1 Day in Grand Teton National Park
If you only have 1 day to spend in Grand Teton National Park, you’ll still be able to immerse yourself in the beauty of this place.
Whether you find yourself with some extra time while staying in Jackson, Wyoming, or you’re on your way to Yellowstone National Park, it’s always a good time to visit Grand Teton.
With breathtaking scenery, mountain hikes, and several great restaurants, no trip to Wyoming is complete without some time spent in this national park.
My family and I have fallen in love with this place, and I hope you do, too—no matter how short or long of a time you have here!
Below, you’ll find my suggested 1 day itinerary for getting the most out of the Grand Tetons in a time crunch. I’ve assumed that you’re based out of Jackson, Wyoming, though you could easily make the same itinerary work if you’re headed south from Yellowstone National Park.
This itinerary includes hour by hour activities, drive times, and recommended places to eat. As with all of my suggestions, everything below is family friendly, though it would also work for solo and adult travelers.
The mountains are calling, so let’s go!
The Grand Tetons as seen from the Snake River
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What to Know about Grand Teton National Park before You Visit
Like much of Wyoming, Grand Teton National Park isn’t exactly close to anything.
Did you know that Wyoming is the least populated state? Yet, it’s the 10th largest in land mass, which translates to a lot of wide open spaces without a lot of people.
This means that you’re not going to casually drive by the entrance to Grand Teton National Park. It’s 3 hours north of Interstate 80, which runs roughly east-west through the lower part of Wyoming.
It’s about 2 hours and 15 minutes from Interstate 15, which heads north-south through the middle of Idaho.
In any case, you have to want to get here, but experiencing the beauty of Grand Teton National Park is worth the trouble of getting here.
If this is your first visit to a U.S. National Park, check out my national parks for beginners guide to help you better understand what will be available to you as a visitor to the park.
Here are the things you’ll need to know to make your day in Grand Tetons excellent.
The park is next to Jackson, Wyoming.
If you’ve only got a day to experience Grand Teton National Park, you’ll want to use Jackson, Wyoming as your base.
The southern entrance to Grand Teton National Park is about a 30 minute drive from Jackson, making this an easy day trip.
If you wanted to base your entire visit from Jackson, you absolutely could do so. There’s plenty to see and do in this area other than the national park, including the National Elk Refuge, Thomas Dambo’s Mama Miti troll statue in Rendezvous Park, multiple ski lodges, and the adorable town of Jackson itself.
If you really wanted to push yourself, you could do 1 day in Yellowstone National Park, too, but that would have a bit of a longer drive from Jackson.
The Camping Kiddos and I in Jackson, Wyoming
Amenities in Jackson, Wyoming
Although Jackson isn’t a big city, you’ll find just about anything you need for your day in Grand Teton here.
For groceries, you’ve got a large Albertson’s and a well stocked Whole Foods.
For outdoor gear and clothing, there’s an REI Co-op.
It also has a plethora of restaurants from fast food staples like Wendy’s to local bakeries like the Bunnery (our favorite!).
Jackson v. Jackson Hole, Wyoming
While you’ll hear people use the terms interchangeably, Jackson and Jackson Hole actually refer to 2 different places.
Jackson is the town outside of Grand Teton National Park.
Jackson Hole is the entire valley that runs between the Grand Teton mountains and the Gros Venture range.
So, Jackson is in Jackson Hole, but Jackson Hole isn’t only Jackson.
The closest airport to Grand Teton National Park is actually inside the park.
The best view from an airport luggage pickup ever!
The Jackson Hole Airport (JAC) is the only commercial airport in any U.S. national park!
Because of where the airport is situated—at the base of the Grand Tetons—you’ll do your final approach directly over the mountains. And that makes for quite an intense descent, too!
The airport itself is small and doesn’t have any terminals. You walk from the plane down a ramp onto the tarmac.
Inside, you’ll find a few luggage carousels, the rental car counter, and a bear spray rental store. [If you’re considering bear spray rental vs. purchase while in Wyoming, check out my comprehensive guide!]
There aren’t any restaurants inside the arrivals section of the airport, and only 1 quick service area in the departures section.
You will need a rental car.
Unless you’ve booked a day tour into Grand Teton National Park, you will need your own transportation from Jackson.
There isn’t any public transportation into the national park, either.
While Grand Teton isn’t nearly as big as nearby Yellowstone National Park, it’s large enough that 1) you can’t walk in from Jackson, and 2) you won’t be able to get around by foot even if you could get to the entrance from Jackson.
If you’re big into biking, there is a great bike trail all the way from Jackson, and you could , theoretically, bike into Grand Teton National Park.
That being said, if you only have 1 day in the park, you’ll want to be as efficient as possible with your time, and I don’t think that biking to and from Jackson is going to do that for you.
You can rent a car from the Jackson Hole Airport, which offers 5 companies: Budget, Avis, Enterprise, National, and Alamo.
>> Compare rental car pricing for Jackson Hole airport here. <<
The park shares a border with Yellowstone National Park.
The northern border of Grand Teton National Park touches the southern border of Yellowstone National Park.
This makes them an obvious pairing if you’ve got an extra day or two in your Wyoming vacation.
