There are so many reasons to travel to Wyoming, but at the top of the list has to be the boundless natural beauty. This becomes apparent from the first mountain views at the Jackson Hole airport, the only airport in the US located within a national park. Next would be the amazing wildlife roaming the plains, parks, and even neighborhoods so don’t forget your bear spray rental conveniently located at the baggage claim kiosk ($8/day up to $28 max). A trip to Wyoming can be as active or relaxing as you want from hiking, skiing, and fishing to visiting hot springs, floating the Snake River, and enjoying the views from your car. We visited Jackson Hole in early September 2021 to include Grand Teton National Park and Yellowstone National Park from one home base due to my need to be near an education conference, but a more ideal itinerary would be moving around and even extending into Montana’s Glacier National Park.
We rented an SUV from Thrifty/Dollar and were lucky to get a nice 4WD Toyota 4Runner. They are located in downtown Jackson about 15 minutes from the airport via provided shuttle, but I noticed there are others located on-site at the small airport if that is more convenient. An absolute must if you’re planning to visit the parks on your own is purchasing the Gypsy Guide for Grand Teton and Yellowstone ($15). This GPS based app will educate and advise as you drive based on your location, and with limited cell service in the parks, this guide is invaluable. Just remember to bring the appropriate cords for playing over the rental car speakers, a car charger since it uses a lot of battery, and don’t make the mistake I did of closing it to save battery while hiking/touring as it won’t open back up without a signal. The entrance fee to each park is $35 for a 7 day pass or $80 for an annual park pass to all national parks.
We lucked into the best condo rented through Vacasa (3223 Thimbleberry) located in The Aspens neighborhood in Wilson, midway between downtown Jackson and Teton Village. With spectacular mountain and creek views, wildlife roaming in our own yard, and a cute but expensive market and liquor store on site, we enjoyed relaxing here at the end of the day so much that we never ate in a single restaurant. Prices and selection were much better at the Albertson’s in Jackson 10 minutes away, and a drive down Moose Wilson Rd in any direction is just stunning and teeming with wildlife. In fact, the Moose Wilson Rd entrance to Grand Teton just north of Teton Village doesn’t often show up on GPS, but it is far less traveled and known as the best spot for wildlife sightings. Downtown Jackson is a cute Western style town with shops and restaurants surrounding the town square and an amazing farmers market every Saturday morning. There are lots of hotels/motels and well known restaurants and bars, but overall we found it crowded with tourists and mostly avoided it. Teton Village is a charming ski village, and being here off-season was quite lovely and less crowded. From here, you can take a gondola up for a fee to enjoy the views, take a yoga class, hike the trails, access the mountain bike park, or learn to paraglide, but the best tip is to ride up after 5 pm for free and enjoy the Deck at Piste or the other restaurants. Check the website for seasonal hours and pricing. Grand Teton National Park
As the Gypsy Guide and any blogger or photographer will tell you, there are a few not to miss viewpoints in Grand Teton. Here are my best attempts battling wildfire smoke, timing of the sun, and lack of advanced equipment or knowledge: Mormon Row
Schwabacher’s Landing
Snake River Overlook
Oxbow Bend
We spent most of our time in Grand Teton hiking in the afternoons following my meetings. It was unseasonably hot in early September with highs in the mid 80s and the foliage just starting to turn. I would imagine the following weeks from mid September to mid October to be just perfect before the snow arrives, but I was not the least bit disappointed with our experience. Time and ability limited us to these three 5 mile hikes, but the park has 200 miles of trails to explore. It seemed almost everyone we passed saw a bear along the trails but us, so definitely be bear aware. This includes hiking in groups, making noise, and carrying bear spray. We used the Earthtrekkers blog to pick our hikes and the All Trails app to plan our routes, just download before entering the park as cell service is all but non-existent. I’d rate all of these hikes as moderately difficult but worth it a thousand times over for the views. Jenny Lake, Inspiration Point, and Cascade Canyon
We took the Jenny Lake Boat Shuttle across the lake ($18/person round trip) on Labor Day, the last day they run 7 am to 7 pm before reducing hours to 10 am to 4 pm. Check the seasonal operating hours before planning your trip, but there is also the option to hike around the lake adding 2 miles each way. From the boat ramp it’s half a mile to Hidden Falls (which was pretty crowded and required off-trail navigating to get close) and another half mile up to Inspiration Point for spectacular views of Jenny Lake from 7200 feet. These uphill climbs are no joke especially with low air quality from the wildfire smoke when you’re not accustomed to higher altitudes. The good news is continuing into Cascade Canyon thins the crowds and is relatively flat allowing for a peaceful communion with nature. We went about a mile and a half into the canyon and turned back the way we came for a total of 5 miles. Taggart and Bradley Lake Loop Trail
This small crowded parking lot along Teton Park Rd is a super popular hike, and for good reason. The initial crowds do thin out as you continue along the trail so don’t be discouraged. Most people take the shorter trail straight to Taggart Lake and back, but don’t be most people. Though still spectacular and okay for most fitness levels (definitely not easy but we saw all ages here), missing Bradley Lake and the views on the way would be a travesty. We followed the All Trails map counterclockwise heading to Bradley Lake first then to Taggart Lake, but cut the 6 mile loop short by heading straight back to the parking lot for a total of 5 miles and cool views of a Dr Seuss-like forest. Phelps Lake Overlook to Jumping Rock
This hike recommended 4WD to park at the ominously named Death Canyon trailhead, though any high clearance vehicle would work or parking towards the bottom and walking a mile up the road is an option too. From the trailhead, it’s about a mile to the first overlook point, but please keep going along the Valley Trail for more spectacular views. After another mile you’ll reach the Phelps Lake Loop Trail where we turned left down to the beach many use to relax and swim and then towards the Jumping Rock about a half mile down. Just follow the sounds of the jumpers as they plummet 25 feet into the cool glacier lake waters. A full loop can be completed around the lake though a bridge is out for repair at the time of this writing, but we turned back for an approximate 5 miles total. Yellowstone National Park
We only had one full day available to see Yellowstone, and any fool will tell you this is not enough. We used the Jackson Hole Traveler guide’s One Day Lower Loop itinerary, leaving Wilson around 6 am for a sunrise drive through Grand Teton along Hwy 89 arriving at the south Yellowstone sign close to 8 am. With the Gypsy Guide helping to add or skip stops, we made it to the following: West Thumb Geyser Basin
We really enjoyed our first views of Yellowstone’s numerous thermal features including hot springs, geysers, fumarole vents, and mudpots beside Yellowstone Lake. The sun was low as were the temperatures, and the mist was still lingering on the lake’s surface as we strolled the signed boardwalks with only a few other people around.
