The drive from Bondurant Wyoming to Yellowstone National Park required us to drive through the beautiful and the thoroughly under appreciated Grand Teton National Park. My best friend grew up in the area and said her favorite spot in the park was Jenny Lake.
At Jenny Lake, there is a shuttle boat which takes you to the west shore. The boat ride is a short 10 minutes, with a boat available every 10-15 minutes. The kids were beyond excited to take the boat. Riding to the west shore, the view is spectacular. The Tetons tower ahead of you. The driver slowly takes you out and points out the mountains and provide there names. But what is overpowering and majestic is the Grand Teton, a tall snowy peak towering over the others. Then he speeds up, providing an exciting ride out to the west shore.
At the west shore are clearly marked signs to a well traveled trail. We chose to go to the first and easiest point, Hidden Falls. It was supposed to be a 1/2 a mile to the falls, but it turned out they were doing some trail renovation, sending us on a longer route (about 3/4 mile). It’s flat for a short while, then gets a little steep. My son loved climbing the stairs and rocks, but my daughter tired pretty quickly and ended up in the Ergo, enjoying a ride. Along the way we saw a fast paced creek and lots of boulders my son felt her had to concur. (Felt like every time I looked, he was up some rock before I could stop him).
Finally, after hearing the roaring, we came up to the loveliest waterfall. A far enough distance away that you didn’t get a spray, but close enough to hear and see it well. We choose that spot to sit down on some rocks and have a snack while watching the tourists take pictures in front of it. Once we were done, we did our touristy shots and hiked down.
Now remember that the longer trail meant our kids went from hiking 1 mile total, to 1.5 mile total. At this point they were getting tired and slightly impatient. I was glad that the shuttle boats loaded and came quickly, so it was a short wait to return to the eastern shore. We picnicked near the visitors center, then tucked our tired out kids into their car seats to start the drive. They were out before we left the parking lot and we’re out for the entire 2 hour drive to Old Faithful. We need to do activities like this more often.
Attractions:
Grand Teton National Park: $25 for car load. Good for 7 days for both Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks.
* Starred pictures photos were taken by Atma Photography
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