One of the best things about Grand Teton National Park is its proximity to the township of Jackson. We were able to enjoy the cozy comforts of a charming B&B, be within walking distance of the town’s shops, restaurants & bars, as well as a 20 minute drive to some of the most spectacular view points, trailheads and hidden gems of the greater Jackson Hole area. In this blog post, I will cover our itinerary and favourite spots we visited over the 3 days/nights.
Grand Teton National Park lies in close proximity to and south of Yellowstone National Park, spanning 45 miles/70km in length from north to south, taking roughly an hour to drive. It is famous for the backdrop of the Teton Range, a series of stunning jagged mountain peaks, not dissimilar to The Remarkables in New Zealand’s Central Otago region. In fact, the town of Jackson has a somewhat international, resort town vibe like Queenstown, mixed with a touch of Arrowtown old school charm and autumn foliage. There is also plenty of wildlife to see, best in the hours after sunrise and before sunset, including moose, fox, antelope, deer & stag, American white pelicans, bald eagles, bison, elk, bear and wolves. The Snake River runs through the full length of the park and to its west, many beautiful lakes are dotted along the base of the Teton Range.
There are two main roads running north to south that service the area, the Teton Park Road which is inside the park on the west side of the Snake River, and Highway 191 to the east of the Snake River. It is completely free to drive on Highway 191 and pull over at various overlooks/turnouts to view the Teton Range with the Snake River in the foreground, as well as visiting the famous historic barns of Mormon Row. With plenty of dedicated cycle paths and options to rent a bike in Jackson or Dornan’s near the Moose Entrance Station, this is a perfect place for both serious cyclists and the casual dabbler.
Of the park’s four visitor centres, only the Craig Thomas Discovery and Visitor Centre near the southern Moose Entrance Station is open outside of summer, so we were unable to visit the Colter Bay, Jenny Lake and Laurance S. Rockefeller Preserve visitor centres. One of the best places to stop for a Grand Teton National Park sign photo is the one just south Gros Ventre Junction, pictured above after sunrise.
Day 1
As we explored Yellowstone National Park prior to Grand Teton National Park, we entered through the north section of the park between 10am and 11am, and did a couple of quick stops at Jackson Lake Overlook and Colter Bay Village. With all the mornings this time of year starting at a cool 0 degrees celsius, I was pleasantly surprised by the heated bathroom at the Colter Bay Visitor Centre (which was closed, but there was access to one bathroom). Next, we drove to the Willow Flats Overlook where you can wander down into the meadows, before making our way south to the Highway 191 and Teton Park Road intersection. If you turn right onto Teton Park Road, there is a worthwhile stop at Jackson Lake Dam where you can park and walk along the bridge, and a bit further down Teton Park Road is a left turn onto Signal Mountain Road (closed November to May) which takes you up to a summit (not the best view in my opinion). After stopping at Jackson Lake Dam, I would head back onto Highway 191 and continue to the Oxbow Bend Turnout, my favourite stop of the day! The stand out mountain in the north end of Grand Teton National Park is Mount Moran, perfectly centred at this lookout, rising majestically at the bend of the Snake River.
You can spot waterfowl like American white pelicans and common mergansers here, as well as moose, river otters and coyotes at the right time of day.
Continue south along Highway 191, past Moran Junction (keep right), and you will notice Grand Teton peak becoming more prominent the further you drive. We stopped at Elk Ranch Flats Turnout as well as Snake River Overlook, and at every bend or turn in the road, you are surrounded by awesome looming mountains.
We saved Schwabacher Landing and Mormon Row for another day as by this time, we were craving for something more substantial than car snacks, so after getting a quick lay of the land and a stop at Dornan’s and the Craig Thomas Discovery and Visitor Centre, we drove south into Jackson and had an afternoon coffee and treat at Persephone Bakery before checking into our accomodation, Inn on the Creek. This cute bed and breakfast is located in the northwest corner of the township, and is very walkable to all the restaurants, bars and shops around the town square (within 10 minutes). The staff are friendly, gave great recommendations for where to spot wildlife, and were very accommodating to my requests to have some packages sent to the hotel (which were ready and waiting in our room when we arrived). The B&B offers an ever-changing cooked breakfast each morning between 8am and 10am, with options such as huevos rancheros, Austrian soufflé pancake, muffins, breakfast stack, savoury egg soufflé, coffee cake, granola, marinated tomatoes, chicken sausage, fresh fruit, yoghurt, orange juice, coffee and tea. There is a free happy hour between 5pm and 7pm, and daily fresh baked cookies available from 4pm – past me must have booked this accommodation solely for this feature 🙂 The inn is perched on the banks of Flat Creek and we had the Chickadee room which was very spacious, warm, had a comfy king bed and fast wifi throughout the property.