There’s a road—Highway 191—that runs directly from Grand Teton’s northern most information station, Flagg Ranch, to Yellowstone’s southern most area, West Thumb.
Compare Grand Tetons vs. Yellowstone in my head-to-head guide.
There are several amenities in the park.
Lunch with a view at Dornan’s Pizza and Pasta
If you find that you need something while adventuring in Grand Teton National Park, you have options.
Keep in mind that things will be more expensive inside the park than they are in Jackson, but you’re paying for convenience.
There are several great restaurants inside of Grand Teton National Park, with my family’s favorites being the Dornan’s Pizza and Pasta in Moose (on the southern end of the park) and Leek’s Pizzeria in Colter Bay (towards the northern end of the park).
You can also find a small grocery store in Colter Bay with fresh fruit, a cold bar, drinks, bread, milk, and the like.
If you need medical attention while in the park, you can stop by the small medical station at Jackson Lake Lodge. We had to visit when my daughter got an infected splinter, and they had us in and out in no time.
Much of the park is seasonal.
While Grand Teton National Park is open year round, most of the hotels, restaurants, and tours are only available from Memorial Day to just after Labor Day.
This itinerary assumes that you’ll be visiting during those summer months as this is when you’ll have the largest number of activities, hikes, and programs available to you.
Even during the warmer months, the weather can be unpredictable, so be prepared with plenty of layers and rain gear.
>> If you need suggestions on what a capsule outdoor wardrobe looks like, check out my guide to the best hiking clothes for women or our kids hiking gear checklist. <<
Visiting this park with the family? Check out my guide to Grand Teton National Park with kids!
1 Day Itinerary for Grand Teton National Park
If you were to drive the entire loop around Grand Teton National Park, you could do so in about an hour.
However, that would mean you’d miss out on SO many opportunities for hiking and wildlife viewing.
Instead, I’ve provided a reasonably busy itinerary that remains manageable for the first time visitor.
As you drive around to the recommended sections of the park, I HIGHLY recommend using the GuideAlong tour for Grand Teton National Park.
These audio tours are incredible, and we use them in every national park we visit. The one for Grand Teton shares everything from important geological information to key figures in the park’s development to suggested overlooks.
Once you’ve downloaded the tour to your phone, you don’t need Wifi. The tour will automatically start and stop as you approach each of the GPS points in the park.
In addition to providing incredible context and history for the park, the tour was well priced and easy to playback or skip sections. We won’t go to a national park without GuideAlong!
Morning
Since our time in Grand Teton National Park is super limited, we want to make sure we have an early morning to maximize our time.
Wildlife Viewing
If you’d like to check out some of the incredible wildlife inside the park, the best time to do so is early in the morning.
Can you spot the moose? (Hint: It’s almost in Christian Creek!)
While you could encounter moose, elk, bison, or grizzly bears at any point during the day and anywhere in the park, there are places that increase your chances.
A large bison herd is usually hanging out just before the southern entrance to the park on Highway 89/121/26 in Elk Ranch Flats.
The wide, shrubby fields here offer up excellent grazing for the bison herd, and there are wide shoulders on either side of the road.
Another good spot is the Lower Willow Flats Overlook, on Highway 191 just past the intersection of 191 and Teton Park Road.
You’ll have an uninterrupted view of Jackson Hole leading up to the Grand Teton mountains in the distance.
Finally, the marsh around Christian Creek near Christian Pond trailhead (just below the entrance to Jackson Lake Lodge) is a great place to spot moose, which love to forage for food here.
In any case, give the wildlife plenty of room, and never attempt to feed, interact with, or approach any animals you see.
Jenny Lake
After you’ve stopped by one of the aforementioned spots to see some wildlife, you’ll want to head over to the Jenny Lake Visitors Center.
This is one of the most popular places in the park, and the parking lot will fill up by midmorning.
If you wanted to skip over the wildlife viewing all together and head straight here, you’re even more likely to grab a good parking spot.
Jenny Lake on a beautiful summer day
In any case, you’ll want to head to this part of the park by 9 AM. On the busiest days, the parking lot will fill up, and you’ll need to park along Teton Park Road.
So, why is Jenny Lake so busy?
There’s SO much to here! Several of the park’s most popular trailheads are here, as well as the Discovery Trail, the Jenny Lake boat dock, a visitors center, a store, and public restrooms.
Since our time is limited today, I’d suggest getting a round trip ticket on the Jenny Lake boat shuttle to the trailhead on the far side of the lake.
From that trailhead, you can do several hikes: Hidden Falls, Inspiration Point, or Cascade Canyon.
Unless you’re a really fast hiker, I’d suggest sticking to Hidden Falls and/or Inspiration Point, both of which could be done within 2 hours.
Hidden Falls is a stop off on the way to Inspiration Point, so do both!
From the trailhead at the boat dock to Hidden Falls is quite easy, so do this one if you’re looking for something mild. If you’d like to kick things up a bit, continue on past Hidden Falls to Inspiration Point, which has several hundred feet of elevation gain, most of which is done in the last 1/4 mile.
