30 Best Sights in Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming

Take Jenny Lake Boating's 20-minute boat ride or the 2¼-mile (each way) Jenny Loop Trail around the south side of the lake from the Jenny Lake Visitor Center to the start of a gentle, ½-mile climb to 200-foot Hidden Falls, the park's most popular (though crowded) hiking destination. Listen for the distinctive bleating of the rabbitlike pikas among the glacial boulders and pines. The trail continues half a mile to Inspiration Point over a moderately steep, rocky path with sweeping lake views. From here, continue west another 1½ miles into the heart of Cascade Canyon, with its dramatic views through the mountains and out toward Petersen Glacier. With the 10-minute boat shuttle ($20 round-trip or $12 one-way), plan on a couple of hours to experience this trail—add another two hours if you hike the whole way, which is your only option from October through mid-May, when the shuttle doesn't run. Easy–Moderate.

This peaceful spot overlooks a quiet backwater left by the Snake River when it cut a new southern channel. White pelicans stop here on their spring migration (many stay on through summer), sandhill cranes and trumpeter swans visit frequently, osprey nest nearby, and great blue herons nest amid the cottonwoods along the river. Use binoculars to search for bald eagles, moose, beaver, and otter. The Oxbow is known for the reflection of Mt. Moran that marks its calm waters in early morning.

This big picnic area, spectacularly located right on the beach at Jackson Lake, gets crowded in July and August but is lovely nonetheless. It's close to flush toilets and stores.

This wonderfully picturesque 2½-mile excursion treats you to views of Jackson Lake and the Tetons. As you follow the level trail along the rocky shore and forest's edge, you may see moose and bald eagles. Allow 1½--2 hours to complete the loop. Easy.

This 4-mile, one-way loop provides the park's best roadside close-ups of the Tetons and the eastern shore of Jenny Lake as it winds south through groves of lodgepole pine and open meadows. Roughly 1½ miles off Teton Park Road, the Cathedral Group Turnout faces 13,770-foot Grand Teton (the range's highest peak), flanked by 12,928-foot Mt. Owen and 12,325-foot Mt. Teewinot.

Located steps from one another inside historic 1920s cabins by the Jenny Lake parking area, trailhead, and shuttle boat dock, these two ranger-staffed information centers serve different functions. The visitor center is inside a building that was once used as a studio by the park's first official park photographer, Harrison Crandall. Today it's filled with exhibits on the history of art and artists in the park. It also contains a bookstore and information about daily ranger programs. The smaller ranger station occupies a 1925 cabin that once held the park's first museum and is now a one-stop for backcountry and mountaineering advice and permits as well as boat permits.

This contemporary structure feels more like an art gallery than an interpretive facility. The elegant, eco-friendly building is more than just eye candy—you can experience the sounds of the park in a cylindrical audio chamber, and laminated maps in the reading room are great for trip planning. Rangers here promote "contemplative hiking" and are well informed about the many birds around the center's trailheads. It's best to get here in the early morning or late evening because the small parking area fills quickly. A ranger leads a daily hike to Phelps Lake.

This flat out-and-back trail follows String Lake's northeastern shore to Leigh Lake's southern shore, covering 1.8 miles round-trip. You can extend your hike into a moderate 7½-mile, four-hour round-trip by following the forested east shore of Leigh Lake to tiny but pretty Bearpaw Lake. Along the way you'll have views of Mt. Moran across the lake, and you may be lucky enough to spot a moose or a bear. Another option from Leigh Lake's southern shore is the 13-mile round-trip hike into Paintbrush Canyon to Holly Lake. Moderate.

