The park is located in Wyoming close to Yellowstone National Park. Highway 26/89/191 runs the length of the park between the town of Jackson in the south and Yellowstone’s southernmost entrance in the north. Grand Teton became a national park in 1929.
The best time to visit is mid May/June & September/October when temperatures are milder, the park is less busy and fully open. Weather is always unpredictable so be prepared for any weather conditions (from winter jackets to shorts). We visited at the end of May 2019 and it was very cold and we were not able to see the Grand Teton Mountain range as always covered by clouds and fog 😢.
Highway 26/89/191 is open year- round however Teton Park road is closed from November trough mid May
At the entrance you will receive the visitor guide & map but if you prefer you can download it from the National park website and print it (A3 format). https://www.nps.gov/carto/hfc/carto/media/GRTEmap1.jpg
- DRIVE THE 42 MILES SCENIC DRIVE
The scenic drive is a combination of Highway 26/89/191 and Teton Park Road. You can do it clockwise ( Teton park Road first) or anticlockwise (Highway 26/89/91).
ANTICLOCKWISE SIGHTS TO SEE:
- MORMON ROW HISTORIC DISTRICT
Drive north from Jackson on Highway 26/89/191 past Moose Junction and turn right onto Antelope Flats Road. Follow the road about 1 ½ miles until you see a dirt road marked by a distinctive pink stucco house on the left with a small parking area.
Leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, or Mormons, sent parties from the Salt Lake Valley to establish new communities and support their expanding population. These settlers first arrived in the 1890s from Idaho establishing a community of 27 homesteads known as “Mormon Row.”
Today the 2 barns, built by settlers John & TA Alma, highlight Mormon Row and attract photographers from around the world to capture these iconic historic structures with the Teton Range in the background. Unfortunately Grand Teton was covered by clouds but still an amazing place and atmosphere
Moulton barn
- SCHWABACHER’S LANDING
Next stop it’s a lovely spot on the Snake river east of Grand Teton mountain range. It’s easy to find as located 16 miles north of Jacksons on Highway 26/89/191 and signposted with a wooden sign “Schwabacher’s landing road”. It’s a launch site for anglers and river rafters and it’s the prime photo opt spot in Grand Teton with picturesque views of the Teton Mountains and their reflections in the water. There is a four-mile hiking trail along the banks of the Snake River.
Grand Teton Mountain covered by clouds
- SNAKE RIVER OVERLOOK
If you continue on Highway 26/89/191 after Schwabacher’s landing next stop is the Snake River Overlook. Ansel Adams in 1942 took the iconic photo of the Teton Range and Snake River from roughly this vantage point and made this overlook famous.
Ansel Adams photo 
View now – Grand Teton covered by clouds 😒
- JACKSON LAKE
This natural lake was enlarged by the construction of the Jackson Lake Dam, which was originally built in 1911, enlarged in 1916 and rebuilt by 1989.
For a panoramic view over the park, the Teton Range and Jackson lake drive up Signal Mountain Road to the summit (4.4 miles).
Stop at the Jackson Lake Lodge for a coffee and a breathtaking view of the Teton Mountain range from their lounge window.
Jackson Lake 
Jackson Lake Dam 
Jackson Lake Dam
Jackson Lake Lodge 
Jackson Lake Lodge
- JENNY LAKE SCENIC DRIVE & JENNY , STRING & LEIGH LAKES
From Jackson Lake take Teton Park Road south to Signal Mountain and Jenny Lake. Access the scenic drive from North Jenny Lake Junction, drive west towards the mountains, and turn left (south) onto the one-way scenic drive. The scenic road returns to the Teton Park Road just north of South Jenny Lake Junction. The scenic drive is 3 m/4.8 km long.
Jenny Lake is one of the most visited areas in Grand Teton National Park. From the east shore, you can see Teewinot Mountain, Mount St. John, and into Cascade Canyon. From the west shore, you can look back across the lake towards the valley of Jackson Hole.
Several popular trails leave from Jenny Lake such as Hidden Falls, Inspiration Point, Cascade Canyon. Longer trails such as Lake Solitude or Hurricane Pass can also be accessed from Jenny Lake. Check out the NPS webpage for hiking ideas : https://www.nps.gov/tripideas/jennylake-hikes.htm
String lake is accessible from the scenic drive however Leigh Lake is only accessible by foot or boat. The easy trail from String to Leigh is 1.8 miles round trip. Both String and Leigh Lakes offers access to multiple trails. https://www.nps.gov/grte/planyourvisit/stringleighplan.htm
- TAGGART LAKE
After Jenny Lake junction, continue on Teton Park Road south to Taggart lake car park. The uphill trail is a 3 miles round trip. From the lake you get amazing views of the Teton Mountain range.
- MENORS FERRY HISTORIC DISTRICT
This is the last stop on Teton Park before Moose Junction. The trail is 0.5-mile long, and gives an idea of homesteading and pioneer life in Jackson Hole. You can see Bill Menor’s cabin and country store, the Chapel of the Transfiguration and a replica of the ferry that crossed the Snake River at the turn of the century. The altar window of the Chapel frames the tallest Teton peaks.
Menor’s Cabin and Store 
Chapel of the Transfiguration 
Ferry
- LAURENCE S ROCKFELLER PRESERVE AND VISITOR CENTER & MOOSE WILSON ROAD
The Laurance S. Rockefeller Preserve Center offers an opportunity to learn more about Mr. Rockefeller’s vision for the Preserve and his legacy of conservation stewardship. From the preserve you can walk to Phelps lake (7 miles loop). The car park is small so be prepared to wait for a spot. The Preserve is located at the end of Moose Wilson Road.
Moose Wilson road is 8 mile long and offers great opportunities of spotting wildlife.
- ENTRANCE FEES
Grand Teton Seven day pass – $35 for private vehicle
Annual Pass valid to all NPS parks – $80.00 for the car and passengers. If during your trip you are planning to visit 2 or more NPS parks is probably worth buying the Annual pass. If you are not sure how many you are going to visit, keep the receipts as they will discount the price of the parks already visited from the $80.
- ACCOMODATION
We stayed in Jackson at the Homewood Suites walking distance to the town centre. https://www.hilton.com/en/hotels/jachwhw-homewood-suites-jackson/?SEO_id=GMB-HW-JACHWHW&y_source=1_MjA4MzM1MS03MTUtbG9jYXRpb24uZ29vZ2xlX3dlYnNpdGVfb3ZlcnJpZGU%3D
- USEFUL WEBSITES
National Park Services: https://www.nps.gov/grte/index.htm
Wyoming travel board: https://travelwyoming.com/
FURTHER AFIELD:
- YELLOWSTONE blog : Yellowstone Park in … 4 days
- JACKSON blog : Jackson
- CODY blog to follow
Enjoy Grand Teton 😊