One Day in Grand Teton National Park

Only have one day to spend in Grand Teton National Park before moving on to your next destination? This article will show you how you can make the most of it. I will say from experience you will wish you had more time in this national park. So if at all possible carve out more time for this destination! Trust me, you will not regret it!

Table of Contents

• Where to Stay
• Where to Go
• What to Eat

Stay

I recommend staying in Jackson, WY. It is 15 minutes to the national park and has many hotel accommodations, restaurants, and shops. Once you are parked you can walk anywhere in the town with ease. I love the old western feel to the community.

The Wort Hotel is a great option for lodging. The hotel holds true to its historic charm while providing luxury amenities. It has a tasty bar & grill attached to it called the Silver Dollar. Then its sister establishment the Million Dollar Cowboy Bar sits right around the corner in front of Jackson town square.

Experiences

Start your morning as early as possible to see the sunrise, avoid the crowds, and make the most of your one day. Not to mention, wildlife love to move early in the morning.  Expect to have an opportunity to see bears, moose, pronghorn sheep, and elk on your drive into the park.

With just one day the best place to go to take in all that Grand Teton has to offer is Lake Jenny. This location has something for all skill levels when it comes to hiking. I will give you my recommendation if you are looking for an epic day of hiking. Then I will follow up with tips if you would like to experience the awesomeness this site has to offer with a little less walking!

Recommended Trails

Jenny Lake Trail > Hidden Falls > Inspiration Point > Cascade Canyon

I suggest using Alltrails app when planning out your hiking expeditions. However, a lot of times you have options to join hikes together, as I have done above, so it may not give you a one and done snapshot. Luckily these trails are highly trafficked and well marked. If you have the general understanding of where you are going you will be fine in this situation.

Please always practice safe habits while exploring. It’s always best to have a hiking buddy. If you have no choice but to go solo, make sure you have an accountability partner who knows your plans for the day and when they should expect to hear from you.

Jenny Lake Trail > Hidden Falls

When you park in the parking lot I suggest jumping on and taking a right on Jenny Lake Trail. I would hug the lake to see the best views.

You will come up upon a junction point that will lead to hidden falls. You will notice many people joining the trail from the boat landing. If you want to skip the beginning of this hike then you can take the boat over, but I don’t recommend it unless you have a physical reason to cut down the miles. The Lake Jenny trail gives so many solitary moments to experience nature. There is a ton of wildlife and gorgeous views of the lake.

After taking in Hidden Falls you will continue on to Inspiration Point.

Hidden Falls > Inspiration Point

The trail is well marked, and you will see rock stairs leading up to inspiration point. These stairs are a bit steep with no railing so take your time and stay to the inside. The view is well worth it! If you are still feeling good, I highly recommend venturing on to Cascade Canyon.

Inspiration Point > Cascade Canyon

The trail is long but you can turn around at any point and start your way back. I don’t suggest hiking the whole trail unless you opted out of the Lake Jenny Trail and have the extra energy. Keep your eye on the time to make sure you can make it back to the last boat heading back or to make it back to the parking lot before dark if you choose to hike Lake Jenny Trail back.

Tips

• Start early in the day
• I suggest using All Trails App to plan out your hikes.
• This specific hike is not listed out exactly you will have to improvise
• The Lake Jenny boat is a good option if you want to cut some miles out of the hike especially on the way back.

What to Bring

• Bring plenty of water
• Pack a lunch
• Bring toilet paper or wipes
• Practice leave no trace by brining diaper/dog bags to dispose used paper in.
• Don’t worry about purchasing a lot of gear if you don’t plan to take up hiking. However, a good pair of hiking shoes will do your feet good.

Sunset

Sunset in the Tetons is pretty magical. I know I said the same thing about the sunrise, but if you can venture back out to see the sunset behind the mountains. You will not regret it! Wildlife also love this time.

Eat

After an epic day of hiking you are going to want to get back clean up and grab some grub. I have two recommendations on places to eat. Both places are right in the thick of town so that you can take in all that Jackson has to offer.

Silver Dollar Bar & Grill

As I mentioned before, this bar and grill is apart of the Wort hotel. Just around the corner from town square, the location is perfect for an after dinner stroll. The restaurant has classic western steakhouse vibes. To get the full effect find a seat at the bar, among the actual silver dollars, and take a load off.

The bar and grill are actually separate entities with different menus and rules. You can only enter the bar after 6pm if you are 21+. The grill is always family friendly, but fills up quickly so make sure to make a reservation.

Jackson Drug

This has all the classic diner feels. Homemade ice cream, burgers, and special sandwiches. The nostalgia of this old drug store is palpable as you are walking up to the store front from town square. The food matches the atmosphere.

After Dinner

Make sure to get your picture taken with the iconic moose antler arch in the square. Then you can walk around and take in the sights or do a little shopping. Also head into Million Dollar Cowboy for live music, pool, or to have a beverage.

Here is a reel of our night out in Jackson.

Takeaway

I promise you will be tired after this epic day, but with only one day to spare its necessary to take advantage of every moment. If you find room in your itinerary to squeeze in another day I will leave a list of other trails to check out.

• Additional Hikes
  • Taggart Lake Loop
  • Bradley Lake Loop
  • Phelps Lake Trail
  • Teton Village Wildflower Trail (Hard)
  • Surprise, Amphitheater & Delta Lakes Trail (Hard)

More articles on Grand Teton coming soon. In the meantime check out Yellowstone articles.