Jackson Lake Lodge

One huge window onto the Tetons

★★★★★📍 Moran, Grand Teton National Park$$$

The lobby is the reason to book. Few hotels in the United States have a view that makes guests fall silent: a wall of glass opens on the Willow Flats, a marshy meadow where moose often browse at first light, with Mount Moran and the central Tetons rising abruptly behind. In the evening the peaks turn pink and gold, and the room fills with people who are not talking. Photographers and wildlife watchers can set up on the terrace with a coffee and let the animals come to them.

Choosing a room. Options range from rooms in the main lodge to cabin-style accommodation spread across the grounds, with some rooms facing the mountains and others the surrounding forest. The best views are naturally in demand, so request them early. Amenities include dining on site, a lounge, a heated outdoor pool overlooking the Tetons and quick access to hiking trails and a lakeside boat ramp nearby. Expect comfortable but unfussy furnishings, in keeping with the park setting.

Practicalities. Because it is a national-park concession property, the lodge operates seasonally and sells out early for the peak months, so reserve ahead and check for cancellations. It is a good base for the northern Tetons, with Oxbow Bend, Schwabacher Landing and Mormon Row all within a day's circuit, and it is also a logical overnight between Jackson and Yellowstone. Dawn wildlife drives start almost at the door. Fit: first-time Teton visitors, wildlife and landscape photographers, couples, families and travelers linking Grand Teton and Yellowstone.