7 days Exploring Grand Teton National Park & Yellowstone National Park
Day 1 - Flying to Wyoming
Coming from Florida there is no quick or easy way to get to Wyoming. Day 1 started early and had connecting flight as we made our way towards Wyoming for Vacation. Our Layover in Salt Lake City was long enough, we decided to uber to grab some In-N-Out and stretch out our legs. Finally arriving to our destination at the Jackson Hole Airport (JAC) which is located within our first national park Grand Teton. This has to be one of the most stunning airports to arrive in as you are greeted by the Teton Mountain Range as you de-board. Make sure to soak in the views as you walk into the airport.
We quickly grabbed our rental car and made our way down the road ~20 minutes to our first Hotel - The Rustic Inn at Jackson Hole - Creekside Resort & Spa. Jackson Hole 4-Star Luxury Resort Lodging | Rustic Inn Resort (rusticinnatjh.com) This cute hotel has mini cabin with rooms of all sizes that align the creek providing a great spot to sit by a tepee or set by a fireside along the creek and enjoy a drink!
After we got settled we decided to get dressed up and head over to for a nice dinner and drinks at Calico Bar & Restaurant. Calico Bar + Restaurant | Jackson Hole, Wyoming (calicorestaurant.com) This was ~15 minutes from our hotel. We arrived as everything was opening for the season, so the outside was not open yet for seating, but this restaurant offers bother indoor and outdoor seating and great views along a courtyard where kids can run around or sit at the picnic tables!
Day 2 - Grand Teton National Park
Day 2 started early with breakfast at the hotel which has a full spread of options for all! From there we quickly got ready (remember your layers) and were off to enter Grand Teton National Park. Make sure to stop on the right side along the entrance sign for a quick picture.
A annual national park pass (The America the Beautiful National Park Pass) is $80 for the year and gets you into all the parks. This will be needed for Yellowstone too! This can be purchased at the visitor center or at the gate as you enter. Once in the park the first stop was Jenny Lake. This was ~30-minute drive from Jackson Hole
Jenny Lake Visitor Center gets packed very early and has limited parking. Our first hike was Hidden Falls & Inspiration Point. There is a boat ferry which can take you across the lake and shorten this hike to roughly 1.8 miles as an option. Inspiration Point via Jenny Lake Boat Shuttle, Wyoming - 2,155 Reviews, Map | AllTrails With a bit of snow when we arrived, this shuttle was not open and we hiked the full ~5 miles RT from the visitor Center. Still such a beautiful hike as it takes you along the edge of Jenny Lake with crystal clear water that has melted off the mountains.
If you opt to add Inspiration Point which provides an amazing overlook view of Jenny Lake this trail head veers off right towards the base of Hidden Falls and is ~1 mile RT. If the Boat shuttle is running, I recommend taking the full trail hike to Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point and then opt for the shuttle back. Tickets for the ferry have to be purchased at the visitor center upon arrival.
The park was not very packed for our first day as the season had just started so we opted to head back into Jackson Hole to have lunch at the famous Jackson Drug! Jackson Drug Original Soda Fountain | Jackson Hole, Wyoming Restaurant Which was an original soda fountain and restaurant. Make sure to try a Smash Burger and have a drink! They also offer amazing locally made ice-cream. The coffee one was probably the best one I have ever had! After that we went back to the park for our next hike.
Taggart Lake Loop - Taggart Lake Loop, Wyoming - 6,124 Reviews, Map | AllTrails This trailhead starts at Taggart lake Trail head and is a small parking lot so planning accordingly. This trail is ~3.8 miles, I recommend starting the trail to the right side. About halfway through you will arrive at Taggart Lake which provides a 360 view of all the Tetons and surrounding mountains. We sat by the lake for a bit to soak in all the views before completing the trail. The second half of the trail will take you over a small bridge and back through the valley.
