How To See Grand Teton National Park In A Day: Mormon Row, Craig Thomas Visitor Center, and Jenny Lake

This is part ten of a travel series to Yellowstone and the Grand Teton National Parks.  If you'd like to start at the beginning, go HERE!

Yes! You can see Grand Teton National Park in a single day and here is how we did it!

We spent the night in Jackson Hole, Wyoming which is located just a few miles from the park so we were able to get to the park very early in the morning.  Our first stop, was Mormon Row, and this should be everyone's first stop because it looks best in morning light.  The photo below is the most photographed barn in the United States, and it is best photographed in the morning.

Grand Teton National Park has a 42 mile scenic loop that takes 1-2 hours to drive depending on how many times you stop.  We started the loop at 7:30 am and we were finished by 2:00 pm.

Now if you look at the map below, we began at the bottom at immediately went to the right because we wanted to get to Mormon Row first.  We made a right turn Antelope Flats Road which led to Mormon Row.

Photo Credit

                                Mormon Row

Mormon Row is actually not in the park, but is a historic district near the park.  It contains old, abandoned buildings of a farm community built in the 1890s by Mormon settlers.

The farm community consists of 27 rustic farms, barns, and houses all with the scenic backdrop of the Grand Tetons.

The most photographed barn in America is the John Moulton Barn pictured below.    People line up for the picture perfect photo.  I found an old print of this barn in an antique store and I purchased it as a memory of our trip.

Of course I had to get myself in a photo to proved I was actually here.  I'm wearing my new TJMaxx sweat pants I purchased the day before in Jackson Hole.  The mornings were so frigid, I needed something on my legs.  By mid day, I was wearing a short skirt.

On the other side of the "street" were more old buildings and a broken down cattle fence.  These were harder to photograph as now the camera was facing the sun.

Craig Thomas Discovery and Visitor Center

After visiting Mormon Row we then jumped back into the car to head into the park.  We had to go back in the direction we came to Moose Junction then we headed north to start the scenic loop.  Our first stop was the Visitor Center, and of course, hubby had to get a photo by the moose standing right outside the Visitor Center.

The Craig Thomas Discovery and Visitor Center is a must see.  The architecture is beautiful with an amazing backdrop of the Grand Tetons.  

The 22,000 square foot Visitor Center is an incredible place to begin your journey and learn everything you need to learn about the park.

I loved this cool display on the floor!

This view is located just outside the Visitor Center.

After educating ourselves it was now time to get back in the car and begin the Auto Tour.  There are 24 stops/points of interests on the loop, and no, we did not stop at all of them.  Many of them you can just see while driving so there is no need to stop.  We stopped at the ones that interested us the most.  Our first stop was the Teton Glacier Turnout.

Teton Glacier

The next two photos show the Teton Glacier.  You can spot it first on the informational photo below, it is located right in the center.  Then in the second photo you can see the actual glacier taken from my iPhone.

Next we made the mistake of driving past the Jenny Lake Visitor Center because we thought we just saw a visitor center and didn't need to stop at another one, plus we were anxious to get the the famous photo of Jenny Lake pictured below before it got too crowded. 

Jenny Lake

This picturesque view can be seen by taking a narrow one lane road called the Jenny Lake Loop Trailhead.  This is a loop not to be missed.  It is also shared with hikers and bikers so watch out!  Most people think this spot right here is the most beautiful view in the Grand Tetons.

We just loved this spot.  It was so peaceful and quiet, and there were hardly any other people there as we arrived so early in the morning, but I can only imagine how busy it gets later in the day.

Can you believe this place is real?  It looks like I'm standing in front of a fake back drop but I assure you I am not.

After photographing these iconic views, we got back in the car to head back to the Jenny Lake Visitor Center.  There is a 10 minute ferry that goes across the lake and takes visitors to trailheads where there are trails from the boat dock to Hidden Falls (1/2 mile each way), Inspiration Point (1 mile each way) and more.  Taking the ferry eliminates a two mile hike each way to the Cascade Canyon trailhead.  Unfortunately, by the time we arrived back at the Visitor Center it was so crowded we couldn't find parking.  The parking lot was not only entirely full, but so was the driveway, and there were cars lined up for a half mile on both sides of the road.  So we decided to skip it, but we were really bummed.  I don't know what would have better, driving the Jenny Lake Loop Trailhead later when it was super crowded, or taking the ferry early.  If we ever get back to the Tetons, I hope to catch the ferry next time.

Now, even though we did drive the entire loop in a day, I'm going to finish this loop next week, otherwise this post will get too long!  See you next week with the second half of our journey through the Tetons!

Have A Great Day!  Amy

Linking Up with these Fabulous Blogs HERE!

For more information on our trip out west, please check out these posts:

YELLOWSTONE:

Old Faithful

The Grand Prismatic Spring

Firehole Canyon Drive

Fountain Paint Pot, Lake Hotel and Cabins, and Hayden Valley

The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone

The Yellowstone Caldera, Tower Fall, Calcite Springs, & the Roosevelt Arch

Mammoth Hot Springs

The Golden Gate of Yellowstone, Mud Volcanos and the Fishing Bridge

Nearby Western Towns Not To Be Missed:

Jackson Hole Wyoming

 

Jackson Hole Wyoming

This is part nine of a travel series to Yellowstone and the Grand Teton National Parks.  If you'd like to start at the beginning, go HERE!

