Visiting The Grand Tetons with Children
About my Trip to the Grand Tetons
From June 29th to July 2nd, I took a rare domestic trip to see my brother and his family in Idaho and to go to Grand Teton National Park. My brother’s family loves the Tetons, and I was happy to provide the hotel using my Hilton Points.
After a successful stay with my brother which including hiking, fishing (we caught 20 trout), and a lot of driveway basketball, we left for the Tetons on July 1st. I was excited to go on this trip but a little nervous about going hiking with a 7 and 4-year-old.
Following, an extremely well-behaved car ride, we arrived at Grand Tetons National Park. We quickly stopped at the visitor’s center and then paid the $35 entrance fee. Before taking on our first hike, there were a few quick stops at various turnouts for some pictures, and then we were set to hike.
Our first hike was going to be a 3.7-mile hike around String Lake. We had packed a picnic lunch and stopped at the String Lake Picnic Area. As we ate our lunch, I took my niece and nephew over to talk to the ranger. They were extremely excited because the ranger made them “Junior Rangers.” It was explained to them that they needed to make sure that the adults (me included) stayed on the path and didn’t take anything from the park. My nephew (who is 7) was also issued an official Junior Ranger Workbook.
Visiting the Grand Tetons with Children - Table of Contents
- About my Trip to the Grand Tetons
- Hiking the String Lake Trail
- Walking Around Jackson Hole, Wyoming
- Jackson Accommodations – Hampton Inn
- Taking Some Night Sky Pictures
- Jenny Lake Trail
- Grand Teton Tour Options
- Heading Home
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- Earning Points and Rewards
- Related Content
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Hiking the String Lake Trail
Now that we had official Junior Rangers escorting us we began to walk the String Lake Trail which consisted of a 3.7-mile loop. We chose this trail for the “littles” because it was relatively flat, followed the lake, and then went up in elevation so they could be “up in the mountains” as they called it.
There were many extremely picturesque stops along the way and every 50 or so yards there was a path down to the lake. My niece and nephew stopped at everyone to touch the water and to pose for pictures.
The path itself was a mix of sand and rocks and extremely manageable, even for my 4-year-old niece.
After crossing a river that flows into String Lake, we went up in elevation. This portion of the hike was a little difficult for the “littles,” but they handled it well. They particularly enjoyed being up above the trees and being able to see the snow on the tops of the mountains.
There was an interesting sight near the highest point of the trail where a bunch of trees was leaning over towards the ledge. We were not sure if this was caused by wind or a rush of water from melting snow.
As we continued, we saw our first wild animal. A friendly Marmot or Rock-Chuck posed for us right in the middle of the path. A few pictures later, we continued on the trail as the lake came back into view.
After crossing a few different creeks of melting snow, we crossed the river again and rewarded the “littles” with a well-earned dip in the river. My niece thought that water was cold. My nephew thought it was just right.
I was very impressed with their ability to hike 3.7 miles in under two hours. There were minimal complaints and only a few hundred yards of having to carry them. My nephew was smart and usually asked to be carried during the uphill portions.
When we got back to my brother’s car, we decided to go walk around Jackson Hole, check-in to the hotel and wash up for dinner.
Walking Around Jackson Hole, Wyoming
Any trip to Jackson Hole should begin with walking around Jackson Town Square. Jackson Town Square has four entrances lined with Elk Antlers that provide great picture opportunities.
All around the square are statues (or stuffed) animals. My niece and nephew enjoyed taking pictures, although my niece was scared of the grizzly bear.
Jackson Accommodations - Hampton Inn
Hotels in the Jackson Area are very expensive and since we needed two rooms I had to be creative in terms of how I chose our hotel.
The Hampton Inn Jackson Hole had room rates approaching $500 per night and rather than pay that steep of a price I chose to use 60,000 Hilton Points a night for two queen rooms.
Some of the amenities we used included the oversize hot tub, free breakfast, and outdoor fire pits. My niece loved the hotel room because the bed had plenty of “cold spots.” According to my brother she moves around throughout the night and sometimes ends up with her feet on her pillow and her head at the end of the bed.
