Activities

Hiking

Grand Teton National Park features 250 miles of maintained trails, not to mention numerous hiking opportunities around Jackson Hole. Snow King Resort is covered with hiking trails leading to panoramic vistas. Always maintain good bear awareness when hiking and keep a safe distance from wildlife.

The Cascade Canyon trail is one of the park’s best hikes, with breathtaking views from Inspiration Point. To avoid crowds, plan to go in the early morning or early afternoon. You can take the Jenny Lake shuttle boat from the Eastern Shore Boat Dock to the Cascade Canyon trailhead – from there, the hike is a 2-mile round trip. If you’d like a longer hike, you can start at the Jenny Lake Visitors Center and take the Hidden Falls trail around the southern shore of the lake.

Another easy hike is a 2.5-mile loop to Phelps Lake, beginning at the Laurance S. Rockefeller Preserve Interpretive Center. Keep your eyes open and your binoculars handy – you’re likely to spot a wide variety of birds.

Fishing

Grand Teton Lodge Company offers guided fishing trips on Jackson Lake or the Snake River. A Wyoming fishing license is required to fish in the park and can be obtained at Colter Bay Marina, Moose Village Store or Signal Mountain Lodge.

Bicycling

There are easy, paved bike paths along Teton Park Road between Moose and Jenny Lake Visitor Center, and there is a bike lane along Jenny Lake Loop. Be very careful when cycling along the other park roads, where you will have to share with vehicles. Bicycles are not allowed on hiking trails or in the backcountry.

Snow King Resort in Jackson offers excellent mountain biking trails in summertime.

Winter Sports

Jackson Hole Mountain Resort is one of the world’s great skiing and snowboarding destinations, with 2,500 acres of skiable terrain, much of it rated expert. Backcountry opportunities abound, but less experienced skiers will find plenty of suitable slopes as well. There’s also Snow King Resort, to the west of Jackson, with 400 acres of runs and a snow park. Grand Teton National Park offers fantastic cross-country skiing. Naturalists provide guided snowshoe walks from the Craig Thomas Discovery and Visitor Center when snow conditions permit.

Hiking

Yellowstone offers more than 1,000 miles of hiking trails, from easy strolls to strenuous backcountry treks. Always maintain good bear awareness when hiking and keep a safe distance from wildlife.

Below are a few hikes we recommend:

Beaver Ponds Loop Trail
Trailhead: Clematis Gulch between Liberty Cap and the stone house 
at Mammoth Hot Springs
Distance: 5 mile loop 

Level of Difficulty: Moderate
One of Yellowstone's shorter loop trails, this is a scenic hike with little elevation change and a good chance to see some of the Park's larger animal inhabitants, including elk, deer, pronghorn, moose and occasional black bear. The trail wanders through both meadows and forest. Elk and antelope frequent the meadows, and smaller animals can be spotted in the forest. The trail passes by several ponds dammed by beavers, which are sometimes visible. Wildflowers in brilliant colors are plentiful during the early part of the summer, and the trail offers excellent views of the Mammoth area. As beaver are mainly nocturnal animals, your best chances to see one are at dawn or dusk.

Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone
The best way to see the canyon is by hiking. Moderate options include the South Rim Trail (1.75 miles one way) and the North Rim Trail (3 miles one way). There are also a few short but strenuous trails with spectacular payoffs. The paved Brink of the Lower Falls Trail descends several hundred feet through steep forest, ending at a viewing area just over the point where the river heads over the rocks and down. Uncle Tom’s Trail, on the South Rim, leads down 700 metal steps to the base of the Lower Falls.

Fishing

The fishing season begins the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend (usually the last weekend in May) and extends through and includes the first Sunday in November. Click here for information on dates and regulations.

Bicycling

Xanterra rents bicycles at the Old Faithful location. Bicycles are prohibited on backcountry trails and boardwalks. Cycling is permitted on the main park roads, but extreme caution should be used as there are no bike paths, shoulders are either narrow or nonexistent, and traffic is often heavy during the summer months. A better option is to bike on one of the routes that are restricted to bicycle and foot traffic (click here for more information) or to go on a guided tour with a professional operator like Backroads.

Horseback Riding

Xanterra offers horse rides starting from Mammoth, Tower-Roosevelt, and Canyon. Advance reservations are recommended. They also offer stagecoach adventures and horseback or wagon rides which take visitors to a cookout site for a steak dinner.

Junior Ranger Program

The goal of the Junior Ranger program is to introduce children to the natural wonders of the park and inspire them to help preserve these wonders for the future. Families may request a free 12-page activity paper at any Yellowstone visitor center. After completing the age appropriate requirements and reviewing their work with a ranger, participants are awarded an official Yellowstone Junior Ranger patch. There is also a Young Scientist program available at Canyon Visitor Education Center or Old Faithful Visitor Center.