Grand Teton was all about big mountain views, quiet lakes, and wildlife. From our base at Colter Bay, we spent our days chasing reflections, scenic overlooks, riverside views, historic barns, and those jagged peaks that somehow looked different every time the light changed. We rounded it out with time in Jackson, where the wildlife museum and town square gave us one last taste of the area before moving on.
Pick a stop to see its story and photos.
Colter Bay is a practical northern base with a campground, marina, lakeshore trail, and boat trips on Jackson Lake. The broad lake gives open views of Mount Moran and the northern Teton Range.
Jackson Lake Dam sits at the outlet of Jackson Lake on the Snake River, south of Colter Bay. It is a separate stop from the Colter Bay area, with views across the lake, dam, and surrounding Teton landscape.
Oxbow Bend is a well-known Snake River overlook where still water can reflect Mount Moran. Wetlands around the bend support waterfowl, bald eagles, and other wildlife, especially early and late in the day.
The Heron Pond and Swan Lake loops begin near Colter Bay and pass wetlands, forest, and open water. The easy linked trails are useful for birding and wildlife viewing close to the campground.
Signal Mountain Road climbs to panoramic overlooks of Jackson Lake, the Snake River, and the Teton Range. It provides one of the park's broadest views without a long hike.
Teton Park Road connects major lake and trail areas along the base of the range. The road gave us plenty of easy ways to take in the scenery, from turnouts and short roadside walks to the Chapel of the Transfiguration, all backed by the Teton peaks and glacial landscape.
Taggart Lake Trail is a popular moderate loop through forest and open moraine to a mountain lake beneath the Tetons. The route includes creek crossings, wildflowers, and sustained views of the range.
Mormon Row preserves barns and homesteads from an early ranching community, set against the Teton Range. The surrounding Antelope Flats area is also reliable for bison, pronghorn, and wide landscape views.
US Highway 191 was where we first encountered a large bison herd right off the road while arriving in Grand Teton. This road-drive bucket is kept separate from Mormon Row and Antelope Flats wildlife sightings.
Jenny Lake is one of the park's busiest hiking areas, with a shoreline loop, boat shuttle, and routes to Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point. We hiked around the lake to Hidden Falls and returned along the quieter side near String Lake.
Schwabacher's Landing provides low, reflective views across a calm branch of the Snake River toward the Teton Range. The wetlands attract ducks and other wildlife and are especially useful for photography.
A scenic float on the Snake River pairs long Teton views with close access to river habitat. Our trip included beaver, bald eagle, mergansers, an American avocet, rain, and double rainbows.
Jackson is the main service town south of the park and a destination in its own right. We visited the antler arches at Town Square and the National Museum of Wildlife Art, which combines indoor galleries, an outdoor sculpture trail, and views over the National Elk Refuge.
Colter Bay is a practical northern base with a campground, marina, lakeshore trail, and boat trips on Jackson Lake. The broad lake gives open views of Mount Moran and the northern Teton Range.
Jackson Lake Dam sits at the outlet of Jackson Lake on the Snake River, south of Colter Bay. It is a separate stop from the Colter Bay area, with views across the lake, dam, and surrounding Teton landscape.
Oxbow Bend is a well-known Snake River overlook where still water can reflect Mount Moran. Wetlands around the bend support waterfowl, bald eagles, and other wildlife, especially early and late in the day.
The Heron Pond and Swan Lake loops begin near Colter Bay and pass wetlands, forest, and open water. The easy linked trails are useful for birding and wildlife viewing close to the campground.
Signal Mountain Road climbs to panoramic overlooks of Jackson Lake, the Snake River, and the Teton Range. It provides one of the park's broadest views without a long hike.
Teton Park Road connects major lake and trail areas along the base of the range. The road gave us plenty of easy ways to take in the scenery, from turnouts and short roadside walks to the Chapel of the Transfiguration, all backed by the Teton peaks and glacial landscape.
Taggart Lake Trail is a popular moderate loop through forest and open moraine to a mountain lake beneath the Tetons. The route includes creek crossings, wildflowers, and sustained views of the range.
Mormon Row preserves barns and homesteads from an early ranching community, set against the Teton Range. The surrounding Antelope Flats area is also reliable for bison, pronghorn, and wide landscape views.
US Highway 191 was where we first encountered a large bison herd right off the road while arriving in Grand Teton. This road-drive bucket is kept separate from Mormon Row and Antelope Flats wildlife sightings.
Jenny Lake is one of the park's busiest hiking areas, with a shoreline loop, boat shuttle, and routes to Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point. We hiked around the lake to Hidden Falls and returned along the quieter side near String Lake.
Schwabacher's Landing provides low, reflective views across a calm branch of the Snake River toward the Teton Range. The wetlands attract ducks and other wildlife and are especially useful for photography.
A scenic float on the Snake River pairs long Teton views with close access to river habitat. Our trip included beaver, bald eagle, mergansers, an American avocet, rain, and double rainbows.
Jackson is the main service town south of the park and a destination in its own right. We visited the antler arches at Town Square and the National Museum of Wildlife Art, which combines indoor galleries, an outdoor sculpture trail, and views over the National Elk Refuge.
We rolled into Grand Teton National Park and were greeted by a massive herd of bison, several hundred…
On Day 2 in the Tetons, we got up early for the second morning in a row. We hiked the Lakeshore Trail, a…
For Day 3 in the Grand Tetons, we hiked Jenny Lake—aka the most jam-packed spot in all of Grand Teton.…
After some very busy days on the go, we took Day 4 in the Tetons nice and easy. That afternoon was a scenic…
For our last day in the Tetons, we headed over to Jackson to stock up on groceries before our next…
