Exploring Grand Teton National Park

As we completed our visit to Yellowstone National Park, we headed towards Grand Teton National Park to continue our adventure. With a short and pleasant drive on a scenic route, we arrived in Grand Teton a lot faster than we’ve imagined.

Known for its remarkable terrains and beautiful lakes, Grand Teton is one of the least commercialized National Parks in our opinion. Well protected and preserved with little to no human facility and infrastructure, there’s no double that it’s all about nature here in the purest possible way.

Day 1 - all about the drive

We started our first day with making various stops on the scenic drives along the famous Teton Range, the 40 miles long mountain range where Grand Teton is the peak of it.

Mormon Row

Mormon Row is a historic district near Grand Teton National Park, and it is a popular photography point for capturing these historic barns with the spectacular Grand Teton rising in the back. The combination provides a pure and perfect country vibe that can only be created with nature and time.

Schwabacher Landing

Schwabacher Landing is a 1.8 mile round trip that provides stunning views of Grand Teton both in reality and in reflection. The hike is flat and easy, and the view is simply rewarding. This was one of our most memorized stops in the whole trip!

Snake River Overlook

A quick and easy stop that is just alongside the road, this is a viewpoint to see this crooked S shaped river. Though we didn’t catch sight of any wild animals during our visit, it is said to be a good spot for it early in the morning.

Jenny Lake Overlook

The drive to this Overlook is beautiful and mysterious, following a narrow road in the woods. The Overlook is a popular spot because of its serene lakeview, and it is also a famous stop of the Jenny Lake Loop Trail, a well liked hiking trail that goes around the lake for a full 360 degree view of it.

Day 2 - all about the hike

We reserved a whole day just for hiking, we heard hikes in Grand Tetons were amazing and we were beyond excited. We also prepared ourselves with enough water, food, trash bags, and knowledge of how to handle wild animal encounters.

Cascade Canyon Trail

Though there is an option to start from Jenny Lake Loop Trail and then connect to Cascade Canyon Trail, we opted for the more common option - reaching Cascade Canyon Trailhead by shuttle boats across Jenny Lake. The quick 10 minute boat ride will save us close to 5 miles of hike round trip on the Jenny Lake Loop and lead you directly to your starting point, and to us this was a better use of time with our limited days in the park.

Hidden Falls

From the boat dock, the hike into Cascade Canyon Trail started steep, but not far after was the first viewpoint on the trail - Hidden Falls. As for why it is named Hidden Falls, guess the fact that we kept hearing waterfall sounds but did not see the waterfall until the last few steps that lead us to the viewpoint could be a major factor. The view is well hidden and yet breathtaking when it finally appears, and the area has plenty of shades and seating for some relaxing time.

Inspiration Point

Continuing the hike with a steep climb and roughly 1.1 miles into the trail, Inspiration Point is a famous viewpoint and may also be the final destination of this hike for some visitors. From the Inspiration Point, the view of Jenny Lake from uphill is extremely enjoyable and calming, the large surface of the lake is in a rich blue color and possesses an infectious tranquility.

Continuing the hike

Since this is an out and back type of hike that is around 10 miles in total, from Inspiration Point, many visitors will turn back and head downhills, however we simply couldn’t resist the view and decided to continue our hike. Once you go past Inspiration Point, the elevation gain becomes much milder, but path is narrower and you also notice significantly less crowds - meaning it’s time to be more aware of wild animals, and yes including bears.

The summit view of the mountain is also captivating and incredible, and you can see it more clearly as you hike further into the canyon. The intense nature vibe is also phenomenal, every breath is satisfying and rewarding. And at any point where you feel you’ve had enough walking for the day, you can just simply turn around and head back.

Day 3 - All About the Vibe

We had a late afternoon flight, which left us most of the day to explore Jackson, the town we stayed at during our visit. Though we’ve made multiple trips to the town center in the previous 2 days, it was mostly for errand runs later in the day only.

Jackson Town Square

Located in the center of the town, Jackson Town Square, or formally known as George Washington Memorial Park, is one of the landmarks you won’t miss while being here. Each corner of the Square has a elk-antler arch that is made with real antlers collected from the local National Elk Refuge, unique and astonishing.

The town also has a super lively vibe from a number of gift shops, restaurants, entertainments, etc., and those hanging floral bouquets in front of many of the local shops here just make it more pleasing and vibrant.

Grand Teton National Park Sign

On our way to Jackson Hole Airport (which is located inside the park), we also stopped for photos with the Grand Teton National Park sign with Teton Range in the backdrop - a memorable and iconic ending to our trip here in this National Park, until next time!