Two Days in Grand Teton National Park
Grand Teton National Park is known for a few things: the mountains and the moose. The park is often overlooked by its larger neighbor to the north, Yellowstone National Park. If you have the time, visiting Grand Teton should be on your list.
General Park Information
Park Entrance Fee – $35 per Car (free with National Parks pass)
Visitor’s Center Hours – Each center has different hours depending on the season, so look up the Visitors Center Operating Hours to check hours for each location.
Where to Stay
Grand Teton is located near Jackson, Wyoming. We always recommend staying within the park when you can. You will always have better chances for seeing wildlife and easier access to the parks trails and facilities.
There are a number of lodges and campgrounds in Grand Teton to pick from. We stayed at the Colter Bay Cabins, which are like duplex cabins. There were two rooms for each cabin, and each room has its own bathroom. Rooms ran $189 per night.
If you cannot stay in the park, Jackson is only a 30 min to 1 hour drive away, depending on where you are heading in the park.
Day 1 – Take a Hike and Look for Wildlife
Once you have settled in to your accommodations, get your hiking gear and head out. Make sure to bring bug spray, sunscreen, and lots of water. Before heading out on your hike, stop by the visitors center to check availability for a Snake River cruise at dusk. Normally you need to book this a day in advance. River cruises run around $75 per person.
There are a handful of easy hikes for beginners and some more difficult hikes for those looking for a challenge. Check out the hiking map for details about each hike.
For easy hikes, check out the hikes around Flagg Ranch, Colter Bay, or Jackson Lake Lodge. For more strenuous hikes that have some breathtaking views, ask the park rangers for which hikes are open during your visit.
Taking a hike is a great way of spotting wildlife, but be bear aware, bears are common in Grand Teton. You should ALWAYS hike with bear spray. If you have never used bear spray, talk to a park ranger before attempting. In our visit to Grand Teton we had a bear walk up a hill less than 100 feet behind us. See the picture below.
After your hike, head to one of the park’s restaurants for some early dinner. There are restaurants at each of the lodges in the park, from a pizzeria to some fine dining options. Try and have dinner about two hours before sunset.
After dinner, its time to look for some wildlife. The best times to see wildlife are dusk and dawn, and Grand Teton is no exception. There are two areas that have the best wildlife viewing, Oxbow Bend and Antelope Flats. During our visit we saw a lot of deer, some elk, and a few bison on the first night. The park rangers told us moose, bear, and smaller animals also frequent those areas.
By the time the light is gone, usually the wildlife are too hard to spot, so its time to head back to your accommodations. Occasionally there are some star gazing or animal evening programs by park rangers at the visitors centers. Check the visitors centers for program times and details.
Day 2 – Do it all again…
Start off day 2 by heading out at dawn to watch for wildlife. On our second morning we were out looking for moose and ran across a small black bear looking for food.
After your early morning wildlife searching, stop by one of the many lodge restaurants and have a hearty breakfast. Fill up on water, and buy some snacks for your hike. Check out a second hiking option for today.
After your hike, hopefully you have a scenic river cruise or wildlife viewing cruise set up for dusk. Normally the tour groups meet about 2-3 hours before dusk and will drive you to the starting point. They provide everything but the camera and bug spray. We highly recommend taking the dusk tour for maximum wildlife viewing chances. On our trip we saw over a dozen beaver, a large male moose, a couple bald eagles, and a handful of other birds.
If you do not have time or can’t make the scenic cruise, check out the two best places for viewing wildlife, or ask the park rangers for the best places to see wildlife. Depending on the season, certain animals will be more common than others, so it is always a good idea to talk to the park ranger for more details.
More than two days…
If you have more time to check out Grand Teton, make sure you spend a day in Jackson, Wyoming. The small town has a lot of excellent restaurants and shops to check out. Summer is peak season, so restaurants get busy and often have a wait. Keep an eye out driving to and from the park, you might catch a bear, elk, or moose crossing the road.
The best advice we can give you is book your accommodations as soon as you can, and definitely take the scenic river cruise at dusk. Always talk to the park rangers about hikes or wildlife viewing, they are there to help you. Please feel free to comment or contact us with any questions.