After our Yellowstone adventure ended, we headed out of the park and drove to Jackson Hole, Wyoming.  Jackson Hole is located in a valley between the Gros Ventre and Teton mountain ranges.  It is the gateway to the Tetons so it was the perfect place for us to spend the night.

We arrived very early in the morning, around 9:00 am just as the town was waking up.  After stopping at a bakery, we then went straight to the town square to get our photos taken under one of their incredible elk arches.

There are four elk antler arches positioned on each corner of the park.  Tourists line up to get their photos taken under the arch.  They are so cool!  They are made up entirely of elk antlers found in the National Elk Refuge which is located just outside of town.

I mentioned we stopped for some bakery first.  Huckleberries are all the rage in the west!  You will see huckleberries everywhere!  There is huckleberry jam, jellies, syrups, ice cream, and just about every restaurant serves a huckleberry dish.  We ate a lot of huckleberry products out west and came home with a lot too.

I love a good bakery and Jackson Hole has an excellent one called "The Bunnery Bakery and Restaurant".  Their breakfast line was so long, we decided to skip it and just got some bakery from the counter and enjoyed it in a nearby park.  I got a huckleberry danish and my husband got a huckleberry cheesecake.  Both were incredible!

After we ate our pastries, it was time to do some shopping.  For us, it was window shopping as Jackson Hole is known for its "rich and famous" lifestyle.  Celebrity sitings are common in Jackson Hole as many own homes or visit there.  Unfortunately, I didn't see any when I was there. 

I was very impressed with all the beautiful floral displays throughout the town;  from gorgeous window baskets, gardens, and hanging baskets.

Even if the shopping is unaffordable for most, it is still fun to see all the old fashioned western buildings.  I did have a chuckle at the "Five and Dime General Store";  although this was one of the least expensive stores in Jackson Hole, there was nothing in it that was a "Five and Dime".  😀

Most of the streets had boardwalks and roof awnings, which was really nice because that western sun is intense. Be sure to bring a hat, you will need it. 

There were several spots tucked away from the Main Street which had more shopping and eats.

Another little garden I enjoyed.

Inside some of the tucked away corners were indoor mini malls.  Everything is decorated western style like this buffalo chandelier. 

A sign in town pointing the direction to the Teton and Yellowstone National Parks. 

The town has the views of the foothills always in its background.

We were constantly warned about grizzly bears when we were there.  I never saw any, but we never went on a long, desolate hike either.

The Cowboy Bar looked really fun.  This door is amazing.  There are photos of the outside of the cowboy bar two pictures above.

I thought this place was really cool!  It is a dinner theatre company.  

I have been told that the Wort Hotel is where all the rich and famous stay.  We stayed at the 49's.  It was probably the most money I ever spent in my life on a hotel room and also the worst hotel room I ever had in my life.  When you opened the door to the room, it practically crashed into the bathroom vanity.  I've never seen anything so ridiculous in my life.  It was so hard to even get luggage in the room with such a narrow passageway.  And I was paranoid I'd be standing at the mirror washing up and be exposed to the hallway view if hubby suddenly entered or exited the room.  However, even if our room was terrible, the hotel facilities were excellent.  We loved the pool.

One thing I love about travel is seeing all the different types of birds we don't have in my neighborhood, like this Black Billed Magpie.  What a pretty bird!

This house and garden is actually a business but it is so pretty I had to show you!

I thought this inn looked like a nice place to stay.

We stopped at Moos Gourmet Ice Cream for the best Huckleberry Ice Cream I had out west, and I would know, as I think I tried them all. 😀

I couldn't believe Jackson Hole had a TJMaxx!  I was so happy.  Even though I planned my travel wardrobe carefully, I never thought to bring a pair of sweatpants.  The mornings are so cold out west in the early fall.  One morning it was only in the 30's!  I had to borrow a pair of sweatpants from my hubby to stay warm until the temperatures rose in the afternoon.  I ended up finding the cutest pair of off white sweatpants that went perfectly with all my outfits.

After strolling the western streets, we decided to check out the nearby neighborhood and found this adorable Catholic Church.  We loved the design with the gorgeous stone and wood accents.

If you're wondering about where we ate dinner since the stores and hotels were so expensive, surprisingly there were many affordable places to eat in Jackson Hole, unfortunately I didn't take photos.  We had BBQ sandwiches at Big Hole BBQ, which was conveniently located right across from our hotel.  And my favorite meal was actually at an Italian diner called Miazga's.  The food was AMAZING!

Next week, our adventure in the Tetons begin!  Don't miss it!

Have A Great Day!  Amy

Linking Up with these Fabulous Blogs HERE!

For more information on our trip out west, please check out these posts:

YELLOWSTONE:

Old Faithful

The Grand Prismatic Spring

Firehole Canyon Drive

Fountain Paint Pot, Lake Hotel and Cabins, and Hayden Valley

The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone

The Yellowstone Caldera, Tower Fall, Calcite Springs, & the Roosevelt Arch

Mammoth Hot Springs

The Golden Gate of Yellowstone, Mud Volcanos and the Fishing Bridge