Yellowstone, Grand Teton & Glacier National Parks 🌲
This was by far one of our most memorable and favorite trips.
We are animal lovers (if that wasn’t already obvious), and boy, did the wild animals show up for us! Moose, bears, coyotes, buffalo, and other critters we had never seen before. Oh, my!
I like to randomly break into song, so it seemed appropriate to start our journey with “Oh, where the buffalo roam…”
My husband could not figure out what song I was referring to. To be fair, breaking out into a tune does not mean I am actually in tune. 😂 The problem is that I usually only remember one line of a song, so I was absolutely no help.
Eventually, he figured it out, but it kept everyone laughing, especially when they heard the actual song and realized just how far out of tune I was.
Anyways…
You Have to Do This Trip!
I’m going to give you all the tips and tricks, including what I think is a must-do, what you can skip, and a few things I would do differently if we went again.
Day 1: Jackson Hole & Grand Teton National Park
We flew into Jackson Hole, and we were in awe before we even left the airport. The Tetons are some of the most beautiful mountains and scenery we have ever seen.
We hopped in our rental car and headed off to get lost in adventure.
Our first stop was Schwabacher’s Landing, which has a short, less-than-one-mile loop with those iconic Teton reflections in the river. It was perfect for photos and wildlife spotting.
We were still completely in awe.
We had some time to kill before hotel check-in, and we were starving, so we headed into the Jackson Town Square area. This is where you’ll find the famous antler arches, along with lots of shops and restaurants.
This is also the area I would recommend looking at for a home base if you’re planning to explore the Tetons and Yellowstone—but more on that later.
We ate at Liberty Burger, and once again, we had gorgeous views of the mountains we had already fallen in love with.
Groceries Before Checking In
After lunch, we went to pick up groceries.
Depending on what order you are reading these posts in, you may or may not know that we pack a suitcase full of food and then grab other essentials once we arrive.
I had placed an order ahead of time for pickup at Albertsons. At the time we went, the first-order promotion was $30 off with code SAVE30. Check the current offer before you go because these promotions can change.
Then we went to check in at our hotel.
Well…we tried.
A Hotel Experience I Won’t Forget 😂
We had a horrible experience that I won’t go into too much detail about, but I will save you the trouble:
DO NOT STAY AT THE PONY EXPRESS.
In short, no one was at the desk. The owner was going back and forth between there and another hotel that they apparently also managed.
The refrigerator in our room didn’t work, and she didn’t want to get us another one. Thankfully, her husband saw the tears I was fighting back (no sleep, frustrated, and we had just bought all these groceries), and he found us one from another room.
We went to bed early because we try to stay on our Eastern time zone when traveling.
And then, in the middle of our night, someone else’s key opened our hotel room door and a young child and mother walked in.
Not their fault at all, but definitely unsettling.
Okay, I said I wasn’t going to go into it, but trust us—find somewhere else to stay. 😂
Alright. All the bad stuff was out of the way.
And it was!
The rest of the trip was AMAZING.
Day 2: Jenny Lake & Moose Ponds
We were up early and ready to go!
Before you go, make sure you have your America the Beautiful Pass. If you’re visiting several national parks, it can save you quite a bit on entrance fees.
Jenny Lake — A MUST! 🏔️
Jenny Lake is a must-do.
And this is one of those places that works for all ages because there are several different ways to experience it.
Get there early. Parking fills up.
We arrived around 7:00 a.m.
At Jenny Lake, you can take a shuttle boat across the lake for an additional fee. When we went, it was about $20 for adults and approximately $18 for kids ages 2–11. The boats ran about every 10–15 minutes.
And if you’ve been reading these adventures, you know what I was looking for…
A BEAR. 🐻
They told us bears are sometimes seen along the lake.
I felt it.
Today was going to be the day.
Bring Bear Spray
Make sure you have bear spray.
We added ours to our Albertsons order.
There are bear-spray rental machines at some airports, but because we were flying out near Glacier National Park, we didn’t have an easy place to return it. Buying ours made more sense for us.
We made it to the boat landing without seeing a bear.
But we still had a hike ahead of us!
Our family MVP walked in front with easy access to the bear spray while the rest of us followed behind.
He’s the biggest. It made sense. 😂
Hidden Falls & Inspiration Point
If you have older family members or non-hikers with you, they can hang out at the boat dock and enjoy the lake while everyone else heads up the mountain.
The boat captain recommended hiking up to Hidden Falls, which is about one mile round trip—half a mile up and half a mile back.
BUT…
If you want to see something even more amazing, continue another half-mile up to Inspiration Point.
Hidden Falls was beautiful.
We LOVE waterfalls.
But Inspiration Point?
Worth it.
The view overlooking the entire lake was incredible.
Now, the trail continued even farther.
And I still hadn’t seen a bear.
So, naturally, we kept going.
Did we find a bear?
No.
But we did see a moose.
Well…we saw his antlers. 😂
He was curled up in the brush, and we only got to see him because other people had watched him cross the trail and settle down to rest.
We were thrilled.
None of us had ever seen a moose before!
