Teton days with kids, and where we look for wildlife

Two of the questions we get asked the most: what to do in Grand Teton with kids or older family, and where to look for wildlife.

You don’t have to put in huge miles. Some of the best views are right from the roadside.

• Take the Jenny Lake boat to Hidden Falls or Inspiration Point, then continue into Cascade Canyon only as far as your group feels comfortable.
• Easier lake day at Jenny Lake, Leigh Lake, or Phelps Lake.
• Ride the tram up Rendezvous Mountain, get waffles at the top, explore as much or as little as you want.
• Rent bikes, kayaks, or paddleboards.

Dawn and dusk have consistently been our best times. Sightings are never guaranteed. Places we’ve personally had the most luck:

• Cascade Canyon, if we had to choose one place for a mix. We’ve consistently seen bears, moose, pikas, and marmots along the route, including bears near Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point.
• Bison and pronghorn: the open fields along Highway 26/89/191 around Elk Ranch Flats, north of Wolf Ranch Road toward Moran.
• Moose: Moose-Wilson Road, especially near the wetland at Sawmill Ponds Overlook, and the Gros Ventre area.
• Great blue herons and swans: Oxbow Bend.

We’ve been just as lucky spotting animals from the road as on the trails. Stay at least 100 yards from bears and 25 yards from everything else.