Grand Teton

If you visit Yellowstone, you should definitely also visit Grand Teton, as it is just about an hour drive south. The mountains here are jagged, rugged peaks that puncture the sky in fascinating ways. They’re the kind of mountains you don’t get tired of looking at. My first visit was in 2019 in May, and we got to spend a good bit of time next to Jenny Lake, hiked on the Valley Trail past Phelps Lake, and also explored the backcountry a bit more on the Taggart and Bradley Lakes trail. This first visit it was pretty cloudy, so we didn’t get super clear views of the Tetons, but luckily they were still out enough to recognize their grandeur. My second visit in July 2024, it was much sunnier, so I got more epic views of the mountains, and came in close contact with a small grizzly who was walking parallel alongside us on the Lakeside Trail. If you only have time to drive through this park, there’s still a lot to see, and even more on the trails that lead into the backcountry if you have a chance to explore further!