People often visit Jackson Hole with the goal to explore Yellowstone National Park, unaware of the treasures that Grand Teton National Park offers just a few minutes from town. Driving into the park from downtown, you are instantly greeted with breathtaking mountains towering over the pristine valley and the winding Snake River. With riparian habitats, pine forests, and sagebrush flats, this diverse park is home to several highly sought after wildlife species such as bison, moose, bears, elk, and more!
Located in the northwest corner of Wyoming, Grand Teton National Park is draped in natural beauty that is unparalleled anywhere else. The Teton Mountain Range is unique, seemingly erupting straight out of the ground in front of you, reaching up to pierce the sky. Just south of Yellowstone National Park, departing from Jackson Hole gives you the benefit of two national parks if you have a Yellowstone adventure planned. Traveling couldn’t be easier with Jackson Hole Airport (JAC) located in the heart of Grand Teton. As the only airport completely within a national park, it is only 15 minutes from town.
How to Explore Grand Teton
If you’re staying in Jackson and looking to explore Grand Teton, a tour with Jackson Hole Wildlife Safaris is an excellent way to do it! There are many options to choose from depending on your itinerary, your interests, and how much time you have. Each tour is led by a knowledgeable and professional guide, eager to show you the park and answer any questions you might have. Providing comfortable vehicles with a field breakfast, a picnic lunch for full day tours, a variety of snacks, and top of the line binoculars and spotting scopes, we guarantee quality and comfortable adventures. But which one is best for you?
Half-Day Tours
If your visit is short and you have other plans, a half day wildlife safari might be the perfect choice. We offer both sunrise and sunset tours, timed to line up with peak wildlife activity. These tours are roughly 4-5 hours long and give you a fantastic introduction to the park. You’ll hit the most scenic spots, see some exciting wildlife, and learn so much about the natural and human history of the ecosystem.
Full-Day Grand Teton
For a more immersive trip, a full day safari slows down the pace and focuses more on the things you are most interested in. In this 8 hour tour, you will begin early and witness the stunning sunrise on the Teton Mountain Range. Throughout the day, you will visit mountain views and valley vistas, soak in scenes overlooking lakes and rivers, and search for wildlife throughout the park. You’ll enjoy a delicious, locally sourced picnic lunch in a picturesque spot before returning to your place of lodging in the afternoon.
Photography Tours
If you are into photography, no matter if you’re a novice or an expert, we offer a fantastic photography tour! Led by an extensively experienced professional photography guide, this tour focuses specifically on technique and composition, both for landscape and wildlife photography. During both summer and winter months, we offer half day and full day photography workshops. For a more intensive safari and photography tour, we offer a 3 day workshop! You’ll take advantage of sunrise and sunset light with breathtaking landscapes, and spend time in prime wildlife habitat for bears, elk, moose, bison, and more. You’ll also learn post production skills to really make the most of the images you come away with that you’ll enjoy for years to come.
Track and Sign
Our more unique tour, track and sign gets you on another level. Seeing wildlife is exciting, but finding and learning about the tracks and signs that they leave behind is so rewarding. Learn how to identify animal tracks, analyzing the differences between different species’ paw prints and hoof prints. Learn the more nuanced signs left behind, such as a scrape on a tree from an antler rub, fur stuck in the bark of a tree, or a wallow formed in the dirt. The whole park opens up like a book, full of clues from various species that call this place home. Your guide will be able to teach you what to look for so that you can continue your own tracking on future adventures!
In this ecosystem, summer and winter offer different experiences, but both are incredibly beautiful and wild. The animals follow their seasonal habits throughout the year as things change, at times becoming more or less visible.
Summer Season
In the summer months (considered between May to October) the season hits the ground running with activity! Bears are emerging from their dens after a long winter, and they are hungry. They will spend their time waking up their digestive systems with grasses around the valley, and this is also their breeding season! Elk, mule deer, and pronghorn antelope are migrating back to their summer range, so it’s important to stay aware while on the roads. The deep snow remains in higher elevations, meaning the animals are forced to move around closer to roads and people. As the season goes on to warm up and the snow melts, they will move up higher for cooler conditions and more grazing, meaning sightings aren’t as frequent. Coming into September and October, as things cool off and leaves change, things ramp up again with elk and moose entering their exciting breeding season. The ecosystem prepares for winter once more.
Winter Wonderland
Winter (November through April) is like stepping into a different world. Bears are absent while they are hibernating, many animals migrate to their winter range, and we have an exciting novelty in the bighorn sheep! Typically residing in higher elevations, when the deep snow moves in it pushes a local herd to migrate down to the valley floor. They can be found on the back side of the National Elk Refuge, moving around on the cliffs of Miller Butte, in the sage flats, and even right on the road! November and December is the bighorn breeding season, and watching the rut is a treat. Rams challenge each other for breeding rights, crashing their horns together with a mighty “crack” that echoes across the land. From December through early April, elk can be found on the refuge in the thousands. Horse-drawn sleigh rides can take you right out among the herds for close-up viewing. Moose are easy to find as they congregate around Antelope Flats for access to forage poking out above the snow. Bison are a little trickier as the herds move to areas not so visible from the roads, but they can be spotted at times either resting or plowing snow away with their enormous heads to get to the grass underneath.
Other animals like foxes, coyotes, and bald eagles can be seen year round around the park. The mountains remain as majestic as ever regardless of the season. They almost always have snow at the top, sometimes seeing a few weeks of minimal snow during particularly hot and dry summers. At this point, you can visibly spot one of the 11 glaciers in the range!
Taking a tour of Grand Teton is undoubtedly a valuable activity during your visit. You’ll see and learn more than you expect, and it will give you a great idea of what other activities there are available to you for the rest of your stay. Make sure you decide which tour is the best fit for you and book early- tours of the park are very popular and can get booked out.
Whether it’s a sunny summer day or a chilly winter morning, we can’t wait to see you!
FAQs
What kind of animals can I expect to see during the safari?
On a wildlife safari with Jackson Hole Wildlife Safaris, you can expect to see a variety of animals such as elk, moose, bison, pronghorn antelope, wolves, bears (black and grizzly), bald eagles, and many other species of birds and smaller mammals. The guides are experts in spotting animals and can help maximize your chances of sightings.
What should I bring on the safari?
It’s recommended that you bring layers of clothing (it can be chilly in the early morning or late evening), sunscreen, a hat, a camera with a zoom lens, binoculars, sturdy hiking shoes, and plenty of water. Don’t forget your enthusiasm for wildlife watching!
Are the tours suitable for families with children?
Yes! Jackson Hole Wildlife Safaris is family-friendly and provides an excellent experience for people of all ages. The guides are knowledgeable and skilled at engaging children with the wonders of the natural world, making the tours fun and educational for the whole family.
Is it guaranteed that we will see wildlife on the tour?
While Jackson Hole Wildlife Safaris works hard to provide great wildlife experiences, sightings of specific animals cannot be guaranteed as they are wild and unpredictable. However, the expert guides know the best locations and times for spotting wildlife, and they’re skilled at maximizing your chances.
Can I book a private safari tour?
Yes, Jackson Hole Wildlife Safaris offers private tours. If you prefer a more personalized experience or have specific interests or time constraints, you can arrange a private safari for your group. Private tours provide more flexibility in terms of schedule and locations.
What is the best time of year for a wildlife safari in Grand Teton?
The best time for wildlife viewing is typically spring through fall (May to October). During these months, animals are more active, and you can observe many species in their natural habitats. However, some animals, like wolves and bighorn sheep, are easier to spot in the winter months due to their movement patterns.
Wildlife Safari
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