Upper Willow Flats Overlook

Upper Willow Flats Overlook is a roadside viewpoint above Willow Flats, where willow-filled wet meadows open toward Jackson Lake and the Teton Range. I’d stop for the mix of low wetland and sharp mountain skyline, and keep it brief if you’re choosing between several overlooks. It’s also a chance to watch for wildlife, though sightings are never guaranteed.

The best chance to see wildlife is early morning or late evening, when animals leave the willows to forage in the open flats. Elk sightings are a recurring highlight, but even then you may see none. Binoculars can help you pick out animals in the distance.

Willow Flats gives you a broad foreground of marsh and shrubs, Jackson Lake beyond it, and the Teton skyline behind the water. The mountains rise sharply from the valley instead of appearing behind a long run of foothills. That profile comes from movement on the Teton fault: the mountains lifted while the valley floor dropped, and the fault remains active.

For the classic picture, keep some of the wetland and a strip of Jackson Lake below the mountains. When the water is calm, look for a reflection as well.