Grand Teton: 4 Days of Lakes, Peaks and Jackson Hole Light

Start at the park's main visitor center in Moose, where the Teton Range fills the view behind the building and the exhibits cover the mountains, the people and the conservation story of Jackson Hole. Talk to a ranger about trail conditions and wildlife activity and grab a map. It is a gentle first hour that also lets you see whether the peaks are clouded in before you commit to tomorrow's boat ride.

A gentle first hike that circles String Lake, the shallow, warm lake between Jenny and Leigh lakes. The trail loops through a burned area below Rockchuck Peak and Mount St. John, with views across Jackson Hole, before ducking back into the trees; head south around the east shore first for the more gradual elevation gain. The trailhead record lists it at 3.7 miles and about 325 feet of climbing (the thingstodo page says roughly 540 feet, so treat the climb as roughly 300-550 feet). Parking here is often congested mid-day, so arrive by late morning. Carry bear spray; both black and grizzly bears live in the park.

A short, easy walk from the Craig Thomas Discovery & Visitor Center leads through woods to the Murie Ranch, home of the wildlife biologists Olaus and Adolph Murie, whose research helped move wildlife management toward protecting whole ecosystems. Today it is part of Teton Science Schools and a National Historic Landmark, with a brochure box for a self-guided tour. It is a low-effort way to use the gap between lunch and the drive north.

Signal Mountain Lodge sits on the shore of Jackson Lake with a view across to the northern Tetons. It is roughly central to this itinerary: about 20 minutes to Jenny Lake, about 10 minutes to Oxbow Bend and roughly 30 to Moose. Rooms range from rustic one- and two-room log cabins to Premier Western Rooms, Country and Deluxe Country Rooms, Lakefront Retreat suites and a two-bedroom Home Away from Home cabin. Check-in is at 4 pm and check-out at 11 am. The lodge's website does not publish nightly rates, so price your dates through their reservation line. Other places to stay are listed at the end of the trip.

A casual, lake-view restaurant in the lodge complex with indoor and deck seating overlooking Jackson Lake and the Tetons. It serves breakfast, lunch and dinner during the lodge season, so it doubles as your breakfast spot on the mornings you are not chasing an early trailhead. Signal Mountain's restaurants take electronic payment only.

Jenny Lake is the park's busiest area, and arriving before 9 am is advised for a parking spot. A concessioner shuttle crosses to the west shore, saving about two miles each way; boats run every 10-15 minutes and no reservations are taken. Buy your ticket at the East Shore dock and use the restroom first, since the west side has none. Boat hours vary by season and start earlier in high summer, so check the operator's posted schedule; in summer you can go earlier to beat the lines. You can also hike one way and ride back.

String Lake is a warm, shallow lake between Jenny and Leigh lakes, and its picnic area is one of the largest and most popular in the park, with tables scattered along the shore under lodgepole pines. It is the warmest lake in the park, so it is where families swim and paddle. Pack a lunch (the Dornans deli in Moose or your lodge can help) and eat with your feet in the water. Parking is often congested mid-day, especially on weekends, so be patient. If you want a short extra stroll, the walk to Leigh Lake is listed at 1.8 miles round trip with about 40 feet of climbing.

The visitor center occupies a log cabin built in 1921 by Harrison Crandall as a studio, and its exhibits focus on the relationship between art, inspiration and action in the park. Rangers staff the front desk and the plaza. It is a low-key stop that also gives you a place to check the weather before the evening's drive.

Take the one-way scenic road along the east shore of Jenny Lake, entered from North Jenny Lake Junction, for close, frame-filling views of the peaks. The Cathedral Group Turnout points out Teewinot, the Grand Teton and Mount Owen and the line of the Teton fault on Rockchuck Peak. The drive is short, so use the pullouts rather than stopping in the lane.

The road climbs about 800 feet to a summit that is described as the highest point in the park reachable by car, with views of the Teton Range, the Snake River winding through Jackson Hole and Jackson Lake, and Yellowstone's plateau on a clear day. The road is narrow and winding, and it closes from late fall to late spring depending on weather. Sunset times swing from around 9 pm in midsummer to well before 7 pm in late September, so aim for about an hour before sunset and, in midsummer, consider dinner first.

A channel of the braided Snake River runs to this landing, and on a calm day the shallow, clear water reflects the Teton Range. Beavers have dammed the channel, and moose are possible in the riparian habitat. Sunrise, sunset or anywhere in between is worth the stop; after a dawn hike, golden hour is the kinder choice. Sunset time depends heavily on the season, so check it for your date. Bring a layer, since the evening cools quickly.

Signal Mountain Lodge check-out is at 11 am, but you will be gone before sunrise coffee. Pack up the car before you leave so you do not have to return, and stash any wet gear.

A flat, family-friendly loop from the Colter Bay trailhead through forest and wetlands to two ponds that shelter birds and other wildlife, with Teton reflections on calm days. It is listed at 3.0 miles round trip with 200 feet of climbing and about an hour and a half. Mosquitoes can be thick in wet ground in early summer, and this is bear country, so keep bear spray handy. For a longer walk, the Hermitage Point loop from the same trailhead is 9.7 miles.

A surviving Mission 66 building with lake views, Colter Bay Visitor Center hosts the Indigenous Arts and Cultural Demonstration Program, where you can meet artists and view exhibits of Indigenous art, and it shows the park film. It is seasonal, so confirm it is open for your dates.

Jackson Lake Lodge is a National Historic Landmark and, when it opened in 1955, was the first modern lodge built in a national park. The great room has a wall of windows over Willow Flats, Jackson Lake and the Teton Range, and it is a place to relax or wait out rain. Willow Flats is a wildlife-viewing area where elk calve and grizzlies forage in season, so bring binoculars and scan from the lodge or the nearby Lower Willow Flats Overlook.

A last look at the big lake. Jackson Lake is a natural lake, about 400 feet deep, that got a dam on top: a log-crib dam built in 1906-07 failed in 1910, and the concrete dam finished in 1916 raised the water by 39 feet, flooding forest that is still visible as drowned trees. The overlook has a view of the northern Tetons.