Grand Teton National Park, wyoming
Attractions Guide

Grand Teton National Park is located just below Yellowstone and is centered around the incredibly gorgeous and massive Teton Mountains, which tower above many beautiful lakes. The park hosts a vast a mount of wildlife (very similar to Yellowstone) which you're extremely likely to encounter along the forested trails.

Just south of Grand Teton National Park is the town of Jackson which hosts many restaurants and hotels. Along with its small surrounding suburbs, Jackson is a popular place to use as a base from which to explore Grand Teton and Yellowstone National parks.

Along Highway 191 near Jackson you might consider visiting the National Museum of Wildlife Art, which features many impressive works of art including paintings, statues, and more. Jackson is also the largest city near Grand Teton.

Apart from its hiking trails, Grand Teton offers many stunning turnouts and overlooks throughout the park, located along its scenic roads. At the southern end of the park you can stop to admire the charming Chapel of the Transfiguration, a small rustic cabin-like church set amongst the picturesque landscape. Nearby is one of the park's most iconic historical structures, the wooden T.A. Moulton Barn.

You can continue north along the highway stopping at the various amazing viewpoints, including the Glacier View Turnout, Schwabacher Landing, Teton Point Turnout, and the Snake River Overlook. All of these offer stunning unique perspectives overlooking the Teton Mountains.

Further north you can stop to see the historic J.P. Cunningham Cabin set amongst the beautiful landscape. Next you'll encounter the Elk Ranch Flats Turnout, an excellent place to view wildlife, followed by Oxbow Bend, which overlooks the Snake River and meadows with the mountains in the background.

Nearby Oxbow Bend is the Jackson Lake Dam, a great place to take in views of the mountains over the lake. For similar elevated views, you can take a short detour up Teton Park Road to Signal Mountain for fantastic views over the valley. Be sure to take the short path to the Jackson Lake Overlook atop Signal Mountain for stunning views over the Tetons framed behind Jackson Lake.

Continue up the road to the Willow Flats Overlook before reaching the Colter Bay Visitor Center. From the Visitor Center you can take a scenic walk along a peninsula in Jackson Lake via the Lakeshore Trail. This 2.3 mile (3.7 km) round-trip walk offers majestic views overlooking the Teton Mountains set behind the lake. You can continue up the highway to one more amazing viewpoint over the vast blue lake, the Jackson Lake Overlook.

If you were to keep heading north up this highway you would reach Southern Yellowstone National Park. If you do enter Yellowstone later along this road, you might consider stopping along the road to admire Moose Falls. For now, head back south to enjoy the hiking trails and other lakes that Grand Teton National park has to offer.

Head southwest towards Jenny Lake, which is believed by many to be the most beautiful lake in the national park.

The most popular trails in the park can be found at Jenny Lake, which sits at the base of the Teton Mountains. The Jenny Lake Trail makes an easy-going mostly flat 7.4 mile (11.9 km) round-trip loop around Jenny Lake, offering gorgeous views overlooking the mountains as well as lush forest and meadow scenery along the way.

You can extend the Jenny Lake Trail into an 8.8 mile (14.2 km) hike to include the beautiful Hidden Falls and the Inspiration Point viewpoint overlooking the lake if you like. Note that you can also take the boat across Jenny Lake for an easy 1.8 mile (2.9 km) round-trip trail to see Inspiration Point and Hidden Falls.

If you'd like a more challenging hike that goes deeper into the mountains while still enjoying Jenny Lake, you should hike the majestic Cascade Canyon Trail. To reach the trailhead, you can take a short scenic boat ride across Jenny Lake.

The trail is approximately 9 miles (14.5 km) round-trip with about 1,100 feet (340 m) of elevation gain and ventures deep into the gorgeous lush canyon alongside Cascade Creek while surround by the tallest of the Teton Mountains. This hike starts by passing Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point before entering the giant canyon. There is also a very high likelihood of encountering wildlife along this trail.

Lake Solitude

You can extend this trail to the picturesque glacial Lake Solitude if you like, which sits further back at the end of the canyon. This hiking option is 14.2 miles (22.9 km) round-trip with about 2,500 feet (750 m) of elevation gain.

North of Jenny Lake you can stop at the Cathedral Group Turnout, which offers fine views of most prominent peaks of the Tetons. Just north of Jenny Lake and beyond the Cathedral Group Turnout is the long and narrow String Lake, which connects Leigh Lake and Jenny Lake. If you'd like you can take a scenic walk around String Lake via the 3.7 mile (6 km) round-trip String Lake Trail, which also travels along the base of the Teton Mountains.

Paintbrush Canyon

A great long-distance hiking option is to combine the Solitude Lake Trail with Paintbrush Canyon, starting from the Paintbrush Canyon Trailhead at String Lake. This route follows through Paintbrush Canyon and up to Lake Solitude before looping back through Cascade Canyon. This long hiking route requires a round-trip distance of approximately 19.2 miles (30.9 km) with about 4,100 feet (1,250 m) of elevation gain.

Jenny Lake Overlook

Just south of String Lake along the road be sure to stop by the Jenny Lake Overlook, which offers amazing views. The road to access this viewpoint is one-way only, so you must first pass String Lake to reach it.

Along Teton Park Road to the south of Jenny Lake is another picturesque lake, Taggart Lake. You can experience the beauty of this lake via the easy 3.8 mile (6.1 km) round-trip Taggart Lakes Trail, which passes just below the Teton Mountains and offers magnificent scenery.

Just above Taggart Lake is a much more challenging but amazing hike, the 8.9 mile (14.3 km) round-trip Amphitheater Lake Trail. This trail travels high up into the mountains with an elevation gain of almost 3,000 feet (900 m), concluding at two stunning alpine lakes, Surprise Lake and Amphitheater Lake.

For a challenging hike outside the park you might try the breathtaking Table Mountain Trail, which starts on the other side of the Teton Mountains (within the Jedidiah Smith Wilderness).

This trail features lush meadows, waterfalls, and incredible scenery along a 10.2 mile (16.4 km) round-trip hike with an elevation gain of about 4,100 feet (1,250 m).