Taking Some Night Sky Pictures
My nephew is really into the night sky and outer space, and he had been talking the entire trip about going with “Uncle Buzz” to take pictures of the night sky. Around 9 pm, he was so tired that he couldn’t stay awake. We told him that we would wake him up in a few hours.
When my brother tried to get him out of bed, he refused because he was too tired. Knowing he would regret it the next day, my brother even tried making him walk around the hotel room. Still, my nephew was just too tired to get out of bed.
My brother and I went alone to photograph the night sky. The location we chose was one that I researched a few nights before our arrival at the Tetons. There is a turnout on Antelope Flats Road just past the town of Kelly which has an open area with an excellent view of the Tetons as well as the unobstructed sky in all directions.
The turn out is not marked on any mapping programs. I found it using the satellite view and dropped a pin. Below is a map showing the location of the turnoff.
I have the night sky iPhone App SkyView Lite. It was easy to find the Milky Way just by looking at the sky but the app makes it easier to find planets, satellites, and other galaxies.
To take the photos I used my Canon Rebel T6i with my travel tripod. The lens I used was a Canon EF-S10-18mm with an aperture setting of f4.5-5.6. My ISO varied between 32,000; 64,000; 128,000 and my shutter speed was anywhere from 15 to 30 seconds.
To get the best focus possible, I set my lens to manual zoom and set the focus to infinity. I also enabled my timer, so when I took the picture, there was no chance pressing the shutter button would cause the camera to move.
My favorite picture was the one I took of my brother with the milky way in the background. I had him stand perfectly still and took the picture using the standard night sky settings. To get him to appear in the image, I shined my flashlight on him for just a few tenths of a second. That was all it took to get him to show up in the picture.
While I am not a seasoned night sky photographer, I was happy with how my pictures turned out. I look forward to improving my skills and getting the pictures sharper and more focused in the future.
Jenny Lake Trail
The last day we got up early and went back into Grand Teton National Park to take another hike. This time, we decided to hike the Jenny Lake Loop. The Jenny Lake Loop is a much more difficult trail than the String Length Trail and much longer as well.
The Jenny Lake Trail is the starting point for hikers wanting to see Hidden Falls or Inspiration Point. For visitors interested in seeing Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point who do not wish to walk 7.5 miles there is ferry service that goes across Jenny Lake. The ferry cuts down the walking distance by four miles. From the ferry dock, it is only .5 miles to Hidden Falls and 1 mile to Inspiration Point. The ferry prices are listed below and are current as of the Summer of 2019.
- $ 18.00 – Adult Round-trip (12 yrs to 61 yrs)
- $ 10.00 – Adult One-Way
- $ 10.00 – Child Round-trip (2 yrs to 11 yrs)
- $ 8.00 – Child One-Way
- $ 15.00 – Senior Round-trip (62 yrs and over)
I have hiked this trail before, but not with kids. During this trip, we did not have enough time to complete the trail. We thought about walking the 2+ miles to the further ferry dock and taking the ferry back, but the little legs of my niece and nephew were too tired.
Instead, we walked a little less than a mile and then turned around and retraced our steps. Below are some of our last pictures from our trip to the Tetons.
Within an hour of reaching the Jenny Lake parking lot, I was being dropped off at Jackson Hole Airport and saying goodbye to my niece and nephew. They cried the entire way back home.
Grand Teton Tours
Typically, I prefer to self tour. For me, much of the fun is trying to figure things out on my own. I do realize that many people prefer to take a tour led by an expert. Tours also provide the chance to see the Grand Tetons from a helicopter, boat, or open-air vehicle.
I have listed 8 of the best looking tours below. I am an affiliate partner of Viator. If you book a tour using one of the links below I will receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. I would greatly appreciate it if you would consider booking using one of my links.
Prices are accurate as of May 2023.