The quickest way to view this stunning lake, this 2-mile round-trip Phelps Lake Overlook Trail takes you from the Death Canyon trailhead up conifer- and aspen-lined glacial moraine to a view that's accessible only on foot. Expect abundant birdlife: western tanagers, northern flickers, and ruby-crowned kinglets thrive in the bordering woods, and hummingbirds feed on scarlet gilia beneath the overlook. From here, if you're up for a longer, enjoyable adventure, continue along the steep trail down to the north shore of the lake, where you can pick up the Phelps Loop Trail and follow it around the lake or all the way to Rockefeller Preserve. Hiking just to the overlook and back takes just over an hour, but allow four to five hours if continuing on to the Phelps Loop Trail. Moderate–Difficult.

Off U.S. 191/26/89, about 2 miles north of Moose Junction, this narrow road wanders eastward over sagebrush flats, intersecting with the gravel lane to the Mormon Row Historic District. Less than 2 miles past here is a three-way intersection where you can turn right to loop around past the tiny hamlet of Kelly and Gros Ventre campground and rejoin the main highway at Gros Ventre Junction. Keep an eye out for abundant and swift pronghorn, along with bison, foxes, raptors, and more than a few cyclists.

This small log Catholic chapel, built in 1937, sits in the pine forest with a view of Jackson Lake. It's open only for services in the summer, but you can enjoy the view anytime, and the grounds are nice for a picnic.

This tiny chapel built in 1925 on land donated by Maud Noble is still a functioning Episcopal church. Couples come here to exchange vows with the Tetons as a backdrop, and tourists snap photos of the small church with its awe-inspiring view.

At this useful center near the shore of Jackson Lake, a small display shows off items from the park's collection of Native American artifacts. In summer, rangers lead daily hikes, including to Swan Lake, from here. Nightly ranger talks on various topics are also offered, and the center frequently hosts Native American storytellers and artists from around the country who display and sell their works.

This strikingly designed 22,000-square-foot contemporary building contains interactive and interpretive exhibits dedicated to themes of preservation, mountaineering, and local wildlife. There's also a massive raised relief map of the park so you can get your bearings and see the park from a bird's-eye view. Don't forget to check out the theater, where you can catch a complimentary screening of a 24-minute film titled Grand Teton National Park: Life on the Edge, or the newer film, Animal Trails: Rediscovering Grand Teton Migrations.

At the end of a gravel spur road, an easy ¾-mile trail runs through sagebrush around Pierce Cunningham's low-slung 1888 log-cabin homestead. Although you can look inside, the building has no furnishings or displays. Watch for badgers, coyotes, and Uinta ground squirrels in the area.

This 7.7-mile out-and-back trail climbs some 2,400 feet, with lots of hills to traverse, a great view of Phelps Lake, and a final 1,061-foot climb up to a patrol cabin in this verdant glacial canyon. Give yourself at least four hours to manage this rugged adventure. Difficult.

This small seasonal visitor center with exhibits on John D. Rockefeller and the region's natural history is the first place you'll come to if driving south from Yellowstone. It's in the same village as Headwaters Lodge, along with a convenience store, restaurant, and gas station.

Give yourself about four hours, which allows time for relaxing and soaking up dramatic views back toward Jackson Lake and the Teton Range, to complete this moderately challenging 5.8-mile round-trip trek that starts at Jackson Lake Lodge. The trail curves around tiny Christian Pond and along the western shore of the much larger Emma Matilda Lake before climbing nearly 1,000 feet in elevation to this lovely viewpoint. Moderate.

Shaded and pine-scented, this picnic site adjacent to the Jenny Lake shuttle boat dock is a great place to have lunch before catching a shuttle boat across the lake for some hiking.

You can walk to Hidden Falls from Jenny Lake Visitor Center by following the mostly level trail around the south shore of the lake to Cascade Canyon Trail. Jenny Lake Trail continues around the lake for a total of 6½ miles. It's an easily managed though somewhat long trail hike if you circumnavigate the whole lake—allow three hours, not counting any forays into Cascade Canyon on the west side of the lake. You'll walk through a lodgepole-pine forest, have expansive views of the lake and the land to the east, and hug the shoulder of the massive Teton range itself. Along the way you may see elk, foxes, pikas, golden-mantled ground squirrels, and a variety of ducks and waterbirds. In the winter, it's a popular trail to snowshoe. Moderate.

