Check out our amazing stops in beautiful Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming. Today is our 1st day In the park and we’re looking for the most picturesque sights. We just arrived in Jackson Hole last night with our daughter and Becky’s mom Gigi. And the 4 of us are starting early on this Friday to hit a lot of spots. We’re looking forward to seeing all of the beautiful sights in Grand Teton National Park!
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Planning our stops in Grand Teton National Park
Grand Teton is not the largest national park, but planning your days here are key to maximizing your time. Last night after arriving late, we stayed outside the park at the Super 8 in Jackson. But today we are checking into some cabins in the Colter Bay Village, in the north of the park. So, we will have to drive through the park to get there. US-191 is the main highway that travels on the east side of Snake River through the park. While the Teton Park Road is closer to the mountains on the other side. Both of these roads converge in the South and in the North essentially making a loop. Though you can easily do this loop in about 2 hours, we plan to make a lot of stops along the way.
Our plan is to start early and see a lot of the sights along US-191 before lunch. We grabbed a cooler and have some water and snacks, but plan to stop for lunch at Jackson Lake Lodge. This lodge has multiple lunch options and boasts great views. After lunch, we will head back to the scenic Teton Park Road making more stops along the way. We’ll see how far we go before we need to check-in to our cabins. After checking in, we’ll see if there any additional places we may want to go. But our first stop is the Historic Mormon Row. To read more about this park, see: Grand Teton National Park (U.S. National Park Service) (nps.gov).
GuidAlong (formerly GyPSy Guide)
Before we get started, we’d like to tell you about GuideAlong. Many people had recommended to purchase and download these audio tours before our trip. And you can get both Grand Teton and Yellowstone together for $14.99. We used these throughout our trip, and we can say they are definitely worth it.
After researching our trip so much, we were surprised at how much we still learned through GuideAlong. And the neat thing is it will play while you’re approaching different stops. This lets you know if there is a stop you weren’t planning or just more information about the upcoming stop. We highly recommend if you’re planning to visit this park. You can get more information at: Yellowstone & Grand Teton Audio Driving Tour | GuideAlong.
Southern Entrance to Grand Teton National Park
Driving from Jackson, it takes us about 15 minutes to the get to the Southern boundary and the park sign. Before we get to Mormon Row, we stop here to take an obligatory picture. It’s early in the morning and there are already multiple people here. But unlike the standard national park signs, this one is unique and worth a stop.
As if the sign itself wasn’t beautiful enough, you get a good glimpse of what this park is all about. On the other side of the highway is the valley called Jackson Hole. And past it, you see the snow-capped Teton Mountain Range in the distance. Many of the stops along US-191 in Grand Teton offer similar views with these beautiful mountains in the background. And after a few minutes taking pictures, we continue on the highway. On our right, we can see Blacktail Butte as we pass Moose Junction on our left. Just past the butte, we turn right onto Antelope Flats Road toward Mormon Row.
Mormon Row in Grand Teton National Park
Mormon Row historic district preserves what is left of an Old West community. Mormons first settled here in the 1890s establishing a community known today as “Mormon Row”. And today, some of the old barns and structures are the most popular stops to take pictures in Grand Teton. And just before we turn left off Antelope Flats Road, we see a small animal dart past our car. We’re not sure what we saw, but we turn into a dirt parking area in front of John Moulton barn.
Once we exit the car we see more small animals and identify them as Uinta ground squirrels. And these cute squirrels seem to be everywhere. Past our car we see a box with trail brochures, and put a dollar in the box and grab one. Then we walk around John Moulton’s homestead. First we see an outhouse and then their distinctive pink stucco house. But the highlight is the barn. After some pictures, we head back into the car to head to the more famous T. A. Moulton barn.
John and Thomas Alma (T. A.) Moulton are brothers who established their homesteads next to each other. And on the other side of the road is T. A. Moulton’s barn which is what’s left of his homestead. Here is another small parking lot, but this one has some restrooms with pit toilets. We get out here and walk to the barn where there are more ground squirrels scurrying around. Life here 100 years ago was probably hard, but with all the beauty around must have been amazing. And after about 10 minutes, we head back to the parking area to use the restrooms before our next stop.
Gros Ventre Area
It’s probably best to turn around at this point and head back down Antelope Flats Road to Highway 191. But Becky’s brother had mentioned a place to see moose just south of here. And though Mormon Row is a gravel road, we drive the whole 2.7 miles to Gros Ventre Road. There are a few more homesteads on Mormon Row, but there is no parking so we just drive by. And the rest of the drive is not memorable though many say they see wildlife out here. But once we get back to Gros Ventre Road it is paved. If you turn left, you will see the small town of Kelly. But, turning right is where you can get the views of the Gros Ventre River.