Kepler Cascades Just a quick stop between West Thumb and Old Faithful, there’s a small viewing platform overlooking the falls just off the road. Old Faithful Geyser Basin
I may be one of the few people to feel this way, but this stop was long, crowded, and underwhelming. Having just missed the every 90 minute eruption and driving aimlessly around the mostly one-way maze of parking lots, we started by looking for the Old Faithful Inn lobby that was so highly recommended by the Gypsy Guide app. We first mistook the Lodge Cafeteria for the Inn, but found nice bathrooms amongst the mostly closed food stalls and gift shop. Once we found the much nicer Inn, we stepped inside only briefly though I’m sure the full free tours offered much more insight. We then walked around the Geyser Hill boardwalks to view the numerous other thermal features as the crowds began to fill in the bench seats surrounding Old Faithful by the literal busload. It was here we saw a bison up pretty close away from his herd near the Observation Point trail. With the time for Old Faithful’s eruption approaching (there is cell service here and times are listed on the website), we had front row standing from the backside away from the crowded benches. Just a few minutes early but within the 10 minute window, the park’s most predictable geyser erupted leaving us disappointed to be honest. We hurried out before it was done to beat the crowds which isn’t saying much since it’s a mostly elderly tour bus crowd. Midway Geyser Basin
After waiting in line to park, this lovely area follows a one way boardwalk past Excelsior Geyser Crater and Grand Prismatic Spring, both explained by the Gypsy Guide app. There’s an overlook trail to the colorful spring which looks amazing from photos, but we knew we were short on time.
Firehole Falls
Feeling like we’d seen enough geysers for one morning, we skipped Firehole Lake Drive on the right side of the road, but took the short detour to Firehole Falls further up on the left side of the road. Not only were the views spectacular, but we finally ditched the crowds on this road less traveled.
Gibbon Falls Just off the road is a parking area for Gibbon Falls, another quick stop for great views. Virginia Cascade Drive Skipping the next recommended stop at Norris Geyser Basin expecting crowds and, well, just more geysers, we crossed the park along Norris Canyon Rd which forms the top of the lower loop or bottom of the upper loop splitting the park into a figure eight. We did take the one way single lane cliffside Virginia Cascade Drive detour, but there was nowhere to stop for any pics of the waterfalls. Grand Canyon of Yellowstone
This is a big area and in retrospect one we wish we had started with by taking the lower loop counterclockwise rather than the clockwise direction we chose. We continued south along the main Grand Loop Road turning off to take the one way North Rim Drive, stopping at the designated parking lots to view the Lower Falls and canyon from the many viewpoints. There’s a North Rim walking trail along the road which would be a great way to enjoy the views as well as many other hiking trails up here, but we were short on time hoping to get back into Grand Teton for sunset. We followed the signs to the Upper Falls Brink and then the South Rim Drive to view both falls from different angles, all magnificent. Though crowded in the afternoon, this area would be wonderful early in the morning to beat the crowds, and we wish we would have come here straight from West Thumb. We enjoyed our drive out as we completed the loop and backtracked through Grand Teton, able to enjoy the famous viewpoints at the north end of the park in the golden hour before sunset. Needless to say this day was long and exhausting, and Yellowstone truly deserves 2 or 3 days to see. But on the other hand, if you only had time to visit one of the parks, hands down I’d say Grand Teton over Yellowstone where we didn’t see a single tour bus. Activities Outside the Park There are still many activities outside the park to enjoy around Jackson. One main attraction is the Snake River, and there are many companies offering fishing or floating trips. We did an all day fly fishing trip down the Snake with Grand Fishing Adventures. My fiance greatly enjoyed this day and learned a lot about a sport he enjoys, whereas I met up with them for the afternoon only and didn’t fish, finding the float rather boring. We also planned to check out Granite Hot Springs, but with the weather being so warm, we opted for another hike instead. We found a lovely drive by accident along N Spring Gulch Rd while looking to detour around downtown Jackson. It’s along this beautiful country farm road you’ll find the amazing Granary Restaurant, luxury Amangani hotel, and upscale cabin rentals of Spring Creek Ranch. We were recommended but didn’t get to drives along Gros Venture River Road and down towards the town of Alpine. With only 5 full days, and 4 mornings occupied by meetings, we packed in as much as we could and couldn’t have been happier by all we were able see in this short time!
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