or by booking a wildlife tour with one of the local guides, as they follow and understand the wildlife in Grand Teton better than anyone!
Google Maps Directions: Moose Wilson Road Overlook
20. Grand Teton National Park Guided Tour
Sometimes, planning a trip to a new National Park isn’t for everyone.
That’s why I recommend booking one of the local guides out of Jackson if you want to see the best of Grand Teton without having to worry about the logistics!
Why am I Recommending these Viator Tours?
One of my favorite things about booking through Viator is the reserve-now-and-pay-later option. As long as you’re booking more than three days in advance, you have the option to book ahead and cancel in the future if you change your mind.
Additionally, I’ve included these tours because some experiences, like fly fishing or wildlife viewing, can often be better experienced with a local guide. Therefore, the tour options I’ve listed are a safe and amazing way to experience Grand Teton and the greater area, and they offer the opportunity to discover nearby adventures that you may not have heard of otherwise!
5 Things to Know Before Visiting Grand Teton National Park
1. The best free camping near Jackson and Grand Teton is Shadow Mountain.
With that in mind, camping at Shadow Mountain is not as straightforward as it may seem, based on the popularity of both Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Park.
By this, I mean that the best camping at Shadow Mountain is at the base of Shadow Mountain, not the top. Contrary to what beautiful social media photos will show you, the bottom of Shadow Mountain is a much better place to camp for a number of reasons.
The first reason is because of the bugs, and I don’t just mean mosquitoes. In the past, when I arrived midday to set up camp near the top of Shadow Mountain, I not only experienced swarms of mosquitoes but also encountered horseflies the size of silver dollars! For some reason, the biting insects are significantly worse at the top of Shadow Mountain than the bottom.
The second reason I prefer the bottom is because if you camp near the top of Shadow Mountain, you can tack on at least an extra 25 minutes in the car each way just to get up and down the bumpy gravel road on Shadow Mountain. Yes, most 2WD cars should be able to make the trip up the road, but it’s not an easy drive to keep repeating if you’re running back and forth between the park or Jackson.
The last reason why I prefer the base is because finding one of those spots with a great view of the Tetons, like in some social media photos, is not easy. Most of the campsites on Shadow Mountain are in the trees with no views of the Tetons, and only very few actually face west toward the mountains.
Overall, it’s highly unlikely to simply drive up and find a spot available facing the Tetons during the peak summer travel season, meaning that your best bet at securing one of these ideal sites during peak season is to find a group that’s packing up and leaving, which leads to my biggest piece of advice for camping at Shadow Mountain below.
Google Maps Directions: Shadow Mountain
2. Look for your campsite at Shadow Mountain in the morning!
DO NOT start searching for a campsite at Shadow Mountain in the late evening. Camping is restricted to designated sites only, and since spots are so limited, there is a strategy for camping at Shadow Mountain: knowing that every spot will be taken every night during the peak summer travel season.
That being said, every day at around 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., you can expect people from the previous night to be packing up to leave. During this window, you should plan on finding a campsite and then going into the park to do whatever you wanted for the rest of the day. Even with this strategy, I’ve still had very limited options to choose from, both on Shadow Mountain and at the base.
When you do find a site, set up your tents or leave camping chairs/ whatever else you can think of to show others that your site is occupied. All sites are labeled with a number and a fire ring, and there is not supposed to be any camping outside of these designated sites.
3. Arrive early to find parking at the Jenny Lake Visitor Center.
If you’re planning on coming to the Jenny Lake Visitor Center for any reason during peak summer season, arrive before 10 a.m. to find parking.
If you don’t arrive early enough, the parking lot will fill up, and you may have to park up to a half mile away.
This is because the Jenny Lake Visitor Center is the most popular destination in Grand Teton National Park for a number of reasons.
The first is that the Jenny Lake Trailhead is a one of the most popular starting points for many trails, such as Hidden Falls. However, perhaps the biggest reason is because the visitor center is where the Jenny Lake boat shuttle leaves from.
Google Maps Directions: Jenny Lake Visitor Center
4. The visitor centers are the best places to fill up water for free.
There are three main visitor centers in Grand Teton National Park, including Jenny Lake, Craig Thomas, and the Laurance S. Rockefeller Preserve Visitor Center, and all three are the best places to fill up water for free inside of Grand Teton.
Google Maps Directions: Jenny Lake / Craig Thomas / Laurance S. Rockefeller Preserve
5. There are no advanced reservations for taking the boat shuttle across Jenny Lake.
Tickets to take the boat shuttle across Jenny Lake are simply purchased on a first come, first served basis when you get to the front of the line for the shuttle.
This is another reason to arrive at the Jenny Lake Visitor Center early in the morning because the line for the boat shuttle can stretch far away from the actual boarding area, which would seem that doing the actual hike around Jenny Lake could be faster than waiting in the line when the ferry is at its busiest midday.
5 Best Things to Do Near Grand Teton National Park
1. Yellowstone National Park
Obviously, Yellowstone National Park is one of the best things to do near Grand Teton.
That being said, there’s so much that I can’t fit into just a few sentences, which is why I encourage you to check out my long-running list of things to do within the park, similar to my list here.
Read My Separate Post: Yellowstone National Park
2. Pine Coffee Supply
I could truly go on and on about Pinedale for being one of the best towns near Grand Teton National Park and Jackson. However, without talking about the town itself, this is exactly why the next four things on this list are all located in or near Pinedale.
That being said, Pine Coffee Supply is the best coffee shop in Wyoming! Their coffee comes from an owner with a great life story about traveling the world before he eventually settled down to start his own coffee shop right in Pinedale.
In any case, I personally love stopping in when I’m on the road because their internet is fast, and it will never be as overwhelmingly busy as a coffee shop in Jackson!
Yelp: Pine Coffee Supply
3. Wind River Brewing Company
The Wind River Brewing Company is a long-time classic for some great locally-brewed beers, outdoor games, and classic American-style food!
Personally, it’s one of my favorites after hiking the Sacred Rim Trail mentioned below.
4. Sacred Rim Trail
Distance: 3.7 miles / 6.0 km
I would go as far as to say that the Sacred Rim Trail is the best day hike in Wyoming’s beautiful Wind River Range!
That being said, Sacred Rim is easily the best day hike near Pinedale, and it makes for an amazing sunset adventure, which you can read about in my separate post.
Read My Separate Post: Sacred Rim Trail
My Print - Sacred Rim
5. Gannett Peak: The Highest Peak in Wyoming
Distance: 44.3 miles / 71.3 km
Gannett Peak is not for the faint of heart, and generally speaking, climbing Gannett Peak is a multi-day backpacking/ mountaineering adventure into one of the most remote parts of the Wind River Range!
However, I thought I would include this one here incase anyone was curious about what it takes to climb the hardest state high point in the lower 48!
Read My Separate Post: Gannett Peak via Titcomb Basin
