All About Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming
In the northwest corner of Wyoming, Grand Teton National Park is a stunning park full of mountain views, wildlife, and miles of trails.
What to do at Grand Teton National Park
The Best Trails and Hikes at Grand Teton
Hidden Falls Trail
Woodland Trail to Phelps Lake
Taggart Lake Loop Trail
Easy Hikes
- Taggart Lake
- Lake Creek
- Phelps Lake Overlook
- Lunch Tree Hill
- Heron Pond
Moderate Hikes
- Bradley Lake Loop
- Aspen Ridge and Boulder Ridge
- Forks of Cascade Canyon
- Jenny Lake Loop
- Hermitage Point
Strenuous Hikes
- Marion Lake
- Death Canyon
- Surprise Lake and Amphitheater Lake
- Lake Solitude
- Cascade Canyon Loop
Things to do at Grand Teton National Park
- Go boating or floating on one of the numerous lakes: Jenny Lake, String Lake, Leigh Lake, or Jackson Lake
- Take a bike ride through the incredible places in the park
- See the sights on a scenic drive around Grand Teton
- Fish for trout in the valley and alpine lakes
- View the wildlife that calls Grand Teton National Park home
- Camp in a front-country or backcountry camping area
What to see at Grand Teton National Park
Points of Interest
Grand Teton Visitor Centers
There are seven visitor centers throughout Grand Teton, including one visitor center that leads into the park on the south end that includes the greater Yellowstone National Park area, and one on the John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway.
Craig Thomas Discovery & Visitor Center
When driving into the park from the Jackson Hole Airport, this is the first visitor center you’ll come to just past the entrance station. This is a great first place to stop to talk to the park rangers, get information about the trail and road status, purchase backcountry or boating permits, get a passport book stamp, and pick up a Junior Ranger book for any kids in your group.
Passport Book Stamp Location
Laurance S. Rockefeller Preserve Center
This visitor center is located near Phelps Lake along the Moose-Wilson Scenic Drive. Exhibits here describe Mr. Rockefeller and his vision and legacy for conservation stewardship. The Rockefeller Preserve Center does not have a gift shop or sales area and does not offer permits.
Passport Book Stamp Location
Jenny Lake Visitor Center
The Jenny Lake Visitor Center, right at the southeast end of Jenny Lake, is a cabin built over 100 years ago as an art studio. The visitor center exhibits highlight art throughout the park. You can speak to rangers here and visit the bookstore and gift shop. Most of the time, rangers are in the plaza and out on the trails around Jenny Lake. Backcountry permits are not sold here.
Passport Book Stamp Location
National Elk Refuge & Greater Yellowstone Visitor Center
This visitor center is also outside the boundaries of Grand Teton National Park in the town of Jackson, Wyoming. It’s owned and managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on the National Elk Refuge, not the National Park Service like the others. Six agencies operate from this center: Bridger-Teton National Forest, Grand Teton Association, Grand Teton National Park, National Elk Refuge, Jackson Hole Chamber of Commerce, and Wyoming Game & Fish. The location has information for each of these areas as well as exhibits and restrooms.
Colter Bay Visitor Center
Colter Bay Visitor Center is in one of the most popular areas, near Colter Bay Village just north of Jackson Lake Lodge. Colter Bay is home to exhibits regarding the Indigenous Arts and a Cultural Demonstration Program. Here you can purchase backcountry permits and boating permits, shop at the Grand Teton National Park Foundation gift shop, and speak with the rangers.
Passport Book Stamp Location
Flagg Ranch Information Station
Flagg Ranch is just outside of Grand Teton National Park along the John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway between Grand Teton National Park and Yellowstone National Park. Here you can get visitor information for either park when it’s open during the peak summer season.
Passport Book Stamp Location
Jenny Lake Ranger Station
This was the original visitor facility in Grand Teton National Park, built in the 1930s. Here, park rangers are very knowledgeable about the climbing safety and backcountry conditions within the park. Visit the ranger station to get your backcountry permits.