 Grand Teton National Park Tour from Jackson Hole - $245.00 Experience the tranquil landscapes of Grand Teton National Park on this easy day trip from Jackson. A must-see Wyoming treasure, this park offers one jaw-dropping vista after another, as you’ll see on your comfortable coach tour to crystal-clear Jenny Lake, Jackson Lake and the Snake River, as well as the Chapel of the Transfiguration and Menor's Ferry, both listed on the US National Register of Historic Places. Learn about the area’s history, geology and ecology from your guide; spot wildlife such as moose, eagles and beavers; and enjoy several guided walks for a more intimate experience of this amazingly scenic area. |
 Grand Teton Wildlife Safari in Open-Air Vehicle - $109.00 Explore Grand Teton National Park in search of wildlife on this exhilarating tour by open-air safari-style vehicle in the summer (June 15 - August 31). At dawn or dusk, you’ll get the best chances of sighting bears, wolves, elk, moose, eagles and more on your safari adventure. Your naturalist guide will ensure your enjoyment and safety, teach you all about the park’s geology and ecology, and stop along the way to let you take photos of your gorgeous surroundings. |
 Horseback Riding in the Bridger-Teton National Forest - $70.00 2 hour or 4 hour horseback riding trips with lunch, and all day horseback riding trips through the majestic beauty of the Bridger-Teton National Forest. You will experience amazing views of the Grand Teton Mountains as you climb higher and higher through the Aspen Tree Groves. |
Getting Home
My time at Jackson Hole Airport was quite an experience, although it was not the fault of the airport employees or American Airlines. As I was getting ready to walk into the airport to check into my flight, I received a text message. The text message informed my flight was delayed by over an hour due to storms in the Chicago Area. The check-in counter for American Airlines was not open despite it being around 2 hours before the original scheduled departure.
I found a place to sit and worked on my website. Much of the above content was created while sitting at Jackson Hole Airport. About an hour later, the agent opened up the American Airlines counter. Due to my Gold Status and First Class Ticket, I was able to check-in using the premium check-in line.
There was no TSA Pre line open, so I was given an orange card. The card allowed me to go through security with my shoes on although I had to take my computer out of my bag. Security was easy as we were the last flight of the night, and I was at the gate within a few minutes.
American Airlines sent another text saying our flight was now over two hours delayed. Having almost three hours until my flight departed, I decided to get something to eat in the airport’s only restaurant and check out the gift shop.
As I was eating my food, I received another text saying that the flight was moved back up to being only delayed an hour. A quick check of FlightAware.com showed that this was not possible as our aircraft was still sitting on the ground in Chicago. Sure enough, a few minutes later, we were told that the flight was now delayed three-plus hours.
My flight was initially scheduled to leave around 5:00 pm. Our plane arrived at 7:30 pm, and we were put on a ground hold due to storms in Chicago. Around 8:00 pm, we boarded the plane, but the ground hold had not been lifted. There is no jetway at Jackson Hole Airport and we boarded the plane via stairs.
The pilot said that he wanted us sitting at the runway so we could take off as soon as we were given clearance. This urgency was because Jackson Hole Airport closes at 9:00 pm. The airport does not allow flights to take off or land after sundown.
At 8:55 pm, the pilot said we had still not received clearance to take off from Chicago, and he was doing everything he could to get us off the ground. It sounded like we would be going back to the gate to wait until tomorrow morning.
All of a sudden, the engines powered up, and he said, “Flight Attendants, prepare for takeoff. Within a minute, we were off the ground. The pilot reported that the flying time would be over three hours for the usual 90-minute flight and that he wasn’t sure if we’d be able to land in Chicago.
I figured Des Moines, Kansas City, or Indianapolis was where I’d spend the night which would be closer to Chicago where I’d hoped to see my parents before heading back to Minnesota. Thankfully, the weather in Chicago cleared, and we landed around 1:30 am Central Time.
For my trouble, American Airlines awarded me 5,000 bonus miles. It really was not their fault except for a few instances of poor communication.
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