4 Days in Grand Teton National Park (WY)

Between June and July 2024, we spent a few weeks living in eastern Idaho so that we could explore Wyoming's National Parks. We were blown away by the beauty of Grand Teton; out of the 23 parks we've seen so far, this one ranks #2! We felt like this was a hiker's dream. It has tons of trails, lakes, and fantastic views from all over the park. We loved that there were a lot of amenities at the park too: village stores, showers, laundry, restaurants, and a variety of accommodations (both camping and lodges). While the best views of the Tetons take some effort, the views you'll encounter are incredible. We were so lucky to get 4 full days here (split over two weekends).

CAMPING

Camping is always the cheapest way to experience the parks, but these were definitely our most expensive to date. We stayed in two different types of rustic accommodations, but both offered great access to the highlights of the park.

• Jenny Lake Campground - our most expensive tent campsite ever ($56/night), but we were so happy to snag a last minute spot at one of the most popular campgrounds. This entire campground is tent only. Sites have traditional amenities: picnic table & fire ring. We felt like the sites were small, but we loved the close proximity to Jenny Lake and popular trails such as Cascade Canyon.

• Colter Bay Tent Village - staying at the Tent Village was probably our favorite experience of the two. This rustic part log/part tent cabin consisted of pull-down wall cots (4 beds) and a wood fireplace. A metal fire ring was available outdoors for bonfires or cooking. It was the perfect size for our family of 3, with plenty of room. Staying here gave us a little more insulation than car or tent camping (it's surprisingly still cold on summer nights). It was more expensive (~$100/night), but we liked the convenience of not having to set up & the slight upgrade in comfort. The campground had a washing station and flush-toilet restrooms. It was less than a 5 minute drive to the Colter Bay General Store & Launderette (paid showers available here).

• Dispersed Site (Bridgerton-Teton National Forest) - we drove about 2 hours southeast of our home base in St. Anthony, ID to a forested area located near Hoback, Wyoming. This free camping spot was only about an hour's drive straight to Jenny Lake, so it was the perfect location to get us close to the park on a Friday night. The road was easy to navigate in our minivan, and we were able to find a flat spot to park our car for the night. As a bonus, our site even had a stone fire pit.

HIKES

• Taggart Lake (3.8 miles) - this was probably our favorite trail in the whole park. This hike was a great balance of low difficulty and stunning views. We ventured off the loop a little bit (as shown in blue below), and were greeted with the most incredible and unoccupied views of the lake.

  
  

• Cascade Canyon / Inspiration Point / Hidden Falls (10.5 miles) - this was a long one, but we were able to cross off a few highlights all in one day hike. The trailhead is located across Jenny Lake, and can be accessed one of two ways: a 2 mile hike (each way) or a ride on the Jenny Lake boat shuttle. We opted to spend the $20/person to save time and our legs. It was also really nice getting a quick, scenic view on the water.

The trail difficulty was moderate; the elevation gain was pretty spread out, and the only thing that made it feel more challenging was the length itself. It was ideal for viewing 3 different landscapes: lake , waterfall, and mountains. The first stop was Hidden Falls. This 100-foot waterfall is one of the most iconic attractions in the park and is only about one mile (one way).

After that, we headed to Inspiration Point which boasts an expansive view of Jenny Lake. While we loved these viewpoints, we felt the real beauty appear as we hiked into the canyon. The crowds simmered down and we were welcomed by the lush forest, jagged mountain views, and even some moose in the distance. We are so glad we chose to do this trail, as it was one of our favorite views; however, the ending was a bit anti-climatic. Had we known, we probably would've only hiked about half of this trail.

If you're in for an even longer journey, we heard other hikers commenting about how beautiful Lake Solitude was. This would have added another 4-6 miles (various trail lengths depending on the specific path you choose on AllTrails). We unfortunately didn't have enough time if we wanted to catch the boat shuttle back. We aren't the fastest hikers and like to take a leisurely pace.

• Leigh Lake (2.9 miles) - located near the Jenny Lake area of the park, this is a super easy hike with a lovely ending view. However, visiting in late June presented tons of mosquitos along the trail. Because of this, we felt like we were rushing along to get away from the bugs and didn't exactly enjoy the journey there and back. On the plus side, this was not a crowded trail at all.

• Delta Lake (7.4 miles) - this unofficial, unmaintained trail has become insanely popular on social media. Located west of Teton Park Road and south of Jenny Lake, this trail can be accessed from the Lupine Meadows trailhead. I was strongly against doing this trail at first due to its difficulty with rock scrambles/boulder fields and the fact that it was off-grid, especially since we had our baby with us. After watching some YouTube videos, Hunter had convinced me to tackle this strenuous trail.

  
  

  The Lupine Meadows trailhead branches off to many other highlights (Amphitheater Lakes Trail, Bradley Lake, Taggart Lake and Surprise Lake), but tons of other hikers were all headed to the same place as us. That made me feel a little more confident, but it also meant that the lake wouldn't be as peaceful due to crowds.

  
  

  Most of the journey to Delta Lake takes place on the maintained section, and doesn't really go off grid until about the last mile or so. Using AllTrails was definitely a must for this hike, since there obviously wasn't any signage to direct you where to go. It was a pretty gradual ascent, and I loved seeing other lakes in the distance from the high points on this trail. It didn't feel any more challenging than other hikes we've done, until we got to the boulder fields. The first boulder section wasn't too bad, but the second was pretty brutal. It was extremely steep, and we had to use both our hands and feet to climb around at some parts. That was not the easiest to do with a baby, but Hunter managed it well.

It was probably the most exhausted we've ever been, and because of that, we didn't bask in Delta's glory as much as we would have liked. It really was stunning though; the teal water and surrounding mountains were jaw dropping.

• Phelps Overlook (2 miles) - located in the south end of the park, away from all the main attractions, you can partake in some more remote hiking. In order to access the Death Canyon trailhead, we had to drive along Moose-Wilson road, which was honestly pretty rough for our minivan. This long, narrow dirt road would probably be better suited for high clearance vehicles. We'd probably only recommend doing this hike if you have more time; the journey itself was subpar, but the overlook was pretty cool. It was a very easy trail with only 430 feet of elevation gain.

  
  

EASY SIGHTS

• Mormon Row - the Mormon Row Historic District is easily one of the most photographed locations in the park. There are a few buildings still out there, but the most iconic is the John Moulton Barn. The mountainous landscape in the background was absolutely stunning.

• Schwabacher’s Landing - the Tetons and the Snake River make for the most gorgeous combination. At only 0.5 miles round trip, this short walk from the parking lot will be worth your while.

• Oxbow Bend - another beautiful view of the Snake River that's a simple road-side stop. We visited more in the golden hour, but we bet sunrise or sunset would be incredible.

BREWERIES/FOOD

• Snake River Brewing - located about 20 miles from the park in Jackson, WY. We ate lunch and enjoyed some drinks!

  
  

• Grand Teton Brewing Company (Victor, ID) - drinks only. We went here on our way back to Idaho. It was a small establishment, but we liked the outdoor patio area. Ciders were available from another local establishment.

THOUGHTS

Looking back at all of our memories from the park, our trips here truly rank as one of the best. This was an incredible summer destination: great views, great weather, and overall serenity out here. The Teton Range is probably the our favorite mountain range ever. Its formation is so distinct and we were in awe everywhere we looked. Even if you aren't as enthusiastic about National Parks as we are, there's no doubt this is one of the most beautiful places in the U.S.

AllTrails List

Highlight Reel