Organized Tours in Grand Teton National Park

If you’d rather hand over the wheel to someone else and concentrate on the scenery, park concessionaire Grand Teton Lodge Company (tel. 307/543-2811; www.gtlc.com) offers 4-hour bus tours of the park, with an emphasis on ecology and wildlife-watching. Adult tickets cost $70 and kids’ tickets (ages 3–11) are $32; tours run late May to early October. The company also runs Yellowstone tours, and you’ll get a discount for signing up for both. There are also several aquatic tours on offer on Jackson Lake, including a scenic cruise; a kids’ cruise; a geology-focused tour; and breakfast, lunch, and dinner tours with al fresco meals on Elk Island. Tickets range from $32 to $67 for adults and $14 to $38 for kids. 

Several companies out of Jackson also offer small-group tours of the park. Brushbuck Tours (tel. 307/699-2999; www.brushbucktours.com) is one of the best: Sign up for half-day, full-day, or multiday tours built around wildlife-watching and photography. Prices start at $450 for a half day and $700 for a full day for one or two people in summer. The more affordable Jackson Hole Wildlife Safaris (tel. 307/690-6402; www.jacksonholewildlifesafaris.com) is also popular for its wildlife-centered tours in Grand Teton and Yellowstone, ranging from a half day to 5 days in length. Tours cost $145 to $275 per person for single-day summer trips. Both outfitters also offer winter tours.

The excellent Teton Science Schools ★★, 700 Coyote Canyon Road, Jackson, WY 83001 (tel. 307/733-1313; www.tetonscience.org), runs several immersive all-ages programs on five campuses. Besides summer camps and student-focused options, travelers can sign up for a variety of adult and family programs. Especially popular: biologist-led Wildlife Expeditions, from half-day sojourns to multiday trips, designed to be crash courses on the park’s wildlife. Some programs add hiking, floating, and sleigh rides to boot.