The ultimate guide to visit Grand Teton National Park with kids

Fresh from our visit at Yellowstone National Park, it is difficult for us to describe how we felt about Grand Teton National Park upon our arrival. Grand Teton shares a border with Yellowstone, however this is where their similarities end. Grand Teton offers a serene and calming experience with extraordinary wildlife, pristine lakes, and alpine terrain. As we continue our adventures through five national parks in ten days, I want to invite you to experience our journey through Grand Teton National Park with us.

One of the first things that we did at Grand Teton National Park was head over to the Visitor Center. Grand Teton is considered bear country; so we did our best to research and talked to rangers about safety tips to be confident and comfortable around wild animals. We also picked up Junior Ranger books. The kids love doing the activities in the Junior Ranger books, which is why we kept getting them at each park we visited. Plus, these books share little tidbits about the park and the things that we would see along the way. It is a great way to get everyone in the group engaged and be active while visiting National Parks

This is our first trip in a bear country with kids and as such we decided to go with ranger or guide led activities instead of venturing out on our own too much. The negative side to this approach was that we limited ourselves from many hikes but we felt comfortable with that decision during our first visit to Grand Tetons. We used Teton Hiking Trails to research the trails and hikes. It is a great online resource where we learned about the Hidden Falls; one of our favorite and Inspiration Point which came in a close second. The other short recommended hikes are:

• Leigh Lake String Lake, and the two ponds that are near Colter Bay Village
• Cascade Canyon, 
• Paintbrush Canyon, and Death Canyon

All three offer granite peaks that climb higher than you can see, as well as sparkling lakes hidden in the middle of nowhere.

If you are looking for the best day hikes in Grand Teton national park then there are plenty to choose from and none will disappoint! The most popular short hikes are Hidden Falls, Inspiration Point, String Lake, Leigh Lake, and Swan and Heron Pond. If you are you looking for a full-day hike that is more challenging then choose Cascade Canyon, Death Canyon, or Paintbrush Canyon and experience towering granite peaks and beautiful remote lakes for a hike you will never forget!

As mentioned in Yellowstone and blog about animal safety tips, being in bear country for the first time made us a little nervous but it didn't stop us completely from getting out and about. We learned about ranger led activities and joined other groups to travel with. We learned about these facilitated hikes and events through Grand Teton park schedule. One of the hikes that the park organized was a ranger led hike towards Jenny Lake and this turned out to be exactly what we were looking for. We would highly recommend this hike to families with kids.

Hidden Falls Trail is a 4.9 mile scenic however often heavily trafficked loop trail located near Jackson, Wyoming that features a lake and is good for all skill levels. The trail offers a number of activity options and is best used from May until October. This is the most popular waterfall in the park for a reason. It beautiful, once you're up there, it is hard to leave. Bring your lunch or breakfast, picnic on a nearby rock in front of the falls and enjoy the serenity that comes with the sounds, smells, and sights of nature. Children will not want to leave. There are a few things to consider before you head to the falls:

• Make sure you plan for first thing in the morning to not only get a parking spot, to avoid crowds at the falls and along the trail (and waiting in line if you are taking the shuttle boat). 
• Getting to Hidden Falls with children comes with an option: you can save about 5 miles RT taking the shuttle boat across Jenny Lake to bypass the Jenny Lake Trail or make it more of an adventure and hike the Jenny Lake Trail to get to the Hidden Falls trailhead. 
• The Hidden Falls trail itself is fairly easy and short (about 1.5 miles RT). 
• Plus you can jaunt over to Inspiration Point right after in no time. 
• There are no restrooms up there, so plan accordingly with children. 
• We took the shuttle boat, and it was worth every penny

Hidden falls is a nice hike in the Tetons with a waterfall at the end and pretty scenic views on the way there, having the boat option back is nice even if the hike itself isn’t long. Here's a link to learn more about Jenny Lake and a link to the hiking guide.

Junior Ranger is a great program that helps children (and adults) engage and learn about the National Park by completing an activity booklet for children of all ages to become a Junior Ranger! Participants earn a Junior Ranger badge by completing the activities for their age. The park newspaper features a complete listing of ranger-led programs and suggested activities to help complete the booklet. The Grand Adventure is available at any park visitor center and online.

