The difference between a Grand Teton vacation and a Yellowstone vacation
Many people confuse Grand Teton National Park as being a part of Yellowstone. However, they are two completely separate parks giving vastly different experiences. In this post, I’ll go through the differences to help you understand what to expect while visiting each. [Updated April 7, 2024]
In a nutshell:
• Grand Teton is activity-based.
• Yellowstone is destination/sight-seeing based.
Grand Teton National Park
Here the mountains dominate the scenery. To “see” them, you just need to look. They are visible pretty much everywhere. There are also two lakes you can see from the roads: Jackson Lake and Jenny Lake. And there are historic buildings in the park as well. Mostly, though, there’s camping, hiking, horseback rides, raft trips, relaxing and wildlife watching.
Your experience here will likely revolve around these activities while appreciating the grand scenery. The pace is as slow or fast as you choose to make it.
Grand Teton National Park is open year-round, only closing when the weather (or other unusual circumstances) dictates that for safety reasons.
Yellowstone National Park
On the other hand, Yellowstone is full of iconic destinations to see. Old Faithful, the Lower Falls at Canyon, Lamar Valley, Mammoth Hot Springs, and many stops to see various thermal areas. Yellowstone is also much larger where the distances to drive between locations take longer than many people expect. Add to that the crowds in the summer, and many visitors are surprised at the amount of time it takes to “see Yellowstone.”
You can still take it easy in Yellowstone and just camp, hike, and not head out to see all the various sights, but with a majority of visitors coming in for the first time, that’s not what most people experience. Most people are in and out of their cars multiple times a day at each stop and walking to see the sights.
Yellowstone travel divides between the upper loop and the lower loop. Give yourself a day for each one. While you can do both in one day, it’s best to give a bit more time. People who try it get up early to travel both loops in one day get back to their base camp/hotel exhausted and well after dark. Then it can take another day to recover. Give each loop their day.
While the northern range of Yellowstone is open year-round (unless there are unusual circumstances), the interior, where most of the iconic sights are, closes between the summer and winter seasons.
In Conclusion
Both parks are lovely and definitely should be visited at least once in your life. But don’t expect the same experience in both. As with all national parks, each has its flavor and pace.