“Grow Vaunt” as it is pronounced is defined by the Gros Ventre River. We pass the large campground here to stop at the Gros Ventre River turnout. By this point is almost 10:00AM and hot, and the moose are not out. It would be best to look for moose early or late, but it’s still a pretty spot. And if you look in the distance, you can see Sleeping Indian. It’s actually called Sheep Mountain, but looks like an Indian sleeping on his back with a full headdress. Gros Ventre Road leads back to US-191 looping us back to where we’ve been. We would recommend stopping here first on the way to Mormon Row to eliminate the backtracking. Plus the earlier you come, the better chance to see moose. But we get back on track at our next stop.
Blacktail Ponds and Jackson Glacier Overlooks
There are many overlooks or turnouts along US-191 worth stopping at. The first we stop at is Blacktail Ponds which provides nice views of the wetlands below. There is a short walk here that leads to a vantage point overseeing sagebrush and lodgepole pines in the distance. You can also get up close to many wildflowers.
We enjoyed walking through some wildflowers past the vantage point before returning to the car. If you have time, it is a nice stop. But the next stop is a must-stop, the Glacier View Overlook.
Here is a paved walkway with interpretive signs. And you can get a great view of the Cathedral Group, the top 3 peaks in the park. Of course the tallest peak in the middle is Grand Teton. But what makes the view even more special is you get a good view of the glaciers on these peaks. The sign at the end of the walkway points them out. But after a couple good stops on US-191 in Grand Teton, we turn off the highway onto Schwabacher Landing Road.
Schwabacher Landing in Grand Teton National Park
After turning off the highway, the road goes from paved to gravel. And we continue to the end at the Lower Schwabacher Landing parking area. There is a decent sized parking lot here that is almost full, but we find a spot. Schwabacher Landing used to be a boat launch, but today there isn’t enough water flow. It might be because of the large beaver dam about 350 yards along the small channel of the Snake River. Though beavers are active only at dawn or dusk, it is a nice walk along the channel.
But before you get to the dam, you can see what makes this spot special. On a calm day, you can see a perfect reflection of the central Teton mountains reflected in the water. And if you can continue past the dam to the beaver pond, you get a better view. Framed by spruce and cottonwood trees make this a nice photo spot.
We also saw many small blue butterflies near the water we identified as Boisduval’s Blues. These pretty blue butterflies fluttered all around as we walked near the shore. From the time we pulled on the road to the time we got back to the highway was almost an hour. But we enjoyed getting out of the car and walking around a bit and the views were amazing. There are also restrooms with pit toilets here which are convenient. So far, this is one of our favorite stops here in Grand Teton.
Teton Point and Snake River Overlooks
After Schwabacher Landing, we get back on US-191 heading north. The next overlook is Teton Point. It also has a very nice view of Grand Teton and the Cathedral group. It is similar to the Glacier View overlook, so we stop briefly and keep going. But the next one is one we want to stop at, the Snake River Overlook. Here the famous wildlife photographer, Ansel Adams, photographed the Snake River from a similar vantage point. His iconic photo shows the sweeping Snake River with the high peaks of the Teton Range in the background.
If you try to recreate his famous photo, you will see trees have grown up over time covering part of the view. However, you can still see sections of this river and the view of these mountains is still gorgeous. The Snake River is popular for rafting, but our daughter is too young this time. But we would love to come back when she is older.
Elk Ranch Flats in Grand Teton National Park
Before we get to the next turnout, we see cars parked along the road. We slow down to see what the commotion is about. And to our right, we see a large heard of bison! We find an open spot and park our car. We are in the Elk Ranch Flats area, a former cattle ranch dating back to the early 1900s.
Most of the bison are far enough away and there is a fence between us. However, we stay near our car to watch from a distance. On the other side of the road is a pasture where we see 1 animal running around by itself. We believe it to be a pronghorn, or North American antelope. It’s cool to see, but watching the bison herd, which easily had more than 50 including calves, is really amazing. After enjoying watching, we return to the car to drive a little farther down the road to the Elk Ranch Flats Viewpoint.
Here we walk from the parking area to a fence where we can see another bison herd. This one is not as big, and unlike the other side, they are farther away. But they’re still cool to see, especially in front of the mountains. And so far, this area is one of the best stops in Grand Teton to see bison.
