Grand Teton National Park

Best time to visit: Summer (but great to visit year-around)

Recommended Hikes: Jenny Lake, Bradley/Taggart Lakes, Amphitheater Lake

Ideal For: Hiking, Backpacking, Wild-Life Viewing, Camping, Boating, Winter Sports, Auto-Touring

Where to stay: Towns of Jackson or Moose, or campgrounds and hotels in the park

Park Website - Park Map

Useful Info:

• Dogs - the general rule for dogs in national parks is that they must be leashed and are only allowed on paved areas, which includes parking areas, roads, and front country campgrounds. Dogs are not allowed on park trails, even when leashed.

• Grand Teton National Park is just 12 miles from Yellowstone National Park - all visitors should plan to see both parks in a single trip. It takes about 3 hours to drive from the heart of Grand Teton to the heart of Yellowstone on Highway 191 (closed winters). Read more about Yellowstone here.

• Wildlife is abundant - if you see a crowd on the roadside, there is probably a bear in sight. Look for moose near standing water and pronghorns on the open plains.

• The Tetons are home to both black bears and grizzly bears - proper food storage is required at all times, and extra caution needs to be used whenever hiking in grizzly territory. Read more about bear safety here.

• There is a shuttle boat that goes across Jenny Lake from late spring through early fall. Click here for more information and ticket prices.

• Motor-boating is allowed on Jackson Lake. All boats must go through an invasive species inspection before entering the lake.

• Kayaks can be rented during summer on Jackson Lake at the Signal Mountain Lodge. Kayaks can also be rented at the boathouse on Jenny Lake, but only in late summer after the water reaches a certain temperature.

• Backcountry and mountain climbing permit information can be found here.

• Jackson Hole Ski Resort is just outside the park's southern boundary. There is a tram and gondola here that visitors can ride up for great views of the park. Click here for more information.

• Drinking water is available at campgrounds and visitor centers throughout the park - Bring your water bottle to fill up.

• There is no shuttle service in Grand Teton NP.

The Tetons are a uniquely beautiful mountain range with picturesque lakes and abundant wildlife. Ancient glaciers carved deep canyons between the peaks, all of which offer hiking routes deep into the wilderness. Wildlife is abundant here - Look for moose, elk, pronghorn, bears, and bison throughout the park. Grand Teton NP is open year around but has seasonal road closures. Snow lingers well into summer on the high altitude hiking routes. Summer is the ideal time to visit for the best weather.

Must See Attractions:

Jenny Lake - The most popular lake in the park - Jenny Lake is right at the base of the tallest peaks in the range. There is a lodge and visitor center on the banks of the Lake, and a boathouse that runs ferries across the lake. Kayaks can be rented on Jenny Lake at the boathouse during late summer. The hike around Jenny Lake is outstanding.

Mormon Row - An icon of the Tetons - Mormon Row is a historical settlement from the late 1800s that is a favorite for photographers visiting the park. Read more about it on the park's website here. 

Colter Bay - A good place to see Jackson Lake - the largest lake in the park with Mount Moran rising up across the water. There are a few hiking routes that begin here. Motor-boating is allowed on Jackson Lake - all boats must stop for an invasive species inspection before entering the lake.

Where to Stay:

There are a bunch of options - There are several rustic hotels in the park boundaries in addition to many more options in nearby Jackson and Moose (Jackson Hole area). There is even a hostel in Moose, great for winter ski trips and summer hiking trips. Click here for info on the hostel.

There are numerous campgrounds in the park. Read more about them here.

Also consider staying in Yellowstone if you can’t find anything available for the Tetons.

Hiking in the Tetons:

I've only hiked a few of the trails in the Tetons, so the below is limited to my experience. Carry bear spray and study up on bear safety if you plan to be hiking in Grand Teton or Yellowstone:

Jenny Lake - There is a hiking path that goes around the lake, which can be extended to String Lake, Leigh Lake, and Cascade Canyon. This is a great hike to enjoy views of the mountains, and it can be shortened by taking the ferry across the lake. Read more about the hike here.

Amphitheater Lake - A small lake way up in the mountains. Amphitheater lake is surrounded by peaks and glaciers, including the Grand Teton peak itself. The hike starts at either Lupine Meadows or Taggart Lake trailheads. The higher elevation sections of this hike will have snow on them into the early summer. Read more about the hike here.