This relaxing, mostly level 3-mile ramble alongside Lake Creek leads through a verdant forest to the southern shore of Phelps Lake, where you're rewarded with grand views up into Death Canyon. Easy.

This 1,106-acre preserve devoted to conversation includes miles of trails. You can access it via the Valley Trail, 1¾ miles north of the Granite Canyon trailhead and ½ mile south of the Death Canyon turnoff. Hikers can admire the Phelps Lake shoreline from a loop trail beginning at the preserve's sleek, contemporary interpretive center (open June through late September), or climb a ridgeline with beautiful views of aspens, wildflowers, and regional birds.

Down a path from the Chapel of the Transfiguration, the ferry on display here is not the original, but it's an accurate re-creation of the double-pontoon craft built in 1894 by Bill Menor, the first homesteader to settle on the west bank of the Snake River. That was how people crossed the Snake River before bridges were installed. Although the replica ferry is no longer in operation, it's fun to see. In the cluster of turn-of-the-20th-century buildings, there are displays on historical transportation methods. Pick up a pamphlet for a self-guided tour.

Settled by homesteaders between 1896 and 1907, this area received its name because many of them were members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, also known as Mormons. The remaining barns, homes, and outbuildings are representative of early homesteading in the West. You can wander around, hike the row, and take photographs. The century-old T.A. Moulton Barn is said to be the most-photographed barn in the state.

Set on a former 1930s dude ranch, this complex of historic log buildings is sometimes credited as being the home of America's conservation movement—the work of its former owners, the Muries, led to passage of the 1964 Wilderness Act. You can hike the grounds and view interpretive signs on an easy 1-mile round-trip stroll from the nearby Craig Thomas Discovery and Visitor Center. Part of the property is used as a satellite campus of the superb Teton Science School, which offers conservation and educational programs about the park.

This popular 4-mile drive climbs 800 feet along a winding forest road that offers glimpses of Jackson Lake and Mt. Moran. At the top, park and follow the well-marked path to one of the park's best panoramas. From 7,593 feet above sea level, your gaze can sweep over all of Jackson Hole and the 40-mile Teton Range. The views are particularly dramatic at sunset. The road is not appropriate for long trailers and is closed in winter.

The 3½-mile loop around String Lake lies in the shadows of 11,144-foot Rockchuck Peak and 11,430-foot Mt. Saint John. This is also a good place to see moose and elk, hear songbirds, and view wildflowers. The hike, which takes about three hours, is a bit less crowded than others in the vicinity. Easy–Moderate.

Nearly 10 miles round-trip, this rigorous all-day out-and-back hike starts at Lupine Meadows and switches back through steep pines and flowered meadows to Surprise Lake and the regal Amphitheater Lake, tucked away in an expansive rock basin. The trail weaves out for views of the sprawling valley, while Disappointment Peak looms above. Get to the trail early and allow six to eight hours to tackle the 3,070-foot gain. Difficult.

Hike 1½ miles from the trailhead to the lake and then, optionally, you can extend your trek by continuing on a 4-mile route around the lake where the terrain becomes steeper near Beaver Creek, or making the 5-mile loop trail around Bradley Lake, just to the north. There are views of Avalanche Canyon and areas where you might see moose. Allow an hour to get to the lake and back, and another two to three hours to make it around one or both lakes. Moderate.

You'll often see moose grazing in this marshy area, in part because of its flourishing willow bushes, where moose both eat and hide. Elk also graze here, and you'll occasionally see grizzly bears and wolves pursue their calves at the start of summer. This is also a good place to see birds and waterfowl, and the short Lunch Tree Hill Trail heads from the overlook parking area past beaver ponds to some vibrant bird-watching terrain.