Grand Teton National Park

Introduction

Grand Teton Mountain range

© paix

Grand Teton National Park is located in the northwest of Wyoming, south of worldfamous Yellowstone National Park, its big neighbour. The park was established much later though compared to Yellowstone, only in 1929. Although Grand Teton can be visit as a daytrip from Yellowstone if you are short on time, spending a week alone is possible as well, especially if you go on one of the beautiful backcountry hikes.

Opening Hours

Generally the park itself is open 24/7, 365 days a year, but not that during the wintermonths (November to April) many trails, lodging and other facilities are closed. Best time is from May to October, when you can go to most places by car.

Cost

• $25 per vehicle, valid for one week. Entry is also valid for Yellowstone.
• $20 per motorcyclist
• $12 for cyclists or hikers
• Winter dayuse is $5
• An annual pass for both parks is $50
• An annual national park pass is $80

Sights and Activities

• Signal Mountain - If you want to see the Grand Teton National Park from above, then drive up on Signal Mountain in the northern part of the park. From a parking lot at 2,314 metres altitude, you have on a clear day spectacular views of Jackson Hole valley and central Wyoming.
• Jenny Lake - By Jenny Lake it is allowed to sail with a kayak or canoe. At Jenny Lake there is also a large picnic area and a small one-way dirt road following the lakeshore of Jenny Lake, where you can enjoy the sight of mountain peaks.
• Menors Ferry - Grand Teton National Park also offers settlers history. At the site Menors Ferry near the south entrance, you can visit a classic "General Store", which as a living museum sells everything settlers needed in the 1800s.

Getting There

By Plane

Jackson Hole Airport (JAC), located just within the boundaries of the park(!), has flights to Salt Lake City, Chicago, Dallas, Atlanta, Minneapolis-Saint Paul, Denver and Los Angeles.

By Train

The nearest Amtrak stations are in Salt Lake City and Denver, or otherwise way up north in Montana.

By Car

Three main roads lead to the park:

• US 26/89/191 from Jackson to the southern entrance of Grand Teton
• US 26/287 from Dubois west to Grand Teton
• US 89/191/287 from Yellowstone south to Grand Teton

The entrance stations are:

• Moose (south), just west of Moose Junction
• Moran, just north of Moran Junction (east)
• Granite Canyon, just north of Teton Village (south)

Note that you can use the main road for free through the park as far north as Moran, where a branch goes east towards Dubois.

By Bus

The nearest stops from Greyhound buses are in Cody, Wyoming, or Bozeman, Montana.

Sleep

Budget

There are campgrounds, operated by the NPS (National Park Service), which are by far the cheapest options. They are popular though, especially in July and August. There is a maximum stay of 14 days (7 days at popular Jenny Lake). Campgrounds are Colter Bay Campground, Jenny Lake Campground, Gros Ventre Campground, Signal Mountain Campground, Flag Ranch Campground and Lizard Creek Campground. There is a RV Park at Colter Bay as well.

Mid-Range and Upscale

Colter Bay Village, Jenny Lake Lodge and Jackson Lake Lodge are all operated by Grand Teton Lodge Company. Other options include the Signal Mountain Lodge, Spur Ranch Log Cabins, TriangleXRanch and Flag Ranch Resort.

External Links

• Official National Park Website