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The Grand Tetons are one of my very favorite National Parks because the views of the peaks are so magnificent! There is so much to do and see that you could probably spend weeks here, but if you're short on time this is the "must do's" in the area!
Grab your hiking boots and your camera because there's so much to see!
Drive into the Grand Tetons National Park early and head straight to the Taggart Lake TrailHead. There are a few ways you can make this a shorter hike, and I will list them all here:
The hike we did is from Taggart Lake to Delta Lake. This hike is rated difficult and is 12.8 miles. It is easy until you get to the last 2 miles where there is a 2,000 ft elevation gain. I know this sounds difficult, but trust me the views from the top are WORTH IT! Start this hike from the Taggart Lake Trailhead, and follow the trail for about 2 miles until you get to the first lake, Taggart lake. Make sure you snap some pictures of the beautiful crystal clear water with mountain peaks surrounding! It's stunning!
From there you will continue on to Bradley lake that is also just as beautiful. (There is also a path to bypass Taggart Lake and go on to Bradley lake if you want to make it a little shorter)
Now we will continue on to the harder section of this hike. You will come to a series of switchbacks for about a mile and a half. Be on the lookout for a fork in the trail, because you will want to take a set of stairs down to the right to find Delta Lake. The trail is not well marked and it could be easy to miss! Now starts the really challenging part!
You will be questioning, “Is this really the trail?!” As you climb over boulders and feel like you're literally climbing up the side of a mountain! Just keep going, I promise you will make it to the top and it will be so worth it!
You did it, you made it to the beautiful turquoise lake that is Delta Lake! Take a break in the sun on one of the many rocks and eat your snack. You deserve it!
Another way to go that is shorter, but you miss the two beautiful lakes at the bottom, is by starting at Lupine Meadows. By starting at this trailhead, you will be shaving off 5 miles. On the way down you will definitely thank yourself, but you also miss a lot of the beauty along the way! If you're short on time, choose this option so you don't miss Delta Lake!
After a long day of hiking, set up camp at antelope springs. This is a free camping area with marked campsites that you can stay in for a maximum of 5 days. We arrived late one night and had trouble finding a spot, but luckily we were able to double up with a kind neighbor. The next day we were able to move to an open spot of our own when someone left. If you have time in the morning, we would encourage you to stop here before the hike so that you can ensure that you have a spot to come home to!
Another dispersed camping area that is beautiful and has a large RV parking area in the front (Just in case all the spots are taken, you know you'll have somewhere to stay!) is Spread Creek. We stayed here on our first night while in the Tetons, but found it was farther away from the things we wanted to do, so then we moved to Antelope Springs.
Start the day off early with Sunrise at Mormon Row. Make sure you get to Mormon Row before the run rises so you can get a good spot for picture taking at this famous spot. It becomes very crowded here, and if you're anything like me, you don't want a picture of peoples heads!
Once the sun has risen, take a little walk around the area to take in the history of the area. The Homestead Act of 1862 allowed people to migrate to the area to set up homesteads in exchange for 160 acres of land. Mormon settlers from Salt Lake City made the trek out to the area to cultivate the land, and now the 6 structures that are left are called “Mormon Row”.
Image Credit: National Park Service
From here you will drive the 42 mile scenic loop to the many stunning viewpoints to see the best views in the park! I would recommend doing the loop clockwise so that you can end at the snake river for Sunset.
Head back to camp at Antelope Springs.
Are you ready for another early hike? This time we are starting at Jenny Lake and hiking to Lake Solitude. This hike is also rated difficult, mostly for the length, and is 18 miles round trip.
I highly recommend taking the Jenny Lake Ferry across the lake and shaving off 2 miles each way (4 miles total). The ferry shuttle runs about every 10-15 minutes and tickets can be purchased at the East Boat Dock at $10.00 for one way or $18.00 round trip for adults. During the off season, the shuttle only runs from 10 - 4:30pm (so make sure you plan to start your hike early so that you make it back in time to catch the last one. If you don't make it back, no worries, you'll just have to hike an extra 2 miles to get back to the Jenny Lake parking area. Check out this website to find the cost and schedule (in the bottom right corner) for the upcoming season.
The boat ride is about 10 minutes long and will drop you off at the Cascade Trailhead. From here you will take a short walk to the Hidden Falls which is a nice short walk to a beautiful waterfall. You can then continue on to Inspiration Point. This is a good place to stop if you're only looking to do a short hike. Here you can take in the views of Jenny Lake and have a nice picnic.
If you're anything like us, this point won't leave you very inspired and you'll want to continue on to Cascade Canyon. We hiked this in early September of 2021 and we were happy to see the changing leaves! Although we can imagine this hike would be beautiful at any time of the year.
There is so much to see on this hike and we were amazed around every turn. I felt like the views just kept getting better and better the higher we climbed. You will pass a beautiful bridge as well, make sure you turn around and take in the sweeping views. Towards the end you will start to pass different dispersed campsites. If you have the time you could do the 2-3 day backpacking trip to see the full 22 mile loop of the entire area. Since we only had a day to explore, we settled on making it to Lake Solitude.
Once you make it to Lake Solitude, you will see where it gets its name! This is the most peaceful lake, and with not another soul in sight it was pure solitude! We ate our lunch here, and then prepared for the long trek back.
If 14-18 miles (14 if you take the ferry both ways) seems daunting to you, just know that you can stop and turn around at any time. I definitely recommend at least making it to Cascade Canyon, because it was our favorite part of the hike!
Once you finish the hike, take a short walk around Jenny Lake and take in its beauty! There is also a welcome center and gift shop here that you can wander through.
Depending on how long you hiked, and how late it is when you get off the trail, you can stop at Mormon Row area for a wine and cheese sunset picnic. We drove past Mormon Row and pulled off into one of the turn offs and took in the view of the Tetons and Mormon Row from the distance. It was the perfect way to end the night
Again, we ended the night back at our camp at Antelope Springs.
Tips for hiking in the Tetons:
This is bear country, so make sure you carry bear spray with you at all times on the hike. You can purchase bear spray at the welcome center, or you can check out options like this one that will save you money! You should also try to hike in groups so that you are louder and bears can hear you coming. If you do decide to hike alone (in addition to carrying bear spray) you might consider putting bells on your hiking stick to make yourself louder and less likely to startle a bear if you come around a corner!
Another very important tip is to wear good hiking shoes! The terrain can be rocky, muddy or uneven in some areas, so you want to make sure you have sturdy shoes that can take on the elements.
Pack a lot of snacks. We like to pack dried fruit, protein bars, tuna packets + tortilla rolls, and an apple or peach. Always pack out whatever you brought in and remember to leave no trace!
Have fun! This is a very special place that I’m sure you will return to for years to come and will always be able to find something new to do!