After meeting some guests at happy hour, we headed into town for dinner at Snake River Brewing and to try some local craft beers. The food and beer were yum (we tried the peach and ham pizza, mac n’ cheese and rated the Hop Springs IPA), and Rich met with one of the brewers who gave us the inside scoop on a location for free natural hot springs. After 3 days of seeing bubbling geysers in Yellowstone on some VERY COLD mornings, this was what we had been waiting for!
Day 2
Determined to see a sunrise lighting up the Teton Range with a foreground of reflections, we bundled up and drove to Schwabacher Landing, arriving at the carpark 25 minutes before sunrise. The carpark was already half full and the next step was to choose our spot along the shores of Snake River. We walked to the end of the ‘trail’ and patiently waited for the sun to kiss the peaks of the mountains, and boy, was it chilly! There was a group of about 10 of us at this location, but it didn’t feel too crowded and everyone was respectful of each other’s space.
Nursing some frozen fingers, we headed back to our car, cranked up the heater, and made our way to Mormon Row’s famous T.A. Moulton Barn. With the last of the sunrise crew leaving this area, we had the place to ourselves, and continued this trend with a stop at the Grand Teton National Park sign before driving back to the inn for breakfast.
It was finally time to go on a hunt for some natural hot springs, and whilst you could pay to visit Astoria Hot Springs in Hoback (25 minutes south of Jackson), there is a turn off onto the Astoria boat ramp road just before you reach the bridge on W Johnny Counts Road that takes you to Astoria Hot Springs. You can park your car at the end near the river, then head back up the boat ramp road on foot and onto a trail through the grass to reach the hot pools a few hundred metres away.
We actually got a bit lost trying to find the pools, as we didn’t realise the trail starts at the beginning/top of the boat ramp road. Instead, we bushwhacked for awhile from the carpark and eventually joined up with the correct trail. We ended up at the first set of hot pools, forgetting the brewer’s recommendation to head further upstream where there are four hotter pools to choose from. If you can’t see any hot pools, follow your nose! The sulphur smell will lead you in the right direction, and it will also not leave your body if you put the same clothes you were wearing back on, after you shower 😂
We spent the mid portion of the day checking out Jackson town, doing some shopping and having lunch at Local – the build your own cheeseburger was yum! We headed back into Grand Teton National Park in the late afternoon for a sunset hike, and paid the $35 vehicle fee at the Moose Entrance Station. One of the trip highlights was definitely the Taggart Lake Trail before sunset, with it’s never ending views of the Teton Range, glowing golden hour colours, and scenery changing from sagebrush flats to forest to lake. I have written an in-depth blog post about the trail here if you want to find out more and see all the photos ☺️
As the sun set, wildlife emerged and we were lucky to see a stag, some deer and a fox on our drive to Jenny and String Lakes. The lakes at this time were incredibly still and peaceful, and it was a joy to watch the last of the sun’s rays disappear behind the jagged peaks of the mountains. Dinner that night was at Roadhouse Brewing which was very busy for a Tuesday night. There was a half hour wait so we parked ourselves up at the bar and the boys enjoyed some beers including The Walrus hazy IPA.
Day 3
The number one goal on our last day in Jackson was to spot some animals, in particular Moose! Our Inn on the Creek hosts pointed us in the right direction, and we headed north on Highway 191 an hour after sunrise. Before we even made it to the right turn onto Gros Ventre Road, we saw a couple of parked cars on the roadside (closest to the Teton Range) and a mother and baby moose across the flats. Moose browse on willow shrubs so you can spot them up and down waterways like Gros Ventre River and the channels of Snake River. We spotted another cow moose and calf as we drove along Gros Ventre Road, and found a small loop turnout about 2km in, right on the banks of the river. The cow moose and calf meandered towards us, chomping on willow, and we stayed for a short time before continuing on towards Mormon Row. Making a left turn onto Antelope Flats Road, we spotted pronghorn antelope, left, right and centre – literally! We saw a herd of 8 prancing about, crossing the road behind us, and when one got separated from the group, it ran the long way around and in front of our stopped car.
