It’s the talk of the lodge! Go behind the scenes with us on our epic holiday photoshoot in Grand Teton National Park and Jackson Hole, Wyoming. If you’re planning your own adventure out west, plan an extra long visit so you can make it to all of these spots. We promise it’s worth it.
We stayed at the Jackson Lake Lodge in Grand Teton National Park, about 45 minutes from the town of Jackson Hole. You won’t have a TV in your cabin, so get ready to unplug in a beautiful place. The main lodge has multiple restaurants and a stellar view of the Tetons, and there’s a trail right behind the lodge. After you climb a big hill, you’ll feel like you’re really out in nature, with incredible views everywhere you look. If you hit the trail early in the morning or at dusk, you may see a moose!
Colter Bay Marina & trail
Wake up to watch the sunrise! As the sun comes up, it casts a magical light over the water and for a few minutes, the mountains are a radiant red shade. You’ll probably run into a busy beaver or two finishing up a night shift (they’re nocturnal). While beavers are masterful engineers, they often build their lodges right in the middle of foot traffic. These wild creatures rule the beach, and you can see evidence of their hard work along the tree-lined shore.
If you’re traveling to Colter Bay during the day, or really any time… bring. your. bug. spray. We were there in August, and we had the mosquito bites to prove it.
Pilgrim Road
Just a crazy beautiful road in the middle of Wyoming that was an easy backdrop for some beautiful shots. Sometimes cars come from the opposite direction on the road, and they seem just as confused as you do as to how they got there.
Jake the cowboy joined us at Pilgrim Road—he drove 10 hours from Manhattan, Montana to bring his epic 60’s truck for us to use on our shoot. Jake enjoys his 3-legged dog, Howdy, Stylist’s Picks, and taking a minute to appreciate nature.
Post Pilgrim Road, we headed to Jenny Lake Lodge, where the cabins are cuter than your wildest dreams and the wifi doesn’t always work. But that’s ok, because you should really be looking up at the views—these cabins are at the foot of the mountains. Jenny Lake Lodge was our home away from the Jackson Lake Lodge on our shoot. This place is made for a romantic weekend or a girls’ weekend with your friends!
We started super early and left from Colter Bay Marina for Elk Island on an old boat called “THE FLOATIN’ TOASTER.” Tourists can take various boat tours and enjoy brunch, lunch or dinner with spectacular mountain and wildlife views. Our crew saw a baby bear swimming AND a fox running away with a rabbit in its mouth. Get ready for some REAL nature at Elk Island.
String Lake
After Elk Island, we stayed with the water theme and headed to String Lake. It gets really crowded in the summer, so come early so you can snag a good parking spot. You can go swimming in the lake and get THE most epic photos with the mountains right behind you.
The Aerie team loves snacks as much (and probably more) than anyone, but you’ll need to bring yours in tightly sealed containers. Bears were on high alert when we shot in August. Be bear aware!
Jenny Lake Lodge horses
Yes, the cabins get even better when you find out that there is a stable steps away with some of the friendliest horses we’ve ever met. Their handlers describe them as “1000-pound 3-year-olds.” If you’re heading to Jenny Lake Lodge, please say hi to some of our friends:
Whiskey, a big boy, but a super sweet one.
Tiny, a skater boy in horse form. Just wait for those hair flips!
Roxy, aka Muncher or Pocket Snackholes. You’ll know her by her bleach blonde mane. This lady likes to take her time and treat herself to a snack when the opportunity presents itself.
Teton Rose, a girly girl who loves her spa days, especially when they involve a good mud treatment.
After all that horse love, we returned to the Jenny Lake Lodge cabins to meet Roux, a hound-daschsund who was the cutest puppy of all time. Roux belonged to the chef at Jenny Lake Lodge, who let us borrow her for a lot of playtime and a few pictures.
The bar seats are saddles. The music is country. There’s a steakhouse in the basement. What more do you need to know?!
John Moulton Barn in Mormon Row Historic District
On our way back to the Jackson Lake Lodge, we stopped at an abandoned barn on the way, with—you guessed it—more epic views of the Tetons. If you stop there, beware of foxholes! They are very round and well-formed, and they’re also very easy to miss and fall into.
Have your own Jackson Lake and Jackson Hole travel tips? Comment below and tell us!
Jake the cowboy is my brother in law! Nice photo shoot!
I’ll be in to buy some things 
Me and my (now) husband just eloped in Grand Teton national park 3 weeks ago!!! Such an incredibly beautiful place, our wedding photos were amazinggg!!! Cant wait to splurge on some cozy essentials for the winter season with my hubby
