4 Best Sights in Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming

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.

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.

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.