Grand Teton National Park
Getting there
If you’re flying to visit Grand Teton National Park, you have a few airport options:
- Jackson Hole Airport (JAC) – located within Grand Teton National Park
- Idaho Falls Airport (IDA) – 90 miles / 2 hours
- Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC) – 306 miles / 5 hours
- Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport (BZN) – 224 miles / 4.25 hours
Two days at Grand Teton
This two-day visit to Grand Teton was paired with a three-day visit to Yellowstone National Park. For the full itinerary, visit https://outoftheofficetoday.com/yellowstone-grand-teton-national-parks/
This trip was taken in May from May 11th to May 18th.
Day 1 at Grand Teton included A LOT of pull-offs for photos, check-in at the Rustic Inn Creekside Resort, and walking through the shops of Jackson Hole. We had just come from Yellowstone National Park. After settling and checking out the resort, we went downtown. There were many shops to choose from and we had dinner at Hatch Taqueria.
Day 2 started with a morning scenic float trip through Grand Teton booked through Solitude Float Trips. This slow and steady trip takes you 10 miles down the Snake River. This float trip was the first and only time that I’ve ever seen a moose!
After the float trip, we made our way to the Hidden Falls trailhead. In early May, there were still sections of ice and snow along the trail. The best part of the trail (besides the waterfall, of course) was that we could see a momma and her baby bears playing off in the distance when we started the hike.
Alltrails stats for Hidden Falls: Length – 4.9 miles; Elevation Gain – 590 ft; Route Type – Loop; Difficulty – Moderate
After the hike, we went back to the hotel to change and made our way back downtown. We hung out at Snake River Brewing for a while, perused a few more shops, and had dinner at Moe’s Original BBQ (no longer open).
Day 3 we woke up and went to the Taggart Lake trail. (Yes, I know I titled this “Two days at Grand Teton”. Day 1 was a half day, day 2 a full day, and day 3 a half day – making it a full 2 days.)
If you want a beautiful reflection and a chance to see wildlife, I recommend doing this hike first thing in the morning. There was a momma and baby moose ahead at one point, but it was too close for comfort so we got out of there quick!
After the hike, we went back to the hotel to pack, check out, and start our drive to Salt Lake City.
Tips for visiting Grand Teton:
- Download the offline park map on your Google Maps app – driving directions will work when you don’t have service in the park
- Pack binoculars, sunblock, and sunglasses
- Pack a hot/cold bag to store boxed lunches in the car
- Pack plenty of water each day (preferably reusable water bottles)
- DO NOT approach wildlife
- DO NOT stray from marked trails
- Follow the 7 principles of Leave No Trace