Colter Bay - There are a handful of routes that take off from the visitor center here, but in my experience, they can be heavily forested with minimal views until you come to lakeshores. I recommend doing the short hikes in this area (about a mile in length) and saving your long hikes for spots with more elevation gain.

the Great American Eclipse, as seen from Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming - August 21, 2017

A few hyperlapses I shot in the Tetons. Locations in order of appearance: Mormon Row, Ampitheater Lake, Taggart Lake Trail Head, and Jenny Lake

Yellowstone National Park

Flooding in summer 2022 has closed some northern parts of Yellowstone National Park - see more info from the park here.

Best time to visit: Year Around

Recommended Hikes: Brink of Lower Falls, West Thumb Geyser Basin, Upper Geyser Basin, Mammoth Hotsprings, Norris Geyser Basin

Ideal For: Wild-life Viewing, Auto-Touring, Fishing, Hiking, Camping, Boating

Where to stay: Campgrounds and hotels throughout the park

Park Website - Park Map

Useful Info:

• Dogs - the general rule for dogs in national parks is that they must be leashed and are only allowed on paved areas, which includes parking areas, roads, and front country campgrounds. Dogs are not allowed on park trails, even when leashed.

• Wildlife viewing is the highlight of Yellowstone - if you see a big crowd while driving, there is likely a bear in sight. Expect traffic jams throughout the park due to people stopping and parking, and watch out for animals and pedestrians on the road. Bring binoculars!

• All wildlife is potentially dangerous. The park rules are to stay at least 25 yards away from large herbivores and 100 yards from bears and wolves. A small amount of visitors have been killed by bears and wolves, any many more have been seriously injured by bison and elk. Do not approach, feed, or harass any wildlife!

• Proper food storage is required at all times, and extra caution needs to be used whenever hiking in grizzly territory. Read more about bear safety here.

• Hot springs are just as dangerous as wildlife. Every year, people are severely burned and even killed when they fall into hot springs. Almost all accidents happen when visitors leave the boardwalks and fall through brittle ground that breaks away to boiling hot water just a few inches beneath the surface. Stay on the paths at all times, it can save your life!

• Much of Yellowstone closes for the winter. However, the north and northeast entrances are open year around, as is the road that connects them within the park. This stretch of road includes Mammoth Hot Springs and Lamar Valley, but no other major geyser basins or the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. Visit in summer or fall to ensure all the roads and park attractions are open.

• Yellowstone is a great fishing and boating destination - permits are required to do either, which can be obtained at park ranger stations throughout the park. Wyoming state fishing licenses do not apply, you must obtain a Yellowstone National Park permit.

• There are general stores, restaurants, hotels and gas stations at major developed areas throughout the park, including Lake Village, Canyon Village, Old Faithful, and Mammoth Hotsprings.

• Yellowstone is bigger than it looks on a map - it can take up to 2 hours to drive from Old Faithful to Canyon Village.

• There is no shuttle service, but Yellowstone is a very car-friendly park. You will spend a lot of time driving which is great for chance wildlife sightings. Most attractions like the geyser basins, lakes, and waterfalls are very short walks from parking areas.

• Drinking water is available at most developed areas of the park, bring your water bottle to fill up.

Yellowstone is a massive national park and it has it all. The wildlife viewing here is the best in the United States, with abundant bison, elk, bears, wolves, and deer. Yellowstone also has powerful waterfalls and world class geothermal features. The park is open year around, but only the north entrance and northern part of the park are open during winter. All seasons offer advantages and disadvantages, but summer is probably the best time to visit to see the entire park. Five days or more is a good amount of time to spend if you want to see all of Yellowstone and nearby Grand Teton National Park. 

Must See Attractions:

Old Faithful - Most geysers erupt erratically - Old Faithful, which erupts roughly every 90 minutes, is the exception. The nearby visitor center shows what time the next eruption will occur - If you just miss an eruption, you can spend the 90 minutes exploring the rest of the Upper Geyser Basin. There is bench seating near Old Faithful which starts to fill up 15-20 minutes before each eruption, and plenty of standing room.

the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone - If you've wondered where the park gets its name, it's from the yellow rock walls of the "Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone" in heart of the park. Lower Falls flows into the canyon with incredible power - and you can hike right down to the brink of it! This is a must-do hike, read more below in the hiking section. There are multiple viewpoints on either side of the canyon, they are all worth stopping at.

