Grand Teton National Park With Dogs

Boarded by the dramatic Teton mountain range and full of pristine glacier lakes, alpine terrain, and abundant wildlife, Grand Teton National Park is a stunning place to visit. Though it’s sometimes overlooked due to its proximity to the ever popular Yellowstone National Park, we found Grand Teton to be a great place to explore and one that doesn’t require nearly as much time as its massive neighbor. Better yet, it’s situated right outside of dog friendly Jackson, WY with much to explore. Like most national parks pets are rather restricted, but we still found many opportunities for exploring Grand Teton National Park with dogs!

Scenic Drives

As with many of the national parks we visit, scenic drives offer some of the best dog-friendly opportunities. Grand Teton certainly delivered in this category with a nice loop that takes you right up to the base of the mountain range, along its most popular lakes, and to some great overlooks. We’d recommend starting at the main southern visitor center (Craig Thomas Discovery and Visitor Center) following the Teton Park Road north until you hit the North Park Road intersection. From here you can then loop back around to Highway 26 to head south.

There are many great stops along the drive where you can get out and stretch your legs with your dogs – just keep them within 30 feet of developed areas. These were some of our favorites:

• Taggart Lake Trailhead – Parking area for the trail that offers areas to walk around with great views of the Tetons and restrooms
• Jenny Lake Area – More on this below, but a nice place to get out and explore. There is a separate visitor center located here along with restrooms.
• Teton Point – One of the many overlooks while you’re on Highway 26. We found this one to have the best views and plenty of room to walk around.

Jenny Lake Area

At the Jenny Lake area there is a short paved path down to the lake that dogs are allowed on. It is clearly marked where dogs can’t go any further so make sure to keep an eye out for that. This was a nice opportunity to get some walking in with our dogs and see the stunning views that the glacier lake offers!

Pro Tip: Dogs are not allowed IN any lakes in Grand Teton, but they are allowed ON the water! This isn’t allowed in Jenny Lake, but is allowed at nearby Jackson Lake. That’s right, you can rent kayaks and canoes in the summer and dogs are allowed on those with you. There are options for rentals from Jackson and you can also look into Colter Bay Marina on the lake. Unfortunately we visited early in the season before rentals were going.

Nearby Exploring

Though not in Grand Teton National Park, there are some great nearby options for hiking with dogs. One of the most popular options is the Snake River Trail starting from Emily Stevens Park. This off-leash dog trail is more of a gravel path which takes you right along the Snake River. There is plenty to explore with great views of the Teton range. Your dogs can go right down by the river and explore the rocks.

We hope this post helps you get the best adventure with your dogs! Check out our dog-friendly travel posts for more trip ideas and tips.