Schwabacher’s Landing
SCHWABACHER’S LANDING
Jackson Hole, WY
Schwabacher’s Landing is easily one of the most popular spots in the Jackson Hole area. It is a great place for photographers to capture the amazing Tetons with a classic water reflection in the foreground. In my opinion, this location offers the most beautiful view in the Grand Tetons.
There are 3 great shots from this one location—all within a ¼ mile from the parking lot and only a few hundred yards from another. The shot above was taken from location #2. If you are in the Jackson Hole area and only have time for one location, this should be your choice.
Images and location summary by Tim Wier
Trail Difficulty - EASY
I would rate the difficulty of the hike as a 1 on a scale of 1-5 (with 5 being most difficult). The hike to each of the 3 locations for Schwabacher’s Landing is an easy ¼ mile walk on a well-maintained trail from the parking lot.
If you are going to shoot this location at sunrise, you will need to arrive before first light to get your spot, so you may want to scout out the location the day before to better understand the path.
GPS Coordinates & Elevation
6,558ft Elevation
View In Google earth
Download KMZ Trail File
Click Here to download the KMZ file for this location.
Directions
CLICK HERE to get driving directions to the Schwabacher’s Landing parking area.
From Jackson, WY - travel north on US-191 16 miles and then turn left onto Schwabacher’s Landing Rd. You will travel down a road (paved at first and then gravel) for 0.6 mile. The parking lot is at the end of the road.
Location #1 – from the parking lot, walk toward the Tetons and take the path to the right around the pond for about 125yds.
Location #2 – from location #1, continue on the path to the right for another 150yds and stand on the edge of the beaver pond.
Location #3 – from location #2, continue on the path to the right for another 125yds around some trees until you come to a nice well-maintained opening (with a bench).
Photography Tips
Each of the shots is pretty straightforward. If you are shooting at sunrise, make sure you have your composition and your camera is set up, as the peaks of the Tetons only glow red / purple for a few moments.
EXIF Data
Focal Length – 24 mm
Exposure – 1 sec @ f 8.0
ISO – 100
Date – June 12th
Time – 6:44 am
Best Time of Day to Shoot
Schwabacher’s Landing is a magical place and you can take a nice shot any time of day. However, the very best time is right at sunrise, when the winds are still and sun hits the tips of the Tetons. Also, you can shoot location #1 after sunrise after the whole area is illuminated, but before the sun blows out the scene.
Location #1 - sunrise or early morning
Location #2 - sunrise
Location #3 - sunrise up until the sun blows out the beaver pond
Best Time of Year
I believe you can capture a nice image any time of year. For me, the late spring (early June) is best because the Tetons will most likely still have snow on them and the grass and pastures around the area are green. If you arrive too early in the spring, the grass is still brown. The summer would also be good, but the snow on the Tetons is greatly reduced or gone.
The above shot was taken on June 12th
Lens(es) Needed
Location #1 – 24mm – 50mm lens
Location #2 – 11mm – 35mm. The above shot was made by stitching together 4 shots vertically with a 24mm lens and panoramic tools
Location #3 – 11mm – 35mm lens
Birds-Eye View
Permits
This location is in the Grand Teton National Park. Once in the park, no additional permit is required.
Direction of the Shot
The direction of the shots are west @ 275°.
Equipment Needed
Besides a tripod (as you might have to blend exposures) and a polarizer, there is no need for any special photography equipment unless you plan on doing a panoramic shot. If you arrive pre-dawn at this location in the fall, it will most likely be cold, so be sure to bring appropriate clothes, hats, and gloves.
Number of Other Photographers to Expect
Schwabacher’s Landing is an absolutely stunning place, and therefore is very popular for tourists and other photographers during the day.
Depending on the time of the year, Schwabacher’s Landing can be quite the gathering of photographers (10 - 50) at sunrise. Arrive well before sunrise to get your spot.
Weather
The weather in the spring, summer, and fall is wonderful in the Jackson Hole area. Early morning before sunrise can be cold, and winter in the Jackson Hole area can be extremely cold.
Cell Service
I have Verizon and my cell service was fine in the Jackson and Jackson Hole area. However, outside of the valley cell service can be very spotty.
Lodging & Camping
There are plenty of nice lodging (1 star to 4 star hotels) in the city of Jackson, and multiple camp/RV sites in the Jackson Hole area. When I am in the area, I usually stay at either the Gros Ventre Campground or the Jenny Lake campground.
Nearby camping and lodging
Camping - click on the campground below for directions
Gros Ventre Campground (3.3 miles south)
Jenny Lake Campground (11.3 miles west)
Crystal Creek Campground (15.3 miles east)
Lodging - click on the lodging below for a TripAdvisor review
Elk Country Inn
(307) 733-2364
480 W Pearl Ave, Jackson, WY
Hampton Inn Jackson Hole
(307) 733-0033
350 US-89, Jackson, WY
Nearby Restaurants
The city of Jackson is one of the great small towns in American and has no shortage of good to great restaurants. My personal favorite places to eat are Cafe Genevieve for both breakfast and dinner (nice place, great food, cold beer, and good service) and MacPhail's Burgers (great Angus and Bison burgers).
Nearby Restaurants - click on the restaurant below for yelp review
Cafe Genevieve
(307) 732-1910
135 E Broadway, Jackson
Liberty Burger
(307) 200-6071
160 N Cache St Jackson
Bin22
(307) 739-9463
200 W Broadway, Jackson
Area Guides and Workshops
None