Grand Tetons National Park: Something for Everyone

Current Rank: #1/19

This park has so much to offer and based off my ranking I do prefer it to its nearby neighbor, Yellow Stone. There are a few National Parks near each other but trust me, these parks are very different. Please start by appreciating these beautiful mountain formations in the backdrop of the sign! Great choice by park design for sure. This park has a little bit of everything and can make for a fun trip for anyone's goals in visiting a National Park.

Even from a distance this place has the wow factor of beautiful mountain formations, some of the best that the US has to offer (so far at least). The photo above was taken on our second, only driving through, visit on our way to Yellow Stone and the view still just gets me in the feels. This is one of me and Graham's first real road trips together before we had even decided to start visiting all the national parks. We came for the goal of camping and hiking a trail Graham didn't have the energy or time for in his last visit to the Tetons: Lake Solitude Trail.

Amazing Hiking for all Levels!

Obviously we went for some serious hiking, coming up for a 16.6 mile trail but there are plenty of options for easy and moderate trails near the main camping area. In order to get to Lake Solitude you have to take a boat across Jenny Lake to Cascade Canyon Trail which has great turn offs for amazing valley views, a GORGEOUS waterfall and some opportunity for wildlife. You will definitely not be alone for the first 5 miles or so but shortly after you lose most of the light hikers. Please make sure you have packed snacks and plenty of water if you are planning on this hike cause it is a very strenuous hike as the lake is nearly at the top of the mountains. To this day this is one of my absolute favorite hikes of all time. It had so many sights and wildlife that I will never forget.

Hiking away from the top of lake Solitude Hidden Falls

Boat ride across Jenny Lake Bull Moose at back country camping sites

This Hike was definitely the highlight but we did do quite a few turn outs and a lighter hike near the Coulter Bay. The trail head is named the same and you can find a few connecting hikes there as well! This lily pad covered lake below was a highlinght of that area!

We focused on hiking but there are many other aspects that make this a lot of people's favorite Park to visit! We had some amazing camping here. We were still new to camping when we arrived here but looking back we definitely have to appreciate these campsites compared to many parks we have been to. We reserved about a week in advance and got a great spot that had a little privacy and plenty of space for a whole family. Lots of lodges and airbnb options nearby. You can find something that suits your fancy.

Although we did not partake, there are many water options like canoeing available and some ranger led fun at Coulter bay. If that's your jam, I would look into it for a few hours of fun on all the water options in the park.

Another huge reason we loved this park is for all of the wildlife we can see in the park. Just driving through in October of 2022 we saw this beautiful Coyote just walking along the road! (photo above) but there are so many animals you may see and we saw 5 moose JUST in our big hike up to lake solitude. There are occasional wolf sightings, lots of bird watching, bears, basically the works! There is a reason this place is such a favorite among national park lovers! I will just finish this article with an impossibly perfect photo of a moose walking along this incredibly stunning landscape.