Grand Teton National Park is a stunningly beautiful destination for outdoor enthusiasts. Located in the northwest corner of Wyoming, it features majestic mountains, crystal-clear lakes, and lush forests. It is also home to an abundance of wildlife including elk, moose, grizzly bears, and bighorn sheep.
The park offers a variety of trails for all levels of hikers to explore. From easy strolls along the lake to challenging ascents up the mountainside, there are plenty of opportunities to take in the surreal beauty that Grand Teton has to offer. Waterfalls cascade down from rocky cliffs and snow-capped peaks provide stunning views for miles around. Whether you’re looking for a peaceful getaway or an adventure filled with wildlife sightings and breathtaking landscapes, Grand Teton National Park has something for everyone!
A day trip, while it doesn’t do the park justice, is certainly possible. A drive along Jenny Lake, a visit to the visitors’ center, a short or long hike, and a ferry ride across the lake to a trail with multiple waterfalls are all easily done within a day of exploration.
If you are looking for a place to camp while here, you will likely need to make your reservations early. This table, from the National Park Service Website, shows park campgrounds and the services offered. There are also several private campgrounds within an easy drive of the park entrance.
| Campground | Type | Reserve | Amenities/Restrictions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gros Ventre Campground | Standard site (279), Electric hookup (39), Group site (4) | yes | dump station(limited), 45-foot length limit |
| Jenny Lake Campground | Standard site (51), Hiker/biker site (10) | yes | tents only, pay showers nearby |
| Signal Mountain Campground | Standard site (56), Electric hookup (25) | yes | pay showers and laundry nearby, dump station, 30-foot length limit |
| Colter Bay Campground | Standard site (324), Electric hookup (13), Hiker/biker (10), Group site (10) | yes | pay showers and laundry nearby, dump station, 45-foot length limit |
| Colter Bay RV Park | Full hookup pull-through site (102), Full hookup back-in site (10) | yes | pay showers and laundry nearby, full hookups, no fire grates |
| Colter Bay Tent Village | Tent Cabins (66) | yes | tent cabins with 4 bunks & wood-stove, pay showers and laundry nearby |
| Lizard Creek Campground | Standard site (60) | yes | 30-foot length limit |
| Headwaters Campground | Standard site (34), Full hookup pull-through (97), Camper cabins (40) | yes | showers included, 45-foot length limit |
“It is safe to say that the Teton Range is as breathtaking as any mountain landscape one could ever see.”
― Stefanie Payne, A Year in the National Parks: The Greatest American Road Trip
Campfire Recap
We are definitely coming back to Grand Teton National Park.
We drove into this area from spending a few days at Yellowstone National Park. The drive between the parks is quite beautiful and we stumbled upon an amazing area to have a picnic lunch along the way. Check out our post about that side adventure here.
As reservations in the campgrounds in this park fill quickly, we parked our camper at a private campground and drove into the park. On the way in, it was definitely worth our time to pull off on one of the side roads to explore the views of the park land from a distance.
A side trip on our way into the park, that certainly did not disappoint, was Signal Mountain off of Teton Park Road. This perspective of the Tetons was an absolute must see for us as it gave us the full picture of how the mountains and the valleys all connected in this beautiful part of the country. We spent a considerable amount of time exploring this area and its views, while taking countless photos before venturing into the main part of the park.
Keep in mind that the Teton Park Road is closed November through May each year.
Once inside the park, a visit to the Welcome Center for information and maps is always a good idea in order to get a layout of the area and give us options of what we wanted to see or do during our short stay.
Jenny Lake was stunningly beautiful and crystal clear. We hopped on a ferry boat to ride across the lake to a trailhead that certainly provided some exercise, but was eye-opening beauty at every turn of the trail.
There were several areas in which you could pause and enjoy the mountain streams coming down the side of the mountain. Waterfalls along the trail reminded us of nature’s power and ability to carve out this spectacular landscape out of solid rock.
On a return trip, we are going to ensure that we haul our e-bikes into the park and ride a couple of the trails to farther submerse ourselves into the experience. The views are spectacular, the air if fresh and clean, and the mountains are good for the soul.
For more information about Grand Teton National Park, use the following link:
Bike trail information can be found here.
Hiking information can be found here.
Brochures to download with all the information about Grand Teton, click here.
Seasonings
“You are not in the mountains. The mountains are in you.” – John Muir
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