5 Things to do in Grand Teton National Park

By Jacob

Planning a couple of days in Grand Teton National Park? This is an article that you will definitely not want to skip over. While there are many activities and choices when visiting Grand Teton these are a few of the highlights that you will not want to miss on any excursion. There are hikes, drives and many scenic vistas to see, so here we go.

1. Visitor Centers

There are four visitor centers in Grand Teton that each may be the most convenient depending where you are coming from. At all visitor centers rangers are on duty to give park information including trail information, road conditions, wildlife information and any other question that you can think of. For visitors from the north (Yellowstone National Park) and east (Highway 26/287) be sure to stop at the Colter Bay Visitor Center on Jackson Lake. This visitor center was built by the Mission 66 project and features the David T. Vermin Indian Art Collection. Step outside to get beautiful views of Jackson Lake as well as the looming Teton Range. For visitors to Jenny Lake stop by the Jenny Lake Visitor Center. Stop inside for beautiful photographs and artwork from Harrison Crandall of Grand Teton. Near the Granite Creek entrance to the park stop by the Laurence S. Rockefeller Preserve Center to learn about Mr. Rockefeller and his mission to save the valley of Jackson Hole to create and expand Grand Teton National Park. The biggest visitor center, and one of the best in the national park system is the Craig Thomas Discovery and Visitor Center. Huge windows facing the mountains frame an epic view of the Teton Range. This visitor center has many exhibits featuring the geologic and human history of Grand Teton National Park.

2. Jenny Lake

Probably the most popular hiking area in the park is at Jenny Lake located along the Teton Park Road. Jenny Lake is located at the base of the Teton Range, perfectly reflecting the towering mountains on the surface. One thing we recommend is to hike up to Inspiration Point on the far side of the lake. There are a couple of ways you can do this. One is to take a shuttle ferry, for a fee, across the lake making the hike a two mile round trip. One-way options are also available. The other is to hike the 5.6 mile round trip along the southern end of the lake up to Inspiration Point. Along the way get beautiful vistas of the lake and mountains for some great Instagram pictures. Be sure to stop at Hidden Falls for a break at this magnificent waterfall. You may also see some moose on this trail. We saw a couple of bull moose within just a few feet of the trail. The trail rises sharply as you make your way up to Inspiration Point getting spectacular views into Cascade Canyon. Inspiration Point is a high point and gives you a 360 degree view of the surrounding mountain lakes, the valley and the Teton Range.