The Ultimate 2-Day Backpacking Trip at Grand Teton National Park

Backpacking Grand Teton National Park has to be one of the most enjoyable backpacking trips you can take. The park has many backpacking trails that highlight many stunning scenic views. But backpacking Grand Teton National Park in just two days is a challenge. It can be done, but you have to decide if you want to explore a trail or just see it.

Grand Teton National Park is one of the treasures of the US National Park System. In 2020, over five million people visited the park and experienced its vast expanse of Jackson Hole, Wyoming, and the tranquil Snake River. U-shaped canyons cut by glaciers dominate the heart of the range while towering peaks outline the Wyoming skyline. If you visit Grand Teton National Park in the Spring, you are most likely to be treated to meadows teeming with colorful wildflowers.

The wildlife at Grand Teton National Park is as diverse as the landscape. Elk, bison, moose, wolves, black bears as well as grizzly bears, to name just a few, call the park their home. The weather, too, has stark contrasts; yet the park welcomes all visitors no matter what time you decide to visit. Of course, the activities available are dependent on the season. If trudging through feet of snow is not what you will enjoy, the late spring or summer visit is the best. If you want to challenge your survival skills then a backcountry winter camping trip may be the perfect experience. To be sure, you will be greeted with abundant snow and extremely low temperatures.

Backpacking Grand Teton National Park in Two Days

To get the most out of a 2-day trip to Grand Teton National Park, it is best to decide your itinerary in advance. To be honest, backpacking all of Grand Teton National Park in just two days is implausible; thus, it’s best to explore one trail and plan another trip to explore the other at a later date. Picking which trails to explore though is a win-win proposition. It’s a choice that you cannot be wrong.

There are four main trails or areas within Grand Teton National Park that are most popular: Cascade Canyon, Death Canyon, Static Peak Divide, and the Amphitheater/Delta Lake.

Cascade Canyon

The Cascade Canyon trail is a great 2-day exploration trip of the Grand Tetons. This is a family-friendly trail and the views at Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point are stunning. Take the ferry across Jenny Lake or hike the two miles around it from South Jenny Lake Trailhead and you will explore the conifer forest and huckleberry patches then continue the nine-mile out-and-back trail through jagged, walled canyons.

Death Canyon

In the park’s southern reach lies Death Canyon. Death Canyon is a hidden gem within Grand Teton National Park. It offers tumbling waterfalls as well as dramatic geology and if you are a careful observer, you will be able to experience a natural spring.

Static Peak Divide

The Static Peak Divide trail is around Grand Teton’s longest trails stretching over 16 miles. The Static Peak Divide trail rises to 10,790 feet above sea level making it a hiking trail for fit hikers to experience the highest hikable mountain pass within the Grand Tetons. The trail derived its name from the frequency of lightning strikes the peak experiences. In the summer, plan on afternoon storms which makes getting an early start imperative as well as turning back around noon if you don’t want to be caught in some very unpredictable and dangerous weather.

Amphitheater/Delta Lake

Launching from the Lupine Meadows Trailhead, the 5-mile hike in to enjoy an afternoon picnic in the high alpine is the best spot for a fantastic experience that will be flanked by some of Grand Teton’s most notable summits: the Middle Teton, Disappointment Peak, the Grand, Mt. Owen, and the Teewinot Mountain. A word of caution, bear sightings are common around Delta Lake and along the trail.

Hiking Grand Teton National Park

Grand Teton National Park offers over 200 miles of hiking trails for backpackers. With this many trails, there is a hiking trail for just about anyone and whatever experience level. The short hikes to Hidden falls or to the Phelps Lake Overlook are great hikes for kids and families or those that don’t want long hikes reaching high altitudes.

Multi-day backpacking trips to the Alaskan Basin or along the Teton Crest Trail are for the more experienced hiker who wants to challenge their backpacking skills. Since grizzly and black bear sights are routine, the National Park Service at Grand Teton National Park strongly advises hikers and backpackers to explore in a group of three or more as well as carry bear spray and know how to use it.

Experiencing Grand Teton National Park in just two days is best if you choose a trail and decide to fully explore it and provides you with another great adventure at Grand Teton National Park to explore the there trails. Whatever, trail or activity you choose to do, the Grand Teton National Park is a National Park that should be on everyone’s list of National Parks to explore.