Guide to One Great Day in Grand Teton National Park

Guide: One Great Day in Grand Teton National Park

Do you only have one day to visit Grand Teton National Park? Look no further as this guide lays out a great itinerary for one day in the park. For many people, Grand Teton is added on to a trip to nearby Yellowstone National Park due to its close proximity. Grand Teton is much smaller than Yellowstone so you can hit the top spots in one day. In this guide we share how to have one great day in Grand Teton National Park.

GRAND TETON NATIONAL PARK FACTS

The only national park with an airport in it! (Jackson Hole)

LOCATION: Wyoming
CLOSEST CITY: Jackson Hole, Wyoming
ANNUAL VISITORS: 3.6 million visitors
9th most visited U.S. National Park (out of 63)
BECAME A NATIONAL PARK: 1929
TOP THINGS TO SEE & DO: Photograph the barns on Mormon Row and visit Jenny Lake

Where we stayed

Jenny Lake Lodge | Grand Teton National Park

Located in the Jenny Lake area, Jenny Lake Lodge is a fabulous place to stay. Around the main lodge cabins sit throughout the property grounds. The restaurant here is excellent and we had some of our best meals ever at Jenny Lake Lodge. Included in your stay, meals are prix-fixe with options for each course. The incredible high quality meal while dining in a log dining room makes for an exceptional dining experience. We would love a return visit here some day!

About This Itinerary

This itinerary is done in the summer months when all the roads are open. We also spent two nights at Jenny Lake Lodge in Grand Teton National Park which gave us one full day. Staying in the park gave us quick access to the spots we planned to visit.

Here is exactly how we did this itinerary:

Flew in to Bozeman, Montana (BZN)
Stayed four nights in West Yellowstone while visiting Yellowstone National Park
Drove down to Grand Teton National Park from Yellowstone
Stayed two nights at Jenny Lake Lodge in Grand Teton National Park
Flew out of Jackson Hole, Wyoming (JAC)

We drove down from Yellowstone National Park, stopping at the beautiful Jackson Lake along the way.

Jackson Lake

From here we continued on to our lodging, Jenny Lake Lodge. We just settled in to our lodging and dined in the restaurant at the lodge this evening as we had an early morning planned the following day.

One Great Day in Grand Teton National Park

On Today’s Agenda:

Schwabacher Landing
Mormon Row
Jenny Lake
Lunch: Dornan’s Chuckwagon
Grand Teton National Park Visitor’s Center
Taggart Lake Hike
Dinner: Jenny Lake Lodge

We had planned to visit Schwabacher Landing just after sunrise, after the crowds who come out in the early morning to catch sunrise had dispersed. We departed our cabin at Jenny Lake Lodge around 6:30 am, which was just as the sun was starting to rise. The drive took about 25 minutes to our first stop of the day, Schwabacher Landing.

Schwabacher Landing

Schwabacher Landing is a scenic spot to view the Teton Range and the Snake River with a reflection of the mountains in the river, especially in the early morning hours.

To get here, turn onto Schwabacher Landing Road from Highway 191. The first quater mile of the road is paved but then it turns to a rough gravel road with deep potholes in some areas. After the bumpy ride, we parked in the small lot and walked a short distance down the trail.

My photos were taken between 7:00 am – 7:15 am in late July. The sun was quickly rising, however the reflection was beautiful! From here, we went to our next stop, Mormon Row.

Mormon Row

Back on Highway 191, Antelope Flats Road is just 4 miles away from Schwabacher Landing. Again, the parking lot off to the left of Antelope Flats Road had mostly cleared out so it was a great time to be here for photos.

The parking lot at Mormon Row

Interpretive signs at Mormon Row

Mormon Row is a historical site that preserves the homesteads of the Mormon settlers from the 1800s. The rustic barns set agains the majestic Teton Range beckon photographers to capture this beautiful scene.

Mormon Row

Next, we crossed over Antelope Flats Road to go in the other direction where the TA Moulton Barn is located.

TA Moulton Barn at Mormon Row

Both of these barns were photographed around 7:30 – 8:00 am in late July.

From Highway 191, turn onto Teton Park Road and drive the 11 miles to Jenny Lake.

Jenny Lake Area

An early start at Jenny Lake is imperative for a good visit. This is one of the busiest areas of the park and parking, over the course of the day, starts to spill out from the large lot onto the designated parking areas along Teton Park Road. This results in walking quite a distance to reach Jenny Lake, dealing with high crowds, and if visiting in the summer months, it will be the hottest part of the day. By getting an early start you will have a much better overall experience!

We arrived around 8:00 am and found one of the last few spots in the lot. From the parking lot it is a short distance to the visitor’s center area. Here you will find restrooms, a small shop selling souvenirs and picnic snacks, as well as a bear spray vending machine!

Visitor’s Center and bear spray vending machine | Jenny Lake

Jenny Lake Trail, Hidden Falls, and Inspiration Point

There are several hikes you can do at Jenny Lake, the most popular one being the hike from the boat dock across Jenny Lake to Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point.

The 7.1 mile loop Jenny Lake Trail runs along the perimeter of Jenny Lake. If you want an alternative to the full loop trail you can do a portion of it a few different ways:

Take the shuttle boat across Jenny Lake, hike the Jenny Lake Trail (southbound) back to the visitor’s center. This is what we did.
Take the shuttle boat across Jenny Lake, hike the Jenny Lake Trail (northbound) back to the visitor’s center. This is the longer route.
Hike the Jenny Lake Trail (heading left) from the visitor’s center to the shuttle boat launch across the lake. This is the shorter route. You can then take the shuttle boat back to the visitor’s center.
Hike the Jenny Lake Trail (heading right) from the visitor’s center to the shuttle boat launch across the lake. This is the longer route. You can then take the shuttle boat back to the visitor’s center.