The views of Jenny Lake and Jackson Hole are stunning at the top of Inspiration Point, and are well worth the last bit of struggle.
NOTE: I’ve put together a guide of easy hikes in Grand Teton National Park if you’d like more information on Hidden Falls, Inspiration Point, or other kid-friendly options.
For more information on Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point specifically, I have an entire guide just to that hike!
When you get back to Jenny Lake Visitors Center, pick up a Junior Ranger booklet for any kids—or kids at heart—in your party.
The Camping Kiddos at Inspiration Point
Afternoon
By this point, I’m sure you’ve worked up an appetite!
While Jenny Lake has some great snack options (locally made cinnamon rolls, I’m looking at you!), it doesn’t have a full restaurant.
Instead, hop back in your car and head about 10 minutes down Teton Park Road to Moose.
PIN ME!
Lunchtime at Dornan’s
Just before Teton Park Road intersects with Highway 191, you’ll find Dornan’s, which is a tiny grouping of buildings offering souvenir shops, 2 restaurants, a convenience store, and a liquor store.
We’re here for the restaurant all the way at the back of the complex, Dornan’s Pizza and Pasta.
This restaurant is so cute, and it only has about a dozen tables inside. Outside, you’ll find a patio with a few more tables and an incredible view of the Grand Tetons.
Head to the back wall of the restaurant to place your order. We loved their freshly made salads and pasta dishes, but you can’t go wrong with anything on their menu.
Menors Ferry Historic District
After you’ve had your fill at Dornan’s Pizza and Pasta, backtrack slightly (less than a mile) up Teton Park Row to the Menors Ferry Historic District.
Within a short hike, you’ll be able to see several points of interest that relate to different areas of the park’s history.
Directly adjacent to the parking lot is the Chapel of the Transfiguration, a working chapel that dates to the 1920s.
Even if you’re not religious, it’s worth poking your head into this church to see the views framed by the back windows and to admire the stained glass.
Across the parking lot is a well marked gravel pathway that leads you to Menors Ferry, which was once the only way to cross the Snake River.
Today, you can have your own Snake River adventure by going on a Grand Teton river float!
You can walk around the tiny general store and Menor house and see the original wooden ferry. The inventive placing of the outhouse is particularly humorous!
A bit further down this road is a barn filled with antique carts. Just beyond that is the log cabin where adventurer Maud Noble lived; she was one of the founders of the Grand Teton National Park, and this cabin served as the meeting place for the original group of park enthusiasts.
Mormon Row
Get back in your car and take Teton Park Road to its end next to Dornan’s. Turn north onto Highway 191/89/26 (also known as John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Parkway).
Turn right onto Antelope Flats Road to explore Mormon Row. Here, you’ll be able to learn more about the park’s earliest European settlers and see some of the park’s most iconic vistas.
Just like elsewhere in the park, parking is limited. If you can’t find a spot in the small dirt lot near the John Moulton Homestead, you can park on the sides of Antelope Flats Road.
As you walk along Mormon Road, think about how isolated this place would’ve been in the mid-1800s.
The park’s stark beauty is on display here as the mountains make an incredible backdrop to the 150 year old barns and homes.
Colter Bay
With whatever daylight you have left, continue to make your way north along John D. Rockefeller Jr. Parkway.
The Camping Kiddos at the Snake River Overlook
Along the way, choose an overlook or two to capture some more photos of the Grand Tetons and Snake River in the afternoon light.
The Snake River overlook is famous for the photo that Ansel Adams took here in the 1940s. Although he used a crane to get high enough for his iconic photograph, you can get pretty close from the overlook.
Keep an eye out for wildlife as you move along the parkway! You might be able to spot an elk or moose grazing in the late afternoon, but you’ll also want to drive carefully for the sake of the wildlife. (The park has a considerable number of car-animal wrecks each month.)
Our last destination of the day is Colter Bay, which has 2 restaurants, a grocery store, campground, visitors center, and several trailheads. It’s also home to the Colter Bay Cabins, our pick for the best place to stay in Grand Teton National Park!
Depending on how you’re feeling, you can either check out the visitors center, sit by the marina, or take another hike.
If you’d prefer to pick up a souvenir, there’s a great shop next to the grocery store on the entrance road.
If you choose to go for a hike, the Colter Bay Lakeside Trail is an easy, quick choice with some great views of the lake and the mountains. You can do the full 2-mile loop, or you can walk alongside the lake on the first portion of the trail, and then turn left to access the small stone beach.
The Camping Kiddos on their own little island in Colter Bay
Evening
After you’ve explored Colter Bay a bit, walk over to John Colter’s Ranch House for dinner, where you’ll find generous helpings of comfort food like roasted chicken, burgers, fries, and more.
Before you leave the park, make sure that your kids turn in their completed Junior Ranger booklets at the Colter Bay visitors center and get sworn in by a ranger.
If you’d like to stay later after dinner, you can ask the rangers what evening programs they are offering that day.
There’s a rotation of free ranger programs that are offered during the day and evening where you can learn about everything from water rights in the Western states to the seasonal constellations visible.
Then, head back to Jackson, tired but happy after your full day of exploring the natural wonders at Grand Teton National Park.
