Exploring Grand Teton National Park with a Dog
Some may say that exploring Grand Teton National Park with a dog is impossible, but to that I say doggone done it. Is it limiting? Yes. But not impossible and we still had a blast with our pup!
Where To Get A View With a Dog in Grand Teton National Park?
Short answer, everywhere! Seriously though, half of Grand Teton National Park is a giant valley, the other part is a giant mountain range. Basically no matter where you stand in the valley (unless behind a tree) you can see these epic mountains towering above us all.
Where you won’t be able to take your dog is along the trails with you. There are many reasons for this, but basically wildlife and dogs don’t always get along in an area where it is meant to be preserved. (Usually more of the dog owner’s fault than the dog itself if an encounter were to cause issues).
In this very brief article, I will let you know where all we went to have a fantastic time while exploring Grand Teton National Park with our greyhound Blaze.
Got Suspension?
So we stayed at a campground in Swan Valley to save some money and still have cell signal for work (we are full-time RVers after all). Since we stayed southwest of Grand Teton National Park, we came in through the Granite Canyon Entrance. If you watch our video at the top of this post, you’ll see that we mostly skipped through this section.
Why would we skip through an epic section like this?
1) Too much fog to really see anything worth seeing.
2) Turns out this road is bumpy and un-maintained as I’ve experienced in a National Park.
On the Grand Teton National Park Map it clearly shows this road as being unpaved, but as an outsider I thought this was just a typical gravel road. Nope. If there were a few more buildings around they could call this pothole village. If you don’t have a decent amount of clearance or a nice suspension…maybe skip this entrance and head in via Moose entrance.
However, if your vehicle is capable and you are itching for some epic hikes one day without the pups, then there are plenty of adventures to be had in this area of the park.
Food.
After making our way through that rather unexpected bumpy road that Blaze wasn’t too fond of, we took a quick little break to find some food. Blaze ended up just waiting in the backseat of the truck, but you could totally walk the dog around the Dorans area as labeled on the map.
This little food/supply area is just outside of Grand Teton National Park’s Moose Entrance adjacent to the Snake River. Since it was still too early local time to grab lunch (we still work eastern, so we adventure eastern) I went ahead and got a delicious breakfast from the chuck wagon here. A little expensive, but it is very conveniently located so no complaints here.
We drove to the first picnic area that comes up after heading in through the Moose entrance of Grand Teton National Park. Yea, you actually have to leave the park to get back in after heading in through the Granite entrance apparently.
And as you may have guessed, Blaze was perfectly fine/allowed to hang out with you at the picnic areas. Just watch out, they might try to steal some of your delicious food!
Jenny Lake
After stuffing our faces with food, we started heading towards Jenny Lake. This area is known for its stunning views of the mountains with some crystal clear water to drink out of (just kidding don’t drink out of the lake).
Although the trails again aren’t dog friendly around Jenny Lake, there is an absolutely beautiful overlook along this looped road that will be totally worth it. TRUST US.
The loop road only goes by one side of the lake though, so if you do want to hike the trail you will have to take turns doing so…which may end up taking quite a while since it is a large lake.
Signal Mountain
Jenny Lake was a sweet view of the surrounding area, but you know what is even sweeter? How about a view from the top of another nearby mountain that you can DRIVE up.
Signal Mountain is a must do if you have a dog with you in the vehicle. Both of the scenic viewpoints are just off the 2 parking lots on the mountain and the views are completely incredible. Just watch out for wildlife as you head up the road…and some fairly sharp turns.
Colter Bay
Turns out Grand Teton National Park is extremely long. Not super wide, but extremely long. We had already explored so much during the day, but still wanted to make our way to Colter Bay, what do you say…eh?
Colter Bay offers an extremely beautiful view of the mountains across an ever wider body of water known as Jackson Lake. Visitors love Colter Bay because it does block some of the larger waves generated via wind across such a large lake. Folks line this beach area and sit out and enjoy the weather (assuming you aren’t hitting this up during the winter).
Blaze was allowed along the parking lot area and the picnic area as well. There is a very large parking area around the Colter Bay Visitor Center if you need to get those legs stretched…and get a bathroom break in for you and the pups.
That Is IT!?
Depending on how long you take at each point of interest I mentioned above, driving throughout Grand Teton National Park takes quite a bit of time. If you have multiple days, there might be some more spots in between those we mentioned (or beyond), but we had a blast regardless. Like I said towards the beginning of this post, no matter where you are in this park you get some amazing views. Even if you don’t go into the park itself…you still get amazing views from the surrounding area.
Extra Tips and Common Sense
I shouldn’t have to say this, but some people still don’t understand that leaving your pups in a hot car is not a good choice. It is best to go with your dog on a cooler day where you can venture to the viewpoints and quickly get back to them if need be.
We were visiting late July/early August so it can still get warm. If traveling with a buddy, take turns watching over the pups if you want to take a short hike. I realize this isn’t as fun going it alone sometimes, but the pup doesn’t want to be alone either! 🙂
Again, no trails allow dogs at this park…but there are still plenty of sidewalks and areas to take the dog out to get a bit of exercise near the parking areas. Blaze especially loved the picnic areas to be able to say hi to other people that always seem to treat him like a celebrity. (He LOVES it).
OTHER “NEARBY” ADVENTURES
Scotts Bluff National Monument
Favorite Hike at Rocky Mountain National Park
Alluvial Fan Rocky Mountain National Park
NOTE FROM WRITER
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Also be sure to check out Deanna’s food blog, The Harvest Skillet, when you get the chance! A lot of awesome and healthy recipes to use there!
Adventure On!