Our recommendation is to arrive early in the morning, take the shuttle boat across Jenny Lake, and then hike back one of the two ways. Our reason for suggesting this is because the lines to ride the shuttle boat continuously increase throughout the day. By taking the shuttle early you will have a significantly shorter wait.

Top photo: line in the early morning for the Jenny Lake Shuttle boat (approximately 10 minute wait) / Bottom photo: line around 10:30 am for the Jenny Lake Shuttle (estimated 45 minutes to one hour wait). What a difference a few hours makes!

Jenny Lake Shuttle Boat Times and Cost

In the summer months the shuttle runs 7:00 am to 7:00 pm. The cost as of 2026 is:

Adults: $20 round trip/$15 one way
Children: $15 round trip/$12 one way
Seniors: $18 round trip/no one way fare

From the parking lot, we headed right to the boat dock to ride the shuttle boat to the other side of Jenny Lake. This brings you to the backcountry where you can do some awesome hikes! We waited just about 10 minutes and then boarded the small boat for a short ride across the lake.

The boat dock and boat to ride the ferry across Jenny Lake

Arriving in the backcountry on the other side of Jenny Lake

From the boat dock we hiked right to Hidden Falls. The trail took us through beautiful forest with the morning light peeking through the trees as we reached Cascade Creek.

Cascade Creek

We crossed a bridge with rushing water from Cascade Creek. So beautiful!

Cascade Creek

Just a short distance later we reached Hidden Falls. The 100 foot falls cascade down the rocks creating a beautiful scene. From the boat dock it took approximately 15 minutes to reach Hidden Falls.

Hidden Falls

From here we continued on the trail for a hike up to Inspiration Point. The hike climbs approximately 500 feet on a dirt trail for most of it and over large rocks at the end.

Reaching the top of Inspiration Point

It is a short yet strenuous hike due to both the elevation and the elevation gained. The top of Inspiration Point is 7,200 feet.

Inspiration Point

From up here, take in the vast views of Jenny Lake in front of you and the craggy Tetons behind you. This area is exposed and on a sunny day can feel quite warm, however it’s a nice spot to enjoy a snack and rehydrate.

Looking out at Jenny Lake from Inspiration Point

After a break at the top, we trekked back down and joined the Jenny Lake Loop Trail to hike along the perimeter of Jenny Lake back to the visitor’s center. We followed the trail south, which is shorter than the trail heading north.

Both trails meet up back at the visitor’s center, so if you want a longer hike, take the trail north which is about 5 miles. For us on the shorter trail it was a 2 mile hike back.

Views on the Jenny Lake Trail

The entire hike (Hidden Falls, up to Inspiration Point, and then the shorter Jenny Lake Trail back to the visitor’s center) clocked in at 4.14 miles and took us just over two hours to complete, including stops along the way for photos and a brief rest at the top of Inspiration Point.

Jenny Lake is generally a calm lake which makes it perfect for kayaking. Renting kayaks is on a first-come-first-serve basis from the boat dock. This is a great way to end your time at Jenny Lake!

Lunchtime: Dornan’s Chuckwagon

From Jenny Lake, head back out onto Teton Park Road to head to Dornan’s Chuckwagon for lunch. The drive is about 8 miles and takes about 15 minutes.

We can’t offer a personal experience as we didn’t dine here, rather we got gas and grabbed a few provisions for the Trading Post store. But before leaving we had a drink at the Spur Bar located within Dornan’s and noted that the chuckwagon set up would make for a fun lunch place.

The Craig Thomas Discovery and Visitor Center

From Dornan’s we drove 3 minutes to the Craig Thomas Discovery and Visitor Center. This is a fantastic visitor’s center with lots of information, 3D models, and movie showings. Outside, there are daily presentations as well.

Craig Thomas Discovery and Visitor’s Center

This is a fantastic visitor’s center with lots of information on the ecology, history, and cultures that are part of the make up of Grand Teton National Park.

Hike at Taggart Lake

Parking here is always busy, but if you visit later in the afternoon you might have better luck finding a spot. Taggart Lake is popular, and rightly so, as the trails lead to beautiful, scenic spots.

There are several trails here that depart from the trailhead, taking most hikers 1-2 hours for the shorter loops and up to 3 hours for the longer loops. Be mindful of timing to make sure you are back before dusk!

Dinner: Jenny Lake Lodge

Even if not an overnight guest at Jenny Lake Lodge you can make a dinner reservation here and we highly recommend it. It is pricy but one of the best meals you will have in the area!

After dinner, grab a cocktail and sit in the rockers on the front porch. During our time at Jenny Lake Lodge we saw a mama bear and two cubs!

A mama and two cubs outside our cabin at Jenny Lake Lodge

The fields, forests, and lakes surrounding Jenny Lake Lodge are prime grounds for bear and moose so keep a watchful eye out and enjoy the show, if you see any wildlife!

While more time is always great, if you have just one day this itinerary will take you through Grand Teton’s best sites. This is one of the most beautiful national parks and not to be missed, especially if in nearby Yellowstone.

OUR PACKING LIST

Here is our packing list for our Grand Teton National Park:

Our go-to hiking backpacks are Osprey brand. They are very lightweight and comfortable and carry all our essentials. You can find the backpacks in a variety of colors and capacities.
Camelback water reservoirs are a must when hiking.
I really like these Black Diamond trekking poles. These fold up and are lightweight, especially great for packing when traveling and taking along on hikes.
No hike should be without a mini first aid kit!