Our hosts at the B&B also mentioned there being bear sightings lately on the Moose Wilson Road towards Laurance S. Rockefeller Preserve. Just before the Moose Entrance Station, we turned left onto Moose Wilson Road and headed south, making a stop at the plateau and paved parking area that overlooks the Snake River and ponds below. This is a great place to see wildlife at the right time of day. The road continues to wind past marsh areas and streams before entering the woods. We pulled into the Laurance S. Rockefeller Preserve carpark and had a quick look, noting the abundance of bear warning signs including alternative trails for those closed due to bear presence. The ‘bear proof’ bathroom doors gave me the heebie jeebies and I was relieved not to have had any unwelcome furry encounters. Had it been warmer, it would have been great to hike the Phelps Lake Trail, a 6.4 mile/10.3km loop track beginning at LSR Preserve, and do some cliff jumping into its blue waters – ah well, next time!
We ventured north for a final stroll around Grand Teton National Park, parking at the String Lake carpark and walking the 0.9 mile/1.4km trail to Leigh Lake. This is a flat, 1 hour in-and-out trail, with views of the Teton Range mirrored in the glassy lakes the entire way. At the Canoe Portage intersection, you can finish the trail by going down the stairs to the shores of Leigh Lake, or turn left to complete the String Lake Loop (3.7 miles/6km, 2 hour round trip) which takes you into the foothills of the mountains, or turn right and head all the way to Trapper and Bearpaw Lakes (9.2 miles/15km, 5 hour round trip). We passed about 10 solo/duo hiking groups on the 1 hour trail, and when we wondered aloud what kind of animal poop we thought was on the ground, one lady said it wasn’t horse poo, and probably bear! As such, it is important to bring bear spray with you and have it within arms reach when hiking in Grand Teton National Park. My Taggart Lake blog post goes more into depth about this. Our group of three did not carry bear spray this trip, so we kept our conversation/noise up and stuck to shorter and more heavily trafficked trails. String Lake has three paved carparks, two smaller ones and a third at the end of String Lake Road that has a park ranger station. When we saw deer the previous evening, it was at the second carpark, and they were grazing within 1-5 metres of the paved areas.
By now, we were very hungry and decided to head back to Jackson for the rest of the day, sans bear sighting. At Healthy Being, I had the tasty and hearty Great Big Veggie Sandwich. Another notable mention is Pearl Street Bagels, where we got takeaway bagels the following morning for our 8 hour drive to Denver. My egg salad bagel was so good, and the boys enjoyed their roast beef ones too 🙂
The great thing about Grand Teton National Park is that you can be as active as you like, squeeze in full or half day hikes, cycle the scenic roads, or simply stop, pullover, and marvel at stunning lookouts and wildlife from the comfort of your car. Visiting in mid-late October meant that we missed out on most of the visitor centres and services, including the Jenny Lake Boating shuttle that takes you across the lake to popular hiking trails and scenic landmarks. We were lucky that all the roads were open apart from the Moose Wilson Road south of Laurance S. Rockefeller Preserve that takes you to the Granite Canyon entrance and Teton Village.
If you are limited in time and want to hit up the best spots on a day trip, here are my top recommendations for Grand Teton National Park: (laid out in order from north to south of the park)
- Oxbow Bend Turnout
- String Lake at sunset, or for a late afternoon hike on the String Lake Loop Trail, or a daytime hike to Leigh Lake
- Sunrise at Schwabacher Landing
- Taggart Lake Trail before sunset
- Mormon Row Historic District/Antelope Flats Road/Gros Ventre Road for animal spotting and photographing T.A. Moulton Barn after sunrise
- Park Entrance Turnout south of Gros Ventre Road for a morning photo with the Grand Teton National Park sign
The park is at its peak magic and peacefulness within the first couple of hours after sunrise and before sunset. Any of the spots mentioned above will look its best, and this is when you will have the greatest chance to spot wildlife and experience still, glassy lakes with perfect mountain reflections.
The only negative we experienced in Jackson was the abundance of sandflies (non-biting) as we walked from our accomodation to the town square in the afternoons. (These were also noticeable in the outdoor seating areas of Persephone Bakery and Healthy Being). I only mention them as they WILL get stuck in your hair and clothes, and you have to actively close your mouth and nostrils if you don’t want that extra protein for the day!
The next blog post will be our itinerary for Yellowstone National Park and some tidbits for visiting in autumn. There is so much information and photos to share, so keep your eyes peeled 🙂