Wild Beauty and Cowboy Charm: Visiting Grand Teton National Park
- Nicole
- Jul 14
- 4 min read
Updated: Oct 22
The first glimpse of the Grand Tetons is unforgettable, a jagged skyline rising sharply from the valley floor, mirrored in serene lakes and framed by the endless sky. There’s a kind of magic here that feels both wild anWid intimate, where every bend in the road or trail reveals a new perspective on these iconic mountains.
Just outside the park, beyond the Dairy Queen and the Elf Refuge, rests the iconic Jackson Hole, home to the Cowboy Bar. It’s the perfect place to wander historic streets, pop into cozy coffee shops and take my sister-in-law shopping. She doesn't like the mountains and swears that she isn't an "outback girl." However, a couple years ago she wanted to go to Dornan's in the Tetons and on the list of must-do's was a lively hootenanny, where local musicians and dancers celebrate the spirit of the West.
Upon hearing this request we quickly booked our rooms and gave her the outback girl trip of a lifetime! The park itself is and always has been awe-inspiring and with wildlife encounters with Elk, Moose, and Bison, and even with the Queen herself, Bear 399, making the Tetons seem all the more wild I had hoped I could make it all come true for my sister-in-law. I wanted her to love the Tetons as I do and hoped to inspire her to see more outdoor places.
We started our hike up to Jenny Lake Overlook, with each step up the two-foot-wide trail brought views of the sparkling water below and the jagged peaks above. The trail wound its way through fragrant pine and wildflowers and was quite rocky, the crisp mountain air filling our lungs making me gasp and stop frequently to rest.
The air may be clean at this altitude but it sure is thin.
Once at the top, the panorama was breathtaking, Jenny Lake stretched out like a glass mirror, reflecting the mountains, and for a few moments, the world felt completely still. And then there were the squirrels. Bold, mischievous little adventurers, they ran across my lap, causing my sister-in-law to squeel with a brief burst of panic during our short picnic. These little buggers even managed to explore my backpack as if they owned the place. Between bites of sandwiches and laughter at their antics, it was a reminder that nature isn’t just about scenery, it’s about the small, unexpected moments that make a hike unforgettable.
The ferry ride back across the lake offered a different kind of magic. Gliding over the calm water, the mountains mirrored in every ripple, we felt both small and infinite. I was relieved that I still had it in me to climb that mountain and my sister-in-law was thrilled that she could do it all. Why she ever worried I will never know because she can walk to the ends of the earth. But then again, she was way out of her comfort zone, where we learn and grow the most. She was truly uncomfortable.
A full sensory experience for her, for all of us really. The scent of pine, the sparkle of water, the feel of sun and wind, and yes, even a few cheeky squirrels adding a dash of chaos to the perfect mountain day.
After we returned to the car, we headed toward Dornan's for their evening dinner and hootenanny, stopping along the way at the Chapel of the Transfiguration, a small log chapel built in 1925 that still holds Sunday Services. As I stood there, my now husband telling his sister about the old rustic Episcopal Chapel, and how it provided spiritual refreshment to dude ranchers and tourists that flocked to the chapel to worship and gather as a community.
I remembered writing a prayer request in the notebook at that same church some ten years prior during a roadtrip with my friend and daughter. It was all those years ago that I prayed for the life I was living right now. The wind gently blowing through the quaking aspens, the grasses swaying and my now husband taking my hand, and to think it all started there in that little church over a decade ago.
It was all those years ago that I prayed for they life that I was living right now.
After pizza at Dornan's we headed out to the famous hootenanny (a.k.a. "The Hoot") founded by Bill Briggs and Dick Barker on February 23, 1993, at Dornan’s Spur Bar in Moose, Wyoming. My sister-in-law was so looking forward to the event and apparently so was hundreds of other people too. We found a place to sit under the bowry up close to the stage and settled in. It was hot that evening, and the audience the audience is strongly encouraged not to speak when someone is performing on stage. So, one must be quiet.
Which is fine, unless you have a spider crawl down your neck during someone's performance. However, my antics of jumping up off the bench, ripping my t-shirt off in a frantic motion and some random stranger swatting at me to get the spider off of my back didn't disturb or sway the old man strumming his banjo at all. In fact, none of them missed a beat. In fact, the Hoot may have needed a little extra excitement because that "be quiet" concept also meant that nobody was clapping or singing along. In some ways, the hoot had lost it's charm and needed some random woman from Salt Lake City to rip her shirt off and make some noise.
If You Go:
Location: Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming; nearby Jackson Hole for dining and nightlife.
Best Time to Visit: Late spring through early fall; winter offers incredible snow sports.
Accommodation: Jenny Lake Lodge, Signal Mountain Campground, Colter Bay Campground, or lodges in Jackson Hole. Book EARLY! I can't stress this enough. Room reservations in the park or Jackson Hole book up to a year in a advance.
What to Bring: Hiking shoes, layers for changing weather, binoculars for wildlife, and a camera for bears, moose, and mountain vistas. Don't forget your bear spray!
Nearby Highlights: Dornan’s Ranch, Jackson Hole, hiking trails around Jenny and Phelps Lakes, and wildlife viewing along the Moose-Wilson Road.
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