The Moulton Barns
The Moulton Barns located on Mormon Row are some of the most famous and photogenic barns in America. With the barn in the foreground and the early morning sunlight coming up on the Grand Teton mountains. This is one of the most photographed locations in the Grand Teton area.
These barns are famous and not because of the history behind them but because of the scenery they are a part of. When looking at this barn, the mountains almost seem reachable and like you can just touch them. However, they are still very far away but it is a different perspective of looking at the Grand Teton Mountains. Learn more about the barns and location below.
Moulton Barns History:
Thomas Alva (T.A.) Moulton and his brother John homesteaded on Mormon Row in 1908. In 1915, T.A. built a frame house and dry farmed grain until irrigation ditches were built by the state in 1920. The John Moulton Barn is the one we saw along with the pink stucco house. The house and the barn are the original that John and his wife lived in and has belonged to the park starting around the 1980s.
Mormon Row District:
Originally this area was known as Grovant and in the late 1890s Mormons from Salt Lake City settled the area. By the 1950's many of the homesteaders had sold their homes to the park and in 1997 The Mormon Row District was added to the National Register of Historical Places. You can find the area past Moose Junction and turning right on Antelope Flats Road and you'll see a small parking area about 1.5 miles down the road.
Plan Your Day:
Garrett and I knew we wanted to see the barn at sunrise. We looked up what time sunrise would be the next morning so we could prepare and set our alarms to wake up. We left our cabin around 5:30am to get to the barns at 6am. We probably spent about an hour there, if you are just looking to get a few photos then 30 minutes would probably do the trick. Make sure you bring all your camera equipment! Also, this is a spot that becomes popular so be respectful of people and their turn to take photos. While there is a lot of space and different aspects you can get of the barn you can only get so close and the house is completely closed off to the public. **You can't tour the John Moulton Barn, we didn't visit the T.A. Moulton Barn so I'm not sure about that one.
Travel Tip: When leaving early in the morning in a new place especially in Grand Teton/Yellowstone area be on the lookout for animals in the darkness and fog. On our way to the barns we saw brake lights in the darkness and fog because elk were crossing the road and they were not easy to see. So just be on the lookout and keep an eye on wildlife close to or crossing the road.
I highly recommend taking a little bit of time to visit this area to see the barns and take your model like photos. Even though it doesn't seem very exciting it is very beautiful and relaxing and part of the landscape of Grand Teton National Park.
