While Yellowstone National Park may be the most well known of Wyoming’s two famous National Parks, Grand Teton National Park has plenty to offer visitors that can give it’s more popular cousin a run for it’s money. With it’s wild mountains and open skies, Grand Teton National Park has a great deal of amazing things for tourists to do while visiting. Join ViewCation as we take a look at the best things to do in Grand Teton National Park.
Check Out Jackson Hole
When you’re visiting Grand Teton National Park, one of the nearest towns is going to be Jackson Hole. Due to the National Park’s popularity, Jackson Hole can get pretty crowded. If you’re looking for lodging or a place to eat, many of your options are going to be in the small town. While some may prefer to visit Grand Teton National Park’s more secluded areas instead of spending all their time in Jackson Hole, the location is still certainly worth a visit especially for those that have never been to the mountain town before!
Some of the most popular places to eat in Jackson Hole include Cutty’s Bar & Grill and Liberty Burger. Cutty’s Bar & Grill offers cheesesteaks and pizza, while Liberty Burger serves hamburgers. If you’re looking for gifts or something to remember your trip by, you can check out the Jackson Mercantile and get a taste of the local goods.
Go for a Hike
If spending the whole day at Jackson Hole isn’t your thing, going out for a hike in the open wilderness of the National Park may be more your speed! Grand Teton National Park features many great trails for hikers of all skill levels, regardless of how much time you have allotted for hiking during your trip! It’s best to plan in advance, as hikes can vary a great deal in how long they’ll take to complete.
When you’re visiting Grand Teton National Park, some of the best hikes in the area can be found at Delta Lake, Taggart Lake, and Cascade Canyon Trail. The hike at Delta Lake is one of the more difficult ones in the area, and it has a length of roughly nine miles out and back. More important than it’s length, the trail features an elevation of over 2,000 feet, meaning hikers will get quite the workout! If you can handle the trail, the views you’ll find along the way are phenomenal.
Compared to the trail found at Delta Lake, the one found at Taggart Lake is relatively easy, with an elevation of barely over 400 feet and a total length of only four miles. As compared to the out and back trail of Delta Lake, the Taggart Lake trail is a loop. Although hiking Taggart Lake is easier than hiking Delta Lake, the views are just as rewarding.
Finally, those looking for something a little bit more challenging than the hike at Taggart Lake, but not quite as daunting at the one at Delta Lake, can try the Cascade Canyon Trail. The hike is a bit longer at nearly ten miles, and features an elevation of just over 1,000 feet. As with the previous two trails, the views along Cascade Canyon Trail are thoroughly engaging the whole way. Regardless of your skill level, there are plenty of hikes to take at Grand Teton National Park, including these options and many more!
Keep an Eye Out for Moose
One of the things that Grand Teton National Park is most well known for is it’s abundance of moose. A trip to the location isn’t complete without spotting at least one of the wild animal, with there being an estimated number of around 500 moose in total occupying the region of Grand Teton National Park at any given time. When trying to spot a moose for yourself, it’s important to remember that the animals prefer cool and wet locations, and are most likely to be seen either earlier in the morning or later in the evening.
The chances of seeing a moose while you’re exploring Grand Teton National Park are high, but there are some specific locations that may yield higher moose-spotting rates than others. A few such locations are Moose Pond and Moose-Wilson Road. Moose Pond is named as such because it’s a pond that’s particularly popular with moose, and it can be found off the trails near Jenny Lake. Meanwhile, Moose-Wilson Road is a fairly busy, winding road that often features moose relaxing off to the side.
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Visit the Historical District of Mormon Row
If you’re into interesting historical locations and you find yourself in the area of Grand Teton National Park, visiting such buildings as the T. A. Moulton Barn and the Chapel of Transfiguration in the historical district of Mormon Row is a must! As the name suggests, Mormon Row is a historical district that used to be a functioning Mormon settlement. Nowadays, it’s buildings stand firmly preserved as historical landmarks. It’s historical buildings are great locations to snap family photos to remember your vacation by!
Go Out on the Water
Already in this video we’ve mentioned several beautiful bodies of water. While hiking around the various bodies of water at Grand Teton National Park can be quite a bit of fun, getting into the water can also be a blast when the weather is appropriate! There are many awesome lakes that double as great swimming locations, including the aforementioned Delta Lake and Jenny Lake. If swimming isn’t your thing, you can also explore these beautiful bodies of water on canoes, kayaks, and paddle boards, all of which can be rented.
Try Your Hand at Backcountry Camping
With it’s expansive open wilderness, Grand Teton National Park is a great location to try your hand at backcountry camping. For those that don’t know, backcountry camping is camping off the beaten path, usually done while backpacking along a trail. Backcountry camping can allow you to really get a taste of all that Grand Teton National Park has to offer. All too many times, people visit the location without really getting a taste for just how open the wilderness is. Backcountry camping can also give you an ideal view of the area’s nighttime sky, with a surplus of bright stars.
One thing that visitors will need to keep in mind before backcountry camping at Grand Teton National Park, however, is that the area has lots of bears! Two important things to have on you at all times while backcountry camping in the area are bear canisters and bear spray. Bear canisters help you store your food so that bears can’t smell it, while bear spray is essentially incredibly powerful mace. If you’re prepared, backcountry camping can be a blast!
Ride the Gondola at Teton Village
If you’re in the area of Teton Village, there’s a gondola that’s worth checking out, particularly after 5 o’clock in the evening. The gondola ride can be a lot of fun and offers some exceptional views of the region. While riding the gondola can be fairly pricy during the day, it becomes free after 5 o’clock, making a trip to Teton Village a great way to end the day! However, if you wait too long into the evening, you won’t have time to enjoy the variety of hikes that can be found when you get to the end of the gondola ride.
Get a Taste of the Local Microbrews
There’s plenty of variety when it comes to local microbrews around Grand Teton National Park, but one of the best locations for microbrews available to visitors may be the aptly named Grand Teton Brewing, which is located not too far out of Jackson Hole. If you want to get a beer experience that’s completely unique to the area, try finding a brew that’s made using huckleberry. Huckleberry is one of the most common local ingredients that you’ll found being used around the area of Grand Teton National Park. Besides beer, you’ll also find it in plenty of baked goods!
Stay at a Dude Ranch
While staying around Grand Teton National Park, nothing will give you an authentic Wyoming experience quite like lodging at a dude ranch. Dude ranches are ranches that offer lodging to visitors so that they can get a taste of what it’s like to live on a ranch and perform the duties of a rancher. You’ll get to go horseback riding, and all of your meals will be provided for you! Dude ranches are essentially bed and breakfasts with a Country Western theme, and they’re a lot of fun!
Go for a Bike Ride
Grand Teton National Park treats it’s bikers with care, as paved biking paths can be found running parallel to the roads in most of the area. Biking along these paved pathways can be quite the experience, as you get to take in the expansive open air much differently than in a car.
Visit Huckleberry Hot Springs
Finally, one of the best ways to relax after a long day of exerting yourself partaking in Grand Teton National Park’s various extraneous activities is to soak in one of the area’s naturally occurring hot springs. One of the best locations for doing so is Huckleberry Hot Springs.
With all of the above amazing outdoor activities to choose from while you’re there, it’s no wonder that Grand Teton National Park continues to be one of the most popular National Parks in Wyoming! Now it’s time to hear from you: did you know that there are said to be around 500 moose around Grand Teton National Park at any time, and that the area has paved bike paths along most of it’s roads? As always, like this video to show your support, and subscribe and hit the notification bell if you’d like to be among the first to know when more ViewCation videos are on their way!