After leaving the turnout, we turn left to continue on US-191 to see the Moran Entrance Station. Up until this point, we have not paid to enter the park. It is $35 per vehicle to enter for up to 7 days. But we show our American the Beautiful annual pass at the window and get through.
Jackson Lake Lodge and Lunch
We have seen so much up to this point. But we are hungry, so we head past a few overlooks on the way to Jackson Lake Lodge. We also pass the turn for the scenic Teton Park Road that we plan to drive on after lunch. At Jackson Lake Lodge, they have a large parking lot and we find a spot near the entrance. We walk past the valet to enter the lower lobby. And then walk up some stairs to the upper lobby where all the restaurants are.
It is here we see can see why we heard this place has great views. Their really large windows provide wonderful views of the mountains and more. But we came here for lunch, so we find the Mural Dining Room. It is just past 12:30PM, but we have no problem getting seated right away. And even though we are not seated right at a window, our views are amazing here too. And the menu has a good selection of soups, salads, sandwiches and entrees. They also have a separate kids menu with crayons.
We order their Gunsight Notch Burger and Short Rib Panini which come with fries. We also order a cup of their Elk Chili to share. Gigi orders their Tuscan Grilled Cheese and our daughter gets buttered pasta with fruit. Each of us really enjoyed our food. But the burger with Havarti cheese and bacon-onion marmalade was really delicious. Their elk chili was also very good. The prices here are reasonable for a lodge, and their service was excellent. This is one of the stops in Grand Teton we would definitely do again. But after lunch, we want to walk outside.
Outside Jackson Lake Lodge and Lunch Tree Hill Trail
After leaving the dining room, we find the exit from the lobby to the outside. And past some outdoor tables is a large open area leading to a fence where many people are standing. From here there are even better views.
From here we can also see Jackson Lake and of course the mountains. And just past this area is the trailhead for Lunch Tree Hill. This walk up a hill overlooks Willow Flats with views of the northern Teton Range.
This is a short 0.5 mile round trip paved trail, but it is steep for about 80 feet. Though it offers views from an elevated vantage point which is even better. We easily do this hike in about 25 minutes. Afterwards, we head back inside for some cool air and shopping before heading back to the car.
Jackson Lake Dam
From Jackson Lake Lodge, we head back the way we came turning onto the scenic Teton Park Road. This scenic drive takes us closer to the mountains, but also Jackson Lake. And our first stop is at Jackson Lake Dam. We drive over the bridge and park on the right as there are more cars on the left. This parking lot actually has plenty of space and restrooms which is always a bonus. We bypass steps and walk down a short trail to get to the bridge. And we get a good view of the dam as we approach it. And once there, we can walk right on the bridge, which is over the dam.
There is a pedestrian walkway on each side of the bridge. And from this side, we get great views of Lake Jackson and Mount Moran in the distance. Cars can go through here often, so we wait until we can safely cross to the other side.
On the other side, are the gears that are used to raise and lower the gates. The gates are open and the water is gushing into the Snake River below. The views may be better on the other side, but it is really neat to see how the dam works. This is one of the stops in Grand Teton worth spending a little time at for sure.
Overlooks on the Scenic Drive in Grand Teton National Park
After the dam, there are many turnouts or overlooks along the way to Jenny Lake. We stop first at the Catholic Bay turnout. There is a chapel and picnic area here, but the gravel road is so full of potholes, we leave. We pass through a forested area past the Signal Mountain area. The drive eventually opens up where we make our first stop at the Mount Moran Turnout. Mount Moran is the dominant peak of the northern Teton Range and can be identified by a flat top.
On this road we get a closer of view of the Teton Range in certain places. And this is one of the places, especially to see Mount Moran. The drive in this area is really beautiful as we pass back into a forested area. And as we get closer to Jenny Lake we stop at the Cascade Canyon Turnout.
What appeals about this view is this is where we are going tomorrow. Cascade Canyon is on the other side of Jenny Lake where will be hiking. And we are on our way to the Jenny Lake Visitor Center to get more information about the hike.
Jenny Lake Visitor Center and Area
As we approach the Jenny Lake parking area, we see cars parked on both sides of the road. Jenny Lake is one of the must-do stops in Grand Teton and there are cars everywhere. But it is almost 4:00PM and we are hoping to find an empty spot up close. Sure enough, a lot of people have left and there are some open spots up front. This makes us really think about when to come here tomorrow as we walk to the visitor center.
The visitor center is not very large, but does have a small store in the back. We talk the rangers in the store about the need for bear spray. They claim a black bear was near the visitor center this morning and never go anywhere without it. However, they don’t rent bear spray here like some other places do. But since we will be visiting multiple parks, we decide to buy some for $50. We hope we won’t have to use it, but at least we’ll feel safer with it.