Grand Prismatic Spring - The largest hot spring in the USA and the prettiest spring in the park. The spring is so big that it's difficult to see its center, with a multitude of colors expanding out from it. The park service also opened up a new trail in 2017 that goes up the hill behind the Grand Prismatic Spring. It's a cool perspective and worth the short hike to see it. The parking area for this trail is about a mile to the west of the main parking lot for the Grand Prismatic Spring.

Hayden Valley and Lamar Valley - Wildlife is everywhere in Yellowstone, but these two valleys are the most common places to spot wolves and grizzlies. Sightings are usually at a distance, so binoculars and scopes are great to have. If there is a crowd along the road, you can stop and likely look through someone else's scope to see the animals. Wolves are most often seen in Lamar Valley and Grizzlies in Hayden Valley.

Waterfalls - Yellowstone has outstanding waterfalls, many of which can be seen with just a short walk from parking areas. Lower Falls and Upper Falls at the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone are both must-sees. Tower Fall and Gibbon Falls should both be on your list as well. 

Yellowstone Lake - By far the biggest lake in the park with mountains rising from its eastern bank. The West Thumb Geyser Basin is a good place to see Yellowstone Lake in addition to thermal features right on the lake's shoreline.

Mammoth Hotsprings - A white mountain of sulfate deposits, with a network of boardwalks climbing across and over it. Most of Mammoth Hotsprings is currently dry with only a few sections of steaming water flow. The water-flow changes over the years however, and at points in the past and likely again in the future, the entire sulfate mountain overflows with boiling hot water. 

Grand Teton National Park - just 12 miles south of Yellowstone - spend at least a day here if you go to Yellowstone. Visitors need to pay the park entrance fee at both parks if visiting Yellowstone and Grand Teton. Read more about Grand Teton National park here. 

Where to Stay:

In the park - I prefer Canyon Village or Lake Village because they are in the center of the park which allows for the shortest daily drive times. There are hotels and/or campgrounds at Canyon Village, Lake Village, Old Faithful, Mammoth Hotsprings, and Tower Roosevelt.

All lodging and camping within the park can be reserved online in advance here.

Hiking (Walking) in Yellowstone

Brink of Lower Falls - Everyone who visits Yellowstone should make it here if they can. Its about a mile one-way with a consistent incline, but it's worth the effort. It leads to the very top of the massive Lower Falls, and you can stand right next to the river as it roars into the canyon. Read more about the hike here.

Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone - there are hiking paths that run along the rim on either side of the canyon, with several famous viewpoints like Artists' Point, Inspiration Point, and Lookout Point. There is a metal staircase on the south rim of the canyon called "Uncle Tom's Trail" that descends close to Lower Falls as well - this staircase is open summers only due to ice. 

Mount Washburn - I haven't hiked this peak but I know its a popular one in the late summer when the snow clears. Read more about it here.

West Thumb Geyser Basin - I really enjoyed this geyser basin because it is right on the shore of Yellowstone Lake, distinguishing it from the rest of the geyser basins in Yellowstone. Some of my favorite hot springs in the park are here, and the views of the lake are pristine. Don't skip this one!

Upper Geyser Basin - Home of Old Faithful, and also an extensive network of boardwalks through a massive basin of other geysers and hot springs. There is a lot to see here beyond Old Faithful - I recommend walking every stretch of boardwalk you have time for - you might be lucky to time one of the other geyser's eruptions, although they aren't as predictable as Old Faithful.

Norris Geyser Basin - There are two mid-length loop hikes here that are both worth exploring; and they tend to be a little less crowded than the Old Faithful and Grand Prismatic Spring areas.

Artists Paintpots - This is a really cool little attraction. It's a bubbling cauldron of mud that is constantly popping with bubbles. The paint pot itself is really small, just a few feet across, but it's a unique sight compared to every other hot spring. Its located a few miles south of the Norris Geyser Basin.