Grand Teton National Park
Location: Wyoming
Permit: no
Recommended time: 3-4 days
Okay funny story… I was in Bryce Canyon and heard these older women talking about Grand Teton and they pronounced it “Tee-ton.” I remember thinking “wait that’s not how you say it…it’s “Teh-ton” and sort of giggled. Well jokes on me when I went to Grand Teton a year later and was embarrassingly corrected by a park ranger.. so don’t make my mistake, listen to the grandmas!
Grand Teton National Park Itinerary (4 Days)
Hiking, lakes, lookouts, and wildlife watching
Day 1: String Lake, Taggart & Bradley Lakes + Scenic Drives
Focus: Lakeside trails and Teton views
String Lake - 6k km (3.7mi): Easy hike around the entire lake.
Taggart Lake Trail – 4.8 km (3 mi): Easy hike with reflections of the Tetons
Add Bradley Lake Loop – 8.8 km (5.5 mi) total: Slightly more challenging with fewer crowds
Extras:
Moose–Wilson Road: Scenic wildlife drive
Laurance S. Rockefeller Preserve & Phelps Lake: Short hike
Sunset:
Signal Mountain Summit Road
Day 2: Lake Solitude via Hidden Falls, Inspiration Point & Cascade Canyon
Focus: The most iconic full-day hike
Distance: 23.3 km (14.5 mi) roundtrip with Jenny Lake shuttle
Elevation gain: ~730 m
Highlights:
Hidden Falls (~0.8 km / 0.5 mi)
Inspiration Point (2.4 km / 1.5 mi)
Pro tip: get to the parking lot where the shuttle is EARLY. When I was there, the first shuttle leaves at 7am (see schedule below) and I got there at 530am and the parking lot was already packed. I basically woke up, drove my van to the parking lot and then made my breakfast and got ready there. The shuttle runs every 10-15 minutes and usually offers a discount if you get on the first shuttle of the day pay with cash.
Shuttle Service Schedule:
May 15–June 3: 10 AM–4 PM
June 4–September 8: 7 AM–7 PM
September 9–September 30: 10 AM–4pm
Day 3: Optional High Alpine Hike
I didn’t get a chance to hike this, but they come highly recommended. Ask the park rangers for conditions and know your limits.
Phelps Lake (7.6 km / 4.7 mi) – Moderate, forested, peaceful
Static Peak Divide (16.7 km / 10.4 mi) – Epic views, big climb
Paintbrush Canyon Partial – Great wildflowers and less crowded than Cascade
Or take a rest day and explore. I really enjoyed these two stops.
Mormon Row (iconic barns & Tetons backdrop)
Oxbow Bend: Great for photography
Day 4: Wildlife Watching in Northern Grand Teton / Southern Yellowstone
Or do this as day one if you’re coming from Yellowstone
Focus: Early morning wildlife spotting: wolves, bears, elk, bison
Start early (ideally before sunrise)
Drive north to the Snake River and Willow Flats area near Oxbow Bend – known for moose, elk, and bears
Continue toward Moran Junction, and if time allows, enter Yellowstone via the South Entrance
Head toward Hayden Valley (about 1.5–2 hours from Grand Teton) – one of the best wolf-watching spots, especially at dawn
Bring binoculars or a scope
Look for wolf packs, grizzly bears, bison herds, and bald eagles
Park at pullouts and scan with others — seasoned wildlife watchers often gather at known hotspots
Don’t Hike:
Signal Mountain Trail: not really worth the view honestly, but if you’re looking for an easy hot girl walk, it’s an option. You can actually dive up to the summit, which I learned after and as mentioned above it’s a good sunset spot.
BLM Camping
Buffalo Valley Rd (east side of park): there a lot of sites to pull of into, and the views were amazing. This is where I stayed before hiking Cascade Canyon.
Gros Venture Rd (South end): this place was busy and not many spots, but I camped at the visitor information pullout at the beginning of the BLM area, and had no issues.
Shadow Mountain Rd (east): this was even busier than grow venture. You initially drive past the the labelled campsites which can for more than one person, but they were all full (around 730pm). I drove about 35 minutes further down the road and spotted a small little pullout. You may get lucky, but plan to get there early if you want a spot.