But just wait…
The day gets better.
A Little Note About the Trail
We hiked our way back down, and I will give you a heads-up: the trail does get narrow in places.
There are spots where you have to turn sideways while either hugging the cliff so someone can get around you—or you’re the person trying to squeeze past and hoping you don’t slip.
You might be shocked to know that I am terrified of heights. Although, I don’t think that’s exactly the right description. It’s more of a fear of falling when I am not secured.
I can see someone else standing near a cliff, even if they’re completely safe, and suddenly I feel like I’m falling.
It gets even worse when I’m anywhere near an edge.
All that to say…If I did it because I needed to see those views and find wildlife, you can do it too!
After taking the boat back across the lake, we had a picnic lunch and headed to our next destination.
Moose Ponds — Another MUST-DO! 🫎
When you arrive, you’ll see a small parking lot that holds only about eight cars. But if you continue to the left, there are additional places to park, and you can pick up the trail from there.
The trail is about 2.5 miles, relatively flat, and much less crowded.
It’s peaceful, beautiful, and—if you’re lucky—you might see a moose.
Guess what?
WE SAW A MOOSE!
A moose was in the pond cooling off, and then we continued around the trail.
At some point, my oldest son had gotten ahead.
Somehow, our MVP had slipped into second place in the bear-spray line.
Don’t do that. 😂
Then we heard another family walking toward us yelling:
“MOOSE!”
So we all stopped.
The moose we had just seen in the pond—and her baby—were coming up from the pond and crossed right in front of us.
Heart racing.
These animals are massive.
And one thing I know is that you never mess with a baby or make a mama think you’re going to mess with her baby.
The baby turned and looked at us.
I remember thinking:
Please do not come any closer because your mom is going to take us out.
Did I want to pet it? Of course I did. 😂
Thankfully, the baby paused, looked at us, and then continued on with Mom.
We all took a breath. And once again, we were completely in awe.
The family coming from the other direction told us they had seen grizzly cubs ahead in a tree but hadn’t seen the mom.
That was enough for my youngest to want to turn around. He is the more cautious one in the family. You could argue he’s also the smartest one. 😂
But we didn’t turn around. Because Mom wanted to find that bear.
And CUBS?! Even better!
We moved our MVP back to the front of the line.
My youngest moved himself to the very back and continued suggesting that we turn around.
We walked slowly and looked everywhere.
Apparently, we must have missed the mama bear picking up her cubs.
Probably for the better!
That was enough wildlife—and enough steps—for one day.
Jackson Hole Shootout — FREE! 🤠
Something fun to do at night is the Jackson Hole Shootout, an Old West gunfight reenactment held in Jackson Town Square, right where you’ll find those iconic antler arches.
When we went, it happened most evenings except Sundays, usually around 6 p.m.
We arrived early so we could park and then walked around the shops before the show.
Check the current schedule before you go because times and dates can change.
Day 3: $131 Waffles on Top of a Mountain?!
This might have been a little crazy.
We took the Jackson Hole Aerial Tram from Teton Village to the top of Rendezvous Mountain.
And why?
For a famous “Top of the World” waffle at Corbet’s Cabin.
Yep.
A waffle.
On top of a mountain.
For our family of four, the tram pass cost about $131 when we went.
Was it worth it?
Honestly…yes.
Get there early and try to be on the first tram because Corbet’s Cabin only has a few tables.
And you’re going to be sharing them.
So be prepared to socialize. 😂
We met another family who desperately wanted to see a moose, so the boys were excited to tell them all about where we had found ours.
Dress Warm!
Seriously.
Dress warm. It was COLD. I mean, top-of-the-mountain cold.
Wind gusts, too.
Don’t look at the temperature in Jackson Hole and assume that’s what it will feel like at the top.
There is also a skywalk at the top, and several trails begin from Rendezvous Mountain, including the Cirque Trail, Casper Ridge Loop, and Wildflower Trail.
You can also hike down to Marion Lake or continue toward Granite Canyon.
We didn’t do any of those things.
Because on the way to the tram, we saw signs for Idaho.
The MVP said: “We’re so close. Let’s check off another state.”
So when we left the tram, we drove to Idaho.
We saw potato fields.
More potato fields.
An impressive waterfall.
And even more potato fields. 😂
If you want to see Idaho, I’d give yourself four days in Jackson Hole.
If Idaho isn’t on your list, you could probably cut a day out of this part of the trip.
Other Things We Did in the Tetons
Mormon Row
This is where you’ll find the iconic barn with the Tetons in the background.
Definitely worth stopping for some photos.
There were also a ton of little prairie dogs and chipmunks running around.
They were adorable!
Taggart Lake Loop
This is about a 3.8-mile round-trip hike.
Why it’s great:
- Scenic
- Relatively manageable
- Ends at a beautiful lake
- Another possible spot for moose sightings
Day 4: We Splurged! Us? I Know! 😂
I highly recommend seeing Yellowstone with a guide.
Kevin was the best.
He picked us up at 6:30 a.m. from our hotel (and yes, he also questioned the Pony Express Motel 😂).