One of the activities that we planned for and looked forward to was exploring the Jackson Hole / Tetons through the snake river. Grand Tetons National Park offers few water activities such as water tubes but they were not as adventurous as rafting so we decided to book with a water rafting company called outside the park called Mad River Boat Trips. During our 2nd day at Grand Teton, we drove above 40 mins out to Jackson Hole and experienced an unbelievable adventure with our children through the snake river. This was a bit ambitious however we did plenty of research, found a great company focused on family friendly trip and they had proper gear for all of us. This turned out to be one of the main highlights of our trip.

Grand Teton wildlife viewing is regularly referred to as one of the best in the US. Bear, Bison, Moose, Elk, Pronghorn, Eagles, and more are regularly seen throughout the park. Looking for the best place to see bears in Grand Teton National Park? These places change regularly, and your best option is to ask at a Visitor Center or Activity Desk once you are in the park. The Activity Desk at Jackson Lake Lodge keeps a log of recent animal sightings. However, some of the best spots for wildlife viewing generally are the Willow Flats in front of Jackson Lake Lodge, Oxbow Bend, Elk Ranch Flats, and Moose.

There are so many things to see and do while at Grand Teton National Park, but we did manage to narrow down a few of our favorites. You might want to have your camera ready, because each one of these destinations is waiting to be captured on film, so you can remember them forever.

• Grand Teton Wildlife Safari in Open-Air Vehicle (Paid) - for the slow / lazy

• Grand Teton Sunset Tour (Paid) - for the slow / lazy

• Half Day Grand Teton Wildlife Safari (Paid) - You'll likely see wild life.

• Mormon Row with the John Moulton Barn
• Pilgrim Road
• Kenny Hemp Cabin on the Main Road
• Lemont Crab Ground
• The Pelicans by the Oxphobian
• Go fishing on the Cattleman’s Bridge, which is down the Gravel Road behind the Oxphobian
• Spot bison and Canada deer on the Elk Flat Ranch
• Hare are everywhere on the Lake Shoe Trail
• Moose and elk can be spotted on the Grub Ant River and Willow Flat
• Signal Mountain Summit Road is the perfect spot to see numerous animals
• Beavers are everywhere by Colter Bay
• Across Jenny Lake, you will see Goto Hidden Falls
• The Goto Cascade Canyons are absolutely breathtaking

If you happen to be hungry, Moose Wilson Road has berries, just watch for the black bears that love to eat those berries too! Just be sure that you have read bear safety blog (coming soon).

We learned a lesson from our first national park trip to Yosemite National Park that staying in the park has plenty of benefits. Based on this lesson, we did our research and stayed in Jackson Lake Lodge. The first time we walked up the lobby and looked out the window to see The Grand Tetons; is a sight to remember. Grab a coffee, sit at the couch in front of the windows and enjoy the majestic views. You can research other lodging options in the Grand Tetons and make your reservations based on your needs.

Tip: Reservations in advance are highly recommended.

There are a plenty of food options in Grand Tetons National Park. The Pioneer Grill within Jackson Lake Lodge was our goto for lunch and for breakfast. We enjoyed their classic 1950s diner style and hospitality. Another option at Jackson Lake Lodge, The Blue Heron Lounge is perfect if you want to eat outside on the patio and see the mountains at the same time. The Mural Room brings elegance to every meal and you must be prepared to dress accordingly if you want to dine there.

At Colter Bay Village, you can grab a pizza at Cafe Court pizzeria, American food at Ranch House or you can simply visit the general store with happens to be a mini market with good food options and gelato. Be sure to check out the their hours and stack up on water and all the necessary supplies before they close.

Most of the parks we visited in California, Wyoming and Utah had fees that ranged from $25 to $35 per vehicle however we ended up getting an annual pass for $80 which is good one for vehicle for an entire year. This is a great deal if you plan on visiting more than one national park within a year. You can read about individual park entrance fees by visiting www.explore.usparkpass.com or you can buy them it in advance at https://www.usparkpass.com.

Our time at Grand Teton National Park flew by, which I expected with all the activities that we packed into our two days. Grand Tetons are mountains of the imagination where you can explore over two hundred miles of trails, float the Snake River or enjoy the serenity of this remarkable place. We highly recommend Grand Tetons to anyone who wants to get away from the hustle and bustle of the crowded and busy lifestyle.