Grand Teton National Park is thought of by many as Yellowstone's little brother. Located just south of Yellowstone NP you can't hardly do one without the other.
Where to stay when visiting Grand Teton National Park?
Where to Stay in Grand Tetons
We stayed in Jackson Hole at Fireside RV Resort. We wanted to stay in Colter Bay RV Park, but the full hook-up sites were impossible to secure (at least for me). We wanted 6 nights and I struggled to get a reservation. We love our big camper, but it limits where we can stay. Most National Park campgrounds are too small for us.
Fireside RV Resort was lovely, but extremely expensive for what it was. But it's Jackson, WY, so you kind of have to expect that. If you're not an RV'er they also had tiny houses that looked sooooo cute.
I would definitely recommend staying as close to the park as possible. Jackson is on the southern end, and it resulted in a lot of driving every day. It seemed like everywhere we wanted to go was a 45-minute drive to the trailhead. Staying somewhere more centrally located would have been better. If you are not a camper several lodges within the NP would be great options.
Options within the park
Options outside of the park
SpringHill Suites Jackson Hole
Hotel Terra Jackson Hole
The Lodge At Jackson Hole
We did stop at Headwaters to stamp our passport books and it looks nice but it would be a LOT of driving to either Yellowstone or Grand Tetons if you stayed there. On the map, it seems like you could just stay there and do both parks but I would not advise. Maybe if you were a tent camper and wanted to use that as a home base and then do a few nights camping, come back to lodge, few more nights in another park.
Unfortunately, due to the Crowdstrike / Delta meltdown (more on that later), the girls and I were a little late getting to Jackson Hole, but we were able to fly in on Tuesday and join up with everyone. The Jackson airport is practically in the NP and so teeny-tiny. No jetways, which the girls were shocked at.
One thing that defined this trip was evening adventures. Honestly, we've been doing this since Henry was 9 months old (now almost 7) so we've always had a little kid that needed to go to bed. This year, we would wait for the weather to cool off and the animals to come out and go on evening wildlife safaris.
Things to Do in Grand Teton National Park
Day 1: Arrive, Check-In, Explore
The very first night we went for a little drive on Moose-Wilson road and saw two baby moose and elk near a lake! I always tell the kids that if we see a moose I'll take them out for ice cream. Well, we saw SO many moose on this trip I think we had ice cream every day. Moo's Gourmet Ice Cream in downtown Jackson was our place.
Day 2: Kayak String Lake
String Lake is narrow and super shallow so it's a very popular place to go swimming/kayaking/paddleboarding because the water is warmest here. We waited too long to get moving (arrive by 10 AM!!!) and could not find parking anywhere. We almost gave up but then we finally found a spot. On the advice of a friend, we paddled up String Lake and carried the kayaks about 100' to Leigh Lake. Not a soul to be found at Leigh Lake. Total serenity!
If you are flying into Jackson, you can rent kayaks in town. If you bring kayaks with you stop in Moose to have them inspected and registered ($25/kayak)
The next day we got up earlier (learned our lesson) and headed to Jenny Lake. The hike to Inspiration Point is probably the most popular thing to do, so we decided we had to see what all the fuss was about. We opted to hike there and ride the boat home. The hike out was about 4 miles, so that was a perfect option for our family. On the advice of another hiker, we detoured to Moose Lake where we saw a baby and several adult moose! It was another spectacular wildlife sighting. The final ascent to Inspiration Point is not for the faint of heart. It's a lot of elevation climb in a short amount of time. We packed some lunch to have at the top, and it was magical. I asked Andy if he was inspired and he responded "Yeah, inspired to take the boat home."
Day 4: Whitewater Rafting on the Snake River
Another family first this trip was white water rafting. Again, we've always had kids that were too young to do it, but Lewis & Clark Expeditions will take kids (minimum age of 6) as long as the river is not too high / too fast. If you came in the spring the minimum age would likely be much higher due to the nature of the rapids. The kids all stated that this was their favorite part of the whole trip. We typically book things way in advance but did this last minute and were able to get a boat for our group of 7 no problem. I will say... the water is FREEZING. Andy and I were in the front and got completely submerged. Go later in the day when it has warmed up outside. They also will rent wetsuits/and shoes (very reasonably priced) as well.
We asked our guide where the locals go to eat and she suggested Annie's Thai - we went for dinner and it was delicious. A nice break from the typical campground fare of meat on the grill.
Day 5: Hike to Signal Mountain
On our last day, I wanted to get in one last hike. We benefitted from an extra adult who didn't want to hike, so we drove to the top of Signal Mountain, got dropped off, and then hiked down. It was a much different hike than our Jenny Lake one. We only saw a few other hikers and it took us through forest and meadows.
We did not have bear spray on this hike (DUMB!) and we should have. A hiker was attacked by a bear on that trail in May (I waited to tell everyone after we were done). Buy bear spray and hopefully, you will never use it. We did see fresh bear scat on the trail (twice), but the kids sang Sweet Caroline at the top of their lungs the whole time and I think that was all the bear protection we needed.
After our hike, we had pizza at Dornan's. 10/10 recommend. It's centrally located in the park, has an incredible view of the Tetons and the pizza was soooooooo good.
Summary of our Itinerary Below - To download an editable version - click here
Day | Activity |
1 | Arrive, evening wildlife drive on Moose-Wilson road |
2 | String Lake Kayaking |
3 | Jenny Lake Hike to Inspiration Point |
4 | Whitewater Rafting |
5 | Signal Mountain Hike, Pizza at Dornan's |
Other Ideas:
Fly fishing - our crew was not interested but if you are the Tetons is the place to do it. Tons of guided fly fishing options if you have never done it before
Jackson Hole Rodeo - a Jackson Hole tradition for over 100 years!
Tips & Packing List:
Binoculars - you don't need a pair for each person in your group, but if you are a family of 4-5 I would have 2-3 pairs. Buy the best you can afford and shoot for atleast 12x.
Hiking Boots - my husband and I tried on a ton, and we both chose the Merrell Moab 3. If you are only doing short hikes, a good pair of trail running shoes would work too.
Water bottle - leak proof 40 oz. You can not have too much water.
Day Pack - lightweight bag for carrying snacks, water, suncreen, bear spray
Bear Spray - purchase upon arrival (if flying) and hope you never have to use it.
Backpack for Kids - I love these for my kids. They are in charge of packing and carrying their own snacks each day which takes a lot of weight off the parents' back.
Always pack more snacks and water than you think you need. You will eat all of it. Especially at altitude.
Unless we have a known plan to go out for lunch we always pack lunch. You can extend your adventures a lot further when your people aren't hangry.
Last but not least, don't tell your six year old son that Grand Tetons means Big Boobs.
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