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The Cunningham Cabin trail is actually more of a stroll than a hike. The only way I would call it a hike is if you had to park in the lot closer to the road than the one by the cabin. Even then, it’s a paved road and very flat. Either way, whatever you call it, it’s nice and worth it if you have a spare 45 minutes.
The cabin was built in 1888 and is one of the few remaining in that style today. It’s in Grand Teton National Park and has a wonderful view of the Tetons. This is an easy walk to squeeze in between longer hikes on the lakes.
From the parking area, it’s just a short walk over some grass and a little bridge before reaching the cabin, which is in sight the whole time. Even if you only have one day in the park, this is a nice, short walk and will give you a taste of the home-style if you can’t make it to the barns on Mormon Row.
I can imagine it gets busy here in the summer so early morning or later evening might be the best time to go to avoid crowds. Sunset is really awesome here and I would highly recommend starting your day out here nice and early.
I’m sure sunset is also super nice, but I preferred sunrise here all winter. They seemed to be much prettier, not that it’s really ever not pretty in the Tetons.
National Park Pass + Other National Park Deals
- If you’re planning on visiting multiple parks (3 or more) on this trip or within the year, I would highly recommend getting a national park pass. It’s $80 and you can get it at the park entrance. It will pay for itself in about three parks. It’s so worth it and I buy one every year! They’re also great for gifts for the park lovers in your life.
- To help plan the best national park trip ever, this Ultimate National Park Planning Bundle is perfect! You get two ebooks and a planner, saving 50% by getting them as a bundle! If you want all the details, this is the bundle for you. Buy the Ultimate bundle here.
- This National Park Planner (one of the ebooks from the bundle above) is perfect if you just want some guidance in your planning. Buy the planner here.
- Get yourself a little National Park notebook to write all about your adventures while you’re on the road. These from Field Notes are all very cute! If you want one for all of the NPS sites (400+!) then this one is for you!
- Before your trip, get some national park apparel for your trip! Homage is donating 5% of sales from the national park collection to the National Parks Conservation Association this year. Buy national park shirts here.
- Consider reading some of these books set in national parks before your big trip, on your adventure, or once you get home to take you back to the parks until next time.
- Planning a big national park trip? Check out these other posts: National Park bucket list, Make the most of a National Park trip, National Park camping packing list, My favorite National Park hikes, More National Park hikes I love, Underrated National Parks.
Where is the Cunningham Cabin trail and how long is it?
The Cunningham Cabin is by the east boundary of the park on Highway 191. There are signs for it along the road. There is a bigger parking area close to the road and a smaller one closer to the cabin. The trail is less than a half-mile round-trip.
What else to do in the area
- Hike to Hidden Falls
- Look for wildlife
- Walk around Jenny or Jackson Lake
- Go kayaking on Jackson Lake
- Visit Mormon Row to see the old cabins
- Admire the view from the Snak River Overlook or Schwabacher Landing
What to bring camping in the Tetons
These are just the main things, you can find my full packing list for camping with more detail over here.
Bear Spray – If you’re visiting in summer, definitely bring bear spray. You’ll want to have this on you when you’re out hiking and on the trails. We usually carried it around in winter, too, just because it gave me peace of mind. Also, this is used like pepper spray for bears, not like bug spray. And do not spray it indoors. Read more about bear safety here.
NatGeo National Parks Book – This is one of the best national park guidebooks and I take it on all my park trips. Plus, it’s got the nice glossy pages. Buy the book here.
Hiking poles – These will be helpful on longer hikes that are on the steeper side. They’ll be good if you have bad knees for when you’re going downhill and will give you something to lean on going up the hills.
Snacks – These are more important for long hikes, but you never know when you’ll get hungry! I like EPIC bars (kind of like beef jerky but different), Sahale nut mix things, and Moon Cheese. There’s always the good old Clif Bars and trail mix, too.
Water bottle – It’ll be hot and humid and you’ll need to stay hydrated. A Hydro Flask will keep your water ice cold all day long.
Sunscreen – If you plan on being outside, you’ll want sunscreen. I like the Neutrogena a lot, but if you’ll be visiting a beach soon, you’ll want a reef-safe sunscreen.
Hat – You’ll want some kind of hat to keep the sun out of your eyes. A baseball hat should be fine but a bucket hat or sun hat could help keep the sun off your neck.
Sunglasses – This is a must, especially with the strong desert sun. Sunglasses are best paired with a hat on those really bright days.
Light Jacket – Because you just never know. Weather can change quickly so you want to be prepared. I usually use my rain jacket for this.
Headlamp – I tend to carry my headlamp around all the time when we’re hiking. This isn’t the exact one I have, but it’s similar and if I needed to replace mine, I’d probably get this one.
Tent – I love the REI Passage 2 tent for one or two people. It’s small and fairly light. If you need a four-person tent, I’d go with this one, the REI Half Dome. You can check out my tent here.
Sleeping pad – Gotta make the tent comfy! The one I have isn’t available anymore but this one is similar. It’s self-inflating and just needs a little help filling all the way. Buy the sleeping pad here.
Sleeping Bag – I have the Nemo Viola 35 and love it because it’s not as restrictive as the mummy bags. It has ventilation slits for those warmer nights. Check out my sleeping bag here.
Puffy quilt – If you’re a really warm sleeper and visiting in the summer, a puffy quilt might be a better option. I prefer this for hotter nights. Check out the Rumpl camp quilts here.
Pillow – If you’re just driving, I’d just bring a regular pillow, but if you’re flying then renting a car, you might want a smaller pillow. This is a good non-inflatible option. Here is a good inflatable option.
Camp chairs – If you plan on doing a lot of camping outside of this trip, and backpacking especially, the REI Flexlite chairs are great choices. Check out the camp chairs here.
Lantern – I love having a lantern for in the tent at night, reading in the dark, or going to the bathroom in the middle of the night. The LuminAID is my favorite and you can charge your phone on it. Buy the LuminAID lantern here.
If you’re visiting in winter:
Warm hat – You’ll definitely want a warm hat for a winter Gooseberry Falls trip. I have a different color of this hat and love it. Check out the hat here.
Gloves – If you plan on being outside all day, you’ll probably want thicker gloves, but these are perfect for a few hours. Buy my gloves here.
Hand and toe warmers – If you don’t want to get thicker gloves, bring some hand warmers. If your feet get really cold really easily, definitely bring toe warmers. They’re a game-changer. Buy hand warmers here.
Warm socks – Smartwool socks are always a good choice, but I also love my Farm to Feet socks. I usually just get hiking socks and might wear a lighter pair underneath. Check out warm socks here.
Warm boots – I love my Sorel boots. They’re cute, comfy, and warm. Plus, there is room under my toes for toe warmers. Buy my boots here.
Cozy Sweatshirt – I have a few different Patagonia sweatshirts and love them all. They’re great for layering in cold weather. I have two Re-tools, a Better Sweater, and a Synchilla. Sometimes you can find them on sale on REI or Backcountry. I also like to keep an eye out for them on Poshmark (use code REDAROUNDWORLD for $10 off your first purchase) and Mercari (you can save $10 with that link as well!) I’ve found some really good deals on both.
Long sleeve shirt – I just have one that’s like Underarmour but not. I think I found it at TJ Maxx. I also just like these from Parks Project.
Have you been to Cunningham Cabin? What did you think of it? Do you want to go?