We were with him the entire day.
He provided a picnic lunch, snacks, water, and all the equipment and knowledge needed to find the animals.
We did the Lower Yellowstone Loop, and we really saw it all.
Old Faithful. 
.
Lamar Valley.
The Grand Canyon of Yellowstone.
Waterfalls.
And SO MANY ANIMALS.
. 
. 
Kevin was a real cowboy and was full of stories.
He taught us so much.
There are several touring companies, and many focus heavily on the geology of Yellowstone.
We wanted animals.
So if wildlife is what you’re after, look for a guide who specializes in wildlife viewing.
Kevin dropped us back off around 6:30 p.m.
We microwaved some dinner, and that was it.
We were DONE. 😂
Day 5: Upper Yellowstone
We got up early and headed out.
We saw so many animals along the way, including what felt like 1,000 buffalo.
And that is not an exaggeration.
In fact, it might have been an underestimation.
We went through Hayden Valley on the way to our next stop.
These valleys are great places to look for wolves, bears, coyotes, and you guessed it, buffalo.
Hence my theme song for the trip:
“Oh, where the buffalo roam…”
If you forgot. 😂
We stayed in Cooke City, and we actually really liked it.
We stayed in an Airbnb where we were able to get laundry done and had some separate space.
The town is tiny.
Like…
one gas station, one general store, two restaurants, and a handful of places to stay.
Tiny.
But it worked perfectly for us.
Day 6: Something I Would Do Differently
We got up and headed out through Upper Yellowstone toward Glacier National Park.
If I were planning this itinerary again, I would actually look at staying around Mammoth Hot Springs instead.
We stopped there to use the restrooms and noticed a nice hotel.
The catch?
It’s inside the park, so reservations can be difficult to get. You may need to plan very far in advance.
But if you can get a room, I think it would make more sense for this itinerary and save some driving time.
That night, we stayed in St. Mary, right near the entrance to Glacier National Park.
We splurged on a room with a balcony and river view.
And it was worth it.
Day 7: I Mean…Canada Is Right There. 🇨🇦
The boys had never left the country.
Canada was only about 45 minutes away.
You know where this is going.
Up and out with passports in hand!
We headed into Canada and explored Waterton Lakes National Park.
If you’re that close and have your passports…
Do it!
. 
. 
Day 8: Going-to-the-Sun Road 🏔️
This one took some planning.
We were right at the entrance to this iconic road, but Going-to-the-Sun Road closes for snow.
There had been a big snowstorm shortly before our visit, and the road had only just reopened.
If you’re planning to drive the entire road, timing matters.
We were there right around the time the road had reopened, and if it hadn’t, we would have been in trouble because we were flying out from the other side of the park.
You can also enter the road in the evening when it is less crowded and potentially get some great animal sightings.
When we went, reservations weren’t needed when entering from the East side.
People also love entering from the West early to watch the sunrise.
That wasn’t an option for me.
Why?
Because we’d be on the cliff side.
And if you’ve learned anything from my other posts…
That was NOT going to work for me. 😂
I would have spent the entire drive staring at the road instead of looking at the scenery.
We started early (shocker!) and made several stops at the pull-offs for pictures.
Wild Goose Island Overlook
Just west of St. Mary Lake, this is one of the most iconic photo spots in Glacier.
It’s a quick pull-off and a great morning stop.
Logan Pass Visitor Center
Elevation: 6,646 feet
This is the highest point on Going-to-the-Sun Road.
Parking fills quickly in the summer, so get there early.
We hiked to Hidden Lake Overlook, about 2.7 miles round trip.
This was a family favorite.
We saw wildflowers, mountain goats, and rams.
. 
And most importantly…
RESTROOMS. 😂
There are also rangers here who can help with trail and road conditions.
Big Bend & The Loop
These are great scenic stops for photos.
Big Bend gives you those wide-open mountain and valley views that make you want to stop and stare for a while.
And we did.
A lot.
Lunch at Lake McDonald
We ended up around Lake McDonald Lodge, where there are restrooms, a general store, café, and water refill stations.
We loved this spot.
We ate our picnic lunch, the kids stacked rocks, and we sat around for a while reflecting on what an incredible trip we’d just had.
It was one of those moments where everyone was tired, but nobody wanted to leave. 
Our Last Night
We stayed at Beargrass Lodge before flying home the next day.
And just like that, our adventure through Grand Teton, Yellowstone, Glacier, and even a little bit of Canada and Idaho was over.
We saw more wildlife than we ever could have imagined.
We hiked.
We drove.
We ate waffles on top of a mountain.
We crossed an international border because, well…it was right there.
And I sang “Oh, where the buffalo roam” approximately 47 times, despite knowing only one line and absolutely none of the correct notes. 😂
This trip was one of those adventures that gave us stories we still talk about.
And honestly?
Those are the trips I want to remember.
The animals.
The scenery.
The unexpected detours.
The family jokes.
The moments that didn’t go according to plan.
And all the times we looked at each other and said,
“Wow. We are really here.”
That’s what makes it worth getting lost in adventure. 🌲