After the visitor center, we decide to walk down to the ferry that will take us across the lake tomorrow. They have a paved walkway that goes through the woods. It’s called the Discovery Trail because it has interpretive signs along the way, mostly about wildlife in the area. And once we make it to the end we get glimpses of what we will see more of tomorrow. Jenny Lake is beautiful and we can see why this is a very popular place. We continue along the river to where the ferry boats are. They stop running about 4:00PM so they are done for today. But now we know where to go in the morning.
Colter Bay Cabins in Grand Teton National Park
After all of our stops today in Grand Teton, it is almost 5:00PM. Instead of continuing the loop all the way to Moose, we go to check-in. Our cabins are in Colter Bay Village past Jackson Lake Lodge. So, we go back the way we came on Teton Park Road enjoying the drive back. We cross the Jackson Lake Dam Bridge and make it back to US-191 to head north. We pass the Jackson Lake Lodge turnoff and continue north to Colter Bay Village. After we turn toward the village, we see the campground on the right. And once to a stop sign, we turn left and see the check-in building for the cabins. After getting our keys we head down the road to our cabin.
We found these cabins to be a little cheaper than most of the lodges. And we got a 2-bedroom with 4 double beds and private shower. This is great because some have shared showers like many campgrounds. The cabins do not have AC but most places here do not. However, they have ceiling fans which are keeping it pretty cool. And at night it does cool down.
After unloading our stuff from our car and resting a little bit, we head to the General Store for supplies. We grab some things for breakfast, snacks and drinks to take back to the cabin. But without a fridge, we just keep everything in our cooler. But these historic cabins have plenty of room for us to spread out. And we can walk to dinner from here.
Ranch House Restaurant Dinner
From our cabin, we walk to the Ranch House Restaurant. But as soon as we walk in, we notice the restaurant is warm like the AC isn’t on. But this is still our best option, so we ask for a table under a fan. They have a selection of appetizers, salads & soups, BBQ plates and other entrees. They also have a kids menu. The prices are a little high, but their selections look interesting. Paul gets the seared rainbow trout with glazed carrots and subs coleslaw for rice. Becky gets their smoked brisket with baked beans and cheese grits. Gigi gets chicken wings and our daughter gets a hot dog with potato wedges. We also get an appetizer of cheese curds.
The trout was very good though the skin was still on it which we peeled off. But Becky’s brisket was just ok and the sides were not good. The glazed carrots were basically raw, the coleslaw was spicy and the baked beans were more like chili. The cheese grits also had a weird spice to them. They tend to use standard BBQ sauce here which is ok, but Becky didn’t eat much. Gigi’s chicken wings were also ok and our daughter’s hot dog was on a hoagie roll. It was the largest hot dog in a kids meal we’ve ever seen, but hard for her to eat. However, the cheese curds and service weren’t bad. If there were nice views it would be one thing. But our consensus is we won’t be back.
Swim Beach at Sunset
After all of our stops today in Grand Teton, we have a little time before sunset. And we hear the Colter Bay Swim Beach is a good place to go. We all walk back to the cabin, but Becky is not feeling great. She decides to stay back while the rest of us drive to Swim Beach. We find a parking spot easily and walk down toward the beach. However, the beach is not sand, but rather rocks and stones. It’s not easy to walk on and Gigi winds up stopping about half way to the shore.
And though we still have over 20 minutes until sunset, the Sun has already gone behind the large mountains. However, there is an orange glow looking down the large beach to the right. So, we still get to enjoy some of the sunset. But of course our daughter just wants to throw rocks into the water. The girl loves rocks and she is having a blast. After a little while, we head back to the cabin since we have another big day planned for tomorrow.
Summary of our stops in Grand Teton National Park
We had some awesome stops in Grand Teton today. Mormon Row was a nice stop early and we saw cute ground squirrels. We also enjoyed many of the overlooks on US-191 , but really enjoyed walking at Schwabacher Landing. Though our favorite stop had to be near Elk Ranch Flats seeing the bison herd. Jackson Lake Lodge had excellent lunch and views. And driving the scenic Teton Park Road gave us closer views of the mountains. Along the drive, stops at the dam and more overlooks provided more great views. And we’re really excited about our day tomorrow after stopping at Jenny Lake. Our cabins are great and spacious, though dinner at the Ranch House Restaurant was disappointing. And Swim Beach was rocky, but pretty at sunset. Overall, we loved our stops in beautiful Grand Teton and are looking forward to exploring more tomorrow!