Jackson and the Grand Tetons holds a special place in my heart. It's been a focal point of two monumental times in my life where I packed up everything and moved across country. The summertime here is so unique to me, even after living in Colorado. The mountains are rugged and iconic, and it feels more remote, and more untouched than a lot of other areas i've traveled to. It felt like being hugged by the mountains, just really warm and comforting! If you're making a roadtrip with your dog, then check out my best tips for long distance roadtripping with your dog here!
When to Visit Jackson Hole, Wyoming
Jackson hole, Wyoming is a great place to visit in the winter or summer; i've also been in the fall. The fall advantage was there were literally no people around at any of the popular sites. Some local shops weren't open due to off-season closures, but it was nice how empty it was. If you're looking for a ski trip, then obviously winter is a no-brainer, make sure to have your IKON full ski pass. Keep in mind the Jackson hole's altitude is at 6,800 ft so you might need to adjust for a day before going out to hike higher elevations.
Where to Stay
We were there in early June, so there was still some snow in the Tetons and cooler temperatures. We stayed slightly outside of the town since it was cheaper and we needed a dog-friendly place for Sora: Togwotee Mountain Lodge. It gave a lot of log cabin vibes and it was extremely picturesque, the backside of the hotel opened up to the mountains and had a hiking trail which I was able to take my dog on to get her tired for the day while we explored the national park without her. It was safe and a great place for me to bring Sora and leave her while I hiked the national parks during the day. It was far from downtown Jackson Hole though, but it was close to the entrance of Grand Teton National Park and we were near the bottom of Yellowstone National Park! It was a great place to stop on my cross-country move since I had a car full of all my belongings and was nervous about breaks-ins.
On my second visit in the fall in November and I stayed more central since it was shoulder season and the prices were lower at the 49'er Inn & Suites. I loved that stay as it was super central and dog-friendly! Another great option is this cute cottage stay with a hottub!
Below are photos from right behind Togwotee Lodge:
Things to Do
Wildlife Safari
There are tons of tours that can take you to see the wildlife if you prefer to sit back and not worry! This wildlife safari tour leaves from central Jackson Hole and gives you guided chance to experience all the magnificent wildlife in Wyoming. There's also a popular sunset wildlife tour that hits all of my favorite spots (like Mormon Row, Jenny Lake, etc.) and gives you a guided experience to see wildlife.
Explore Downtown Jackson Hole
When you're done hiking for the day and ready to explore the town, you can check out the Million Dollar Cowboy bar. This bar is classic and iconic to the culture there. Even as COVID had just been starting to end with everyone vaccinated, the bar was in full swing. People were dancing, enjoying whisky cocktails and taking in the full experience. It was a super fun way to spend a night out in the middle of nowhere in a welcoming culture. For some dinner and beer, we checked out the Roadhouse Brewing; make reservations in advance if you can. I also really enjoyed a glass of red wine at Bin22 before heading to the bar.
One of the mornings I was too tired to go hiking, so I opted to do some shopping at the local boutiques. A lot of the places were dog-friendly so I was able to bring her around for some girl time!
Photography spots and scenic overlooks
There are endless opportunities to capture iconic and epic photos with or without your dog while visiting Grand Teton National Park. Most of the cool shots can be captured from the main highway and pullout spots! These are easily accessible from the highway, so you can drive up for sunrise or night shoots if you are brave enough! I opted for the middle of the day. They give expansive views of the Grand Teton mountains and lots of wildlife. To make your photos really stand out, plan to bring rancher hat, western boots, or flannel; really anything that can add to the vision you want to create!
Mormon Row (summer vs fall)
When you're by Mormon row, I highly recommend enjoying a beer and pizza at Dornan's Pizza Pasta Company; the views were unmatched and it was so refreshing and picturesque!
Wedding Tree
The Wedding tree is a great place to launch your drone outside of the national park no-fly zone to get a good view of Grand Teton National Park (the walk from the parking lot is less than 5 minutes). If you try to fly anywhere closer and your drone won't be able to take off due to no-fly zones.
Another spots to fly your drone that I did not have the time to visit was Green River (about 2 hours from Jackson).
Non-dog photography spots would be Schwabacher Landing and anywhere in Grand Teton National Park. There are several drive-u lookout points along US hwy 26. Any of them are going to be great spot to take in the expansive views of the Tetons. Honestly all of the roads around the entrance to the park are breathtaking, and you're sure to see wildlife. This Is also a great place to get some astrophotography night shots! You can park and set up your tripod right by their parking lots and get the milky way as it shines over the Tetons.
There's really no bad place for pictures. I couldn't stop taking photos even during the drive! At one point we were by the lake and it looked like we were at the ocean or something with how expansive the views were of the water.
Hiking in Grand Tetons National Park
We did about 6-7 miles of the Cascade Canyon trail in Grand Tetons National Park because we weren't in shape at the time to finish the entire trail. The nice part about this hike is you can take the scenic boat ride across Jenny Lake; you can buy tickets directly there and the line wasn't too long for us when we visited In June! You can access Inspiration Point along this hike for the viewpoint. I think the hike covers the main areas of Grand Tetons that you'll want to see, since you want to visit viewpoints before entering the park to get that stunning photo opportunities!
Other Places: I didn't have time to hike Delta lake, but it's high on my list; no dogs allowed. Lost lake was a nearby hike that was short and dog-friendly; just be sure to watch out for wildlife with your pups to keep them safe.
If you have time - Yellowstone National Park
Take the drive up to the southern portion of Montana and see Yellowstone National Park. We did this for an evening drive, which was kind of scary due to large amounts of wildlife; there was a grizzly bear on the road we were driving too which is a terrifying thing to see, so be careful! This is only worth it if you have time, otherwise just focus on Grand Tetons as they are really stunning.