Finally we headed back to our hotel to get ready and head into Jackson Hole for dinner. The rustic Inn along with other hotels in the area provide shuttles to the downtown square as parking is limited! This night was spent at Merry Piglets, a great Tex-Mex restaurant with great drinks. Try the spicy huckleberry margaritas. During peak season times, reservations are recommended. Merry Piglets | Tex-Mex Restaurant in Jackson, WY
Day 3 - Grand Teton National Park
We started our morning with cowboy Coffee in Jackson Hole. A great spot for some good coffee and quick breakfast/ lunch options. Jackson Hole Coffee Shop – Cowboy Coffee – Fresh Roasted Coffee
This was the first day of the trip where we felt how early in the season it was. Although the weather was the warmest day of the entire trip ~ 69 degrees. The early spring weather, active wild life and large amounts of snow that had yet to melt, made us shift our plans. Initially we planned to do a hike I’ve been dreaming of for some time Delta Lake. Delta Lake via Lupine Meadows Access, Wyoming - 7,498 Reviews, Map | AllTrails When we arrived at the Lupine Meadows Trailhead it sadly had the road closed. NOTE while this trail is within Grand Teton it is not an official trial of the park and therefore is not maintained as such. This is a very difficult 7.4 RT hike that has several bolder fields to navigate over. The trail was closed due to heavy amounts of snow. So, we opted to try this again later in our trip.
With lunch already packed for the day we opted to move onto what was supposed to be our second hike of the day Phelps Lake. Phelps Lake, Lake Creek, and Woodland Loop, Wyoming - 2,794 Reviews, Map | AllTrails This lake has various trailheads that go all around the hike varying from 1-12+ miles RT. Sadly upon our arrival and start of the hike we came across some bear tracks and shortly after noticed a few cubs and a momma bear. BE BEAR AWARE is no joke and the signs through out the park are not just for fun. Momma bears can be very aggressive this time of year especially post hibernation with the cubs. There was actually an attack in the park later in our visit for this same reason. Thankfully that person made it out alive.
With another failed hike, we pivoted to Leigh and String Lake to explore. These lakes are located just pass Jenny Lake and are further into the park. We opted for the Leigh Lake Trail (short version) Leigh Lake Trail: Short Version, Wyoming - 916 Reviews, Map | AllTrails this is a relatively flat 2.9 mile RT hike. Our hike again wasn’t as flat due to piles of snow still built up, but once this is melted this would be a great hike with kids! You start at the trailhead of Leigh Lake where there is lots of parking. Along this trailhead you pass String Lake very close to the water with various spots to take in a different perspective of the Tetons and neighboring mountains. From this trailhead there is also a String Lake Loop Trail which is 3.7 miles RT. When we reached the final point of Leigh Lake there was a cute little island you can reach after walking through a little a bit of water. We had this spot to ourselves for the afternoon and opted to eat our packed lunches, soak in the views and enjoy the nature/ beautiful weather we lucked out with! The day really turned around at this point, and we were so happy with this hike.
Once back to the car and now happy about how the day turned around. We took a recommendation from a friend and headed towards Astoria just outside of Jackson Hole about 20 minutes. Here they have hot springs where you can soak in for various time slots throughout teh day. Make sure to make reservations ahead of time. These are $22 a person. This felt great especially after the long days of hiking so far. Astoria - Astoria Hot Springs Park, Jackson Hole Wy
Back in Jackson Hole we all got ready for dinner for a spot, we have all heard so many good things about. Glorietta Glorietta Trattoria (gloriettajackson.com) a very authentic Italian spot in downtown Jackson Hole. We had made a reservation prior to our arrival in Jackson for this dinner. And this is HIGHLY recommended. The place was packed, and it was not even the first official day of season yet. We tried various apps, I recommend the meatballs and white bean dip. And of course, a bottle of wine to split between the ladies. For our meal we opted to split the Elk Bolognese and Cavatelli Ala Vodka. Both were AMAZING. We wish we had made a second reservation later in our trip for this but perhaps on the next trip! Back at the hotel we soaked up the fire pits and more wine before our early morning for Day 4!
Day 4 - Grand Teton & Yellowstone.
