Think You Need a Full Weekend for Grand Teton? This 6-Hour Itinerary Changed My Mind

I am blessed to call eastern Idaho home. Yes, I am surrounded by farmland (I’ve even spent time at a potato farm), and no major city is nearby, but my home is an incredible base camp for national park adventures. I live approximately 90 minutes away from the entrance to Yellowstone National Park, and the entrance to Grand Teton National Park is just over a few beautiful mountain passes. It's easy to plan day trips to these bucket-list-worthy destinations throughout the year.

One beautiful morning, I got up before the sun and ran a half marathon in Jackson, Wyoming. This is one of my favorite running routes, as I can gaze at Teton Mountain views for the majority of my journey. Then, my family ventured into Grand Teton National Park for a few hours of hiking, exploring, and learning. We spent only six hours in the park before my body decided it was officially time to rest and recover. However, six hours was plenty of time to visit some of my favorite areas of the park, tackle two short hikes, and even for my three children to complete the Junior Ranger program. Here’s my itinerary, and honestly, I wouldn’t change a thing.

We entered the park through its Moose entrance at approximately 10 a.m. on a Saturday morning. By this time, we had to wait in a line of cars, but the views were incredible, and the line moved quickly. My son is in fourth grade, and we were able to use his Every Kid Outdoors Pass, which I recommend for all families with children this age. This pass provides all fourth graders and their families free access to national parks and water recreation sites throughout the U.S.

There are many national parks that I love, but Grand Teton is right at the top of the list. This Wyoming park may not have as many unique features as others (especially nearby Yellowstone), but the beauty is unmatched. I love driving through this park, and this visit was no different. We drove for several miles and chose to pass popular stops like Jenny Lake because I didn’t want to deal with the weekend crowds. So, we ventured to my next favorite lake—String Lake.

String Lake is much quieter than other lakes in the park and just as beautiful. This body of water is quite shallow, and when we stopped, there were many people kayaking. Rather than spend time on the water, we put on our hiking shoes and walked around the lake. The String Lake Trail is just over 3.5 miles and forms a large loop around the lake. The trail is not too difficult (even my five-year-old tackled it with ease). However, you can expect a more strenuous climb on the western side of the loop as you head to an overlook of the lake.

Following our hike, we grabbed our coolers and headed to the picnic area nestled in the trees between the parking lot and the lake. There are multiple picnic tables here, and the shade from all the trees was welcome. After our lunch, we hopped back in our truck and made the short drive to one of my favorite viewpoints—Jackson Lake Lodge.

I have stopped at the Jackson Lake Lodge on almost every trip to this Wyoming national park. The lodge sits on a large bluff, overlooking the Teton Range and Jackson Lake. There are restaurants, a gift shop, and restrooms here. There are also a few trailheads in this area, including the Lunch Tree Hill Loop Trail, which begins directly behind the lodge.

We tackled the Lunch Tree Hill Trail, which is approximately 0.5 miles long and features a lollipop-style design. There are some steep inclines (which my body didn’t love after my long morning run), but I had plenty of opportunities to stop at the informational signs along the way and catch my breath. The views of the Teton Range are exquisite on this short trail, and we even spotted wildlife in the meadows near the lake.

After spending time at the lodge and on the hike, we headed to our last stop within the park—Colter Bay. This was my first time here, and I’ll certainly be coming back. Colter Bay is located on the northern shore of Jackson Lake and offers something for everyone, from water activities and hikes to a visitor center and camping. While here, we stopped at the visitor center, where my children talked to a park ranger and completed the Junior Ranger program, and I received information on the best times and places to spot certain wildlife within the park. We also stepped outside on the visitor center’s balcony and enjoyed the water views. My kids and husband also participated in a hands-on activity led by a park ranger where they learned flint knapping, the process of making stone tools.

After walking around and exploring, I was getting tired and decided it was time to make the drive back to Idaho. In just six hours, we enjoyed a scenic drive, hiked around a lake, had a picnic lunch, visited the lodge and went for a hike, explored Colter Bay, wandered around a visitor center, and captured some of the most beautiful views, in my opinion, that you’ll find in the entire country.

Our trip to Grand Teton National Park wasn’t long, but it was filled with beauty, activities, and memories. Yes, we missed some areas and places I love to explore, but six hours gave us a day to remember.