We opted for sunrise at Mormon row. Explore Mormon Row's Moulton Barn | AllTrails This is about 20 minutes from our hotel and we arrived there about 30 minutes before sunrise. This provided such a great surprise with all sorts of wild life as we drove up to the historic Mormon Row. There are various houses and barns that are maintained as part of the park and provide killer views of the Tetons behind. From here we were heading north to Yellowstone National Park. Note there is no food options between Mormon row and Yellowstone and I recommend going back to Jackson Hole for Breakfast first. The trip to the most southern part of Yellowstone is roughly two hours. The trip north through Grand Teton takes you along Jackson Lake and shows various wildlife along the way. Keep your eyes peeled!
Yellowstone National Park was the first national park founded by Teddy Roosevelt. This park is made up of two loops on top of each other like a figure eight. We entered the park up the right side of the lower loop passing Lake Yellowstone. This lake at this time was still pretty frozen. On our way to Canyon Village where we were staying, we made a stop at the Mud Volcano Area of the park. This is a short boardwalk area that shows off various hydrothermal wonders. The hike is a total of 2/3 of a mile RT. Warning the sulfur smells like rotten eggs.
We opted to stay at Canyon Village, since it’s located in the center of the park between the two loops (upper and lower loop). Canyon Lodge & Cabins | Yellowstone National Park Lodges Also, this is within walking distance of the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone! There are trails where you can hike to the rim of it from the village. There are various vantage points along both the south and north rim of the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone to explore. We started on the south rim (furthest from our hotel) and did Artist Point which is a short 0.2 miles hike to the overview spot. Explore Artist Point | AllTrails The next stop up the road was upper falls viewpoint. From here we were planning to do the Uncle Tom’s Trail which is 300 steps down into the canyon to see a low vantage point of lower falls and to truly feel her power, but due to all the snow melting this was closed. Explore Uncle Tom's Trail [CLOSED] | AllTrails
After this we drove over to the north rim of the Grand Canyon. This is a one-way road towards canyon village. Our first stop along the north rim was brink of lower falls. Explore Brink of the Lower Falls Trail | AllTrails This has multiple switch backs with a 0.7 miles RT hike. This brings you extremely close to the top of lower falls but provides a unique view of the canyon! Another option on the north rim trail is Red Rock Point or look out point but these were closed while we were there. North Rim Trail, Red Rock Point, Lookout Point, and Grand View, Montana - 465 Reviews, Map | AllTrails Up the road at the last vantage point was grand view and inspiration point again quick and easy hikes for those with kids.
After a quick lunch at canyon village, we packed up the car to drive the northeast side of upper loop to Lamar Valley. This was roughly an hour from the hotel and took us through Mount Washburn before heading down into the valley. This drive was more of a scenic ride and to catch as much wildlife as we could. The Valley was a highlight for all sorts of wildlife from bison to elk, mule deer, Giselle, antelope and bears. Remember to respect the wildlife and to keep your distance! Upon our return back to the hotel we grabbed dinner in the village town cafeteria and relaxed after a long day. Note when staying at lodging within the park the only food options are at each of the villages throughout the park.
Day 5 - Yellowstone National Park
As we were set to have another big day, we grabbed breakfast downstairs in the hotel and hit the road through the center of the park and Norris towards the southeast side of lower loop. This is roughly an hour to old Faithful without stopping. Our first stop was a last second choice when we saw a sign for Fire Hole Canyon which is a one-way road that drives you through the canyon to see Fire Hole Falls. Make sure to hop out of the car here and snap a few photos.
Once back in the main road (Grand Loop Road) we stopped at Fountain Paint Pots Fountain Paint Pot Trail, Montana - 967 Reviews, Map | AllTrails which is a short half mile boardwalk hike, that shows you various hydrothermal areas and smaller geysers. This was very wheelchair friendly!
Heading back south down grand loop road we stopped at midway Geyser Basin. Explore Midway Geyser Basin Trail | AllTrails This is home to grand Prismatic Hot Spring and has a very small parking lot that gets packed fast! Get here early. This a very accessible boardwalk that is 0.5 miles round trip and brings you within inches of Grand Prismatic Spring. Prismatic means brilliantly colored and this spring provides a variety of yellow, oranges, browns, greens and blues!
The last stop of the south part of lower loop is Old Faithful and Lower Geyser Basin. Old Faithful erupts every 35-120 minutes depending on the time of the year. If you stop in the Inn, they usually have a sign noting when the next one is! If you are in between times I recommend exploring the various boardwalks around the basin allow you to see all the different geysers and springs. Explore Old Faithful Geyser Loop Trail | AllTrails
Heading north on the west side of the park we opted to stop next at Fairy Falls Trail Head. From this trail you can take a short 1.5-mile RT hike to see a better vantage point of Grand Prismatic Spring. Grand Prismatic Hot Spring Overlook Trail, Montana - 3,285 Reviews, Map | AllTrails
Passing Madison, we drove north to explore the northwest side of the park Mammoth Hot Springs. 15 minutes from this park entrance you can find Gardiner, Montana which is a cute old western town. We stopped at Iron Horse Bar and Grill for lunch American cuisine, live entertainment, great times. Join us! (ironhorsegrillbar.com) and followed it up at Yellowstone Perk for a coffee and ice cream! Yellowstone Perk - Gardiner, Montana (visitgardinermt.com) Make sure to stop at Roosevelt Tower before entering back into Yellowstone!
Once back in the park explore the various hot springs of Mammoth Hot Springs. Although another hydrothermal attraction these were very different from the south side of the park. the night was wrapped up at the gift shop and back at the cafeteria and bar for dinner & Drinks!
Day 6 - Grand Teton National Park
Waking up early in Yellowstone we packed up and hit the road back to Jackson Hole & Grand Teton early to beat the traffic. Once back at the park we opted to try Phelps Lake again. We had checked all trails and someone the day prior said more of the snow had melted but they had turned around about 0.25 miles from the lake due to the snow. Phelps Lake has various trail heads you can start at and explore all of the different sides of the lake. The Northeast side of the lake was closed due to bear activity so we hiked the southern part to the lake and cut across and up the west side to Huckell Berry Point which opened into some rocks where you can lounge around have a snack and view the mountains behind. Sadly, the rock to jump off of into the lake (~25 feet tall), was across the way in the closed part of the trail so we did not get to jump in. This was a beautiful clear day, and you could see the Tetons so clearly.
After this, we added a last second hike Moose Pond Trail Moose Ponds Trail, Wyoming - 1,080 Reviews, Map | AllTrails which is a 3.2 mile RT hike that takes you along two lakes where moose frequent often especially in the early morning and late afternoons. Parking for this was available at the Jenny Lake Visitor Center and starts on the south side of the parking lot. We sadly did not catch any moose as it was mid-day.
Back in town we grabbed another lunch at Jackson drug finish with their coffee ice cream again! Checked into our hotel for the night at the Lodge at Jackson Hole. Hotel Rooms In Jackson Wyoming | Guestrooms | The Lodge At Jackson Hole (lodgeatjh.com) Another cute hotel which also has a pool, hot tub and sauna great for after long days hiking. Since it was our last night in town it was only right to party at the Million Dollar Cowboy Bar where you can sit in saddle seats, play pool and enjoy good music! Jackson, WY Bars & Restaurant | Million Dollar Cowboy (milliondollarcowboybar.com)
Day 7 - Jackson Hole & Teton Village
The last morning in Jackson Hole, we made our way over to Persephone’s Bakery. Shop Online or Visit Persephone Bakery Café & Coffee| Jackson, Wyoming This bake shop had a variety of coffee and breakfast options with delicious pastries! This is a must do when visiting. The shop is tiny though and has limited seating so go early.
After breakfast we headed up towards Teton Village (known for their skiing) and too the aerial Tram up the mountain to explore the top. Ride the Tram - Jackson Hole Mountain Resort This is a short 12-minute gondola ride, but the views of Jackson Hole & the Tetons are stunning!! During the summer there are various hiking spot from the top which you can explore. With all the snow at the top, only the Grand Teton Sky Walk was open to show off the beautiful mountains. Make sure to stop in Corbet’s Cabin at the top for their amazing waffles and hot chocolate or cider! And yes, these can be spiked :) Top of the World Waffles - Jackson Hole Mountain Resort This was our last stop before heading back to the airport for our afternoon flight out. And truly was a great spot to end it!
The shortened Itinerary can be found at: Grand Teton & Yellowstone National Park Itinerary (marinaundocked.com)
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