National Park Passport Book Stamp Locations
- Colter Bay Visitor Center
- Craig Thomas Discovery & Visitor Center
- Flagg Ranch Information Station
- Jenny Lake Visitor Center
- Laurance S. Rockefeller Preserve Center
Grand Teton National Park Basics
403 South Jenny Lake Dr.,
Moose, WY 83012
$35 per vehicle
Valid for 7 days
Mountain Time Zone
1929
Location, Phone Number, and Address
Grand Teton National Park is located in the northwest corner of Wyoming in the United States. The physical address for the park headquarters, which is located just south of the park in Moose, Wyoming, is 103 Headquarters Loop, Moose, WY 83012 and the mailing address is PO Box 170, Moose, WY 83012. To set an address in the middle of the park, set your GPS to the Jenny Lake Visitor Center at 403 South Jenny Lake Dr., Moose, WY 83012.
To reach the park by phone, call 307-739-3399.
What are the Entrance Fees for Grand Teton?
As with most of the national parks, Grand Teton National Park charges an entrance fee, and the standard vehicle fee is good for 7 days of entry from the date of purchase. Grand Teton National Park does not require a vehicle reservation, though, so you don’t have to get one of those in advance.
- Standard Pass for a standard passenger vehicle: $35 per vehicle
- Standard Pass for a motorcycle: $30 per vehicle
- Standard Pass for a pedestrian walking or biking into the park: $20 per person
- Grand Teton Annual Pass: $70
If you know you are planning to visit multiple parks, including a trip up to Yellowstone, you should consider the America the Beautiful Pass. For $80, this pass gets one private vehicle or up to 4 individual people into all of the national parks and other federal lands for an entire year.
Current as of July 2024
What Time Zone is Grand Teton National Park in?
Grand Teton National Park is in the Mountain Time Zone (UTC/GMT -6 hours).
When is the Best Time to Visit?
Grand Teton National Park is open year-round with many winter activities available when the park has had a large snowfall. Winter visitors can snowshoe and go cross-country skiing without being restricted to the trails. The main road, Teton Park Road, is closed to vehicular traffic from Taggart Lake to Signal Mountain Campground and this section is prepared for winter hiking. Snowmobiles are permitted on Jackson Lake when the ice is thick enough. Park Rangers offer guided snowshoe tours daily from the main headquarters in Moose. You can expect snow from about October or November through March or April.
That said, the peak season for Grand Teton National Park is the warmer summer months. But don’t be fooled, even in the warmest months of July and August, it still gets cool in the evenings in the mountains. This is also the highest chance for thunderstorms in the afternoon which can prove dangerous to unprepared hikers. In the spring months, you’ll have higher flow in the creeks, rivers, and waterfalls due to the snowmelt falling downstream.
When did Grand Teton become a National Park?
Grand Teton National Park was established as a national park on February 26, 1929, to protect the Teton Range’s major peaks. At this time, the Jackson Hole Valley was still under private ownership, but Rockefeller, Jr. started purchasing land to be added to the national park’s boundaries. Eventually, this was set up as Jackson Hole National Monument in 1943 then in 1950 that was abolished and the land became part of Grand Teton National Park.
How Big is Grand Teton National Park?
Grand Teton National Park itself is about 310,000 acres or about 484 square miles, including the major peaks in the 40-mile-long Teton Range. Including all of the connected areas under the National Park Service and National Forest Service, called the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, covers almost 18,000,000 acres of land (over 28,000 square miles).
Park Website
Always check the official park site for the most up-to-date information, hours, prices, and conditions.
Travel Tips for Grand Teton National Park
Driving Through Grand Teton National Park
By driving through Grand Teton National Park, you’ll have fantastic views of the Grand Teton Range and a chance to see some of the wildlife in their natural habitats. The park is full of turnouts and pull-offs that offer interpretive signs with information about the geology, wildlife, and plants in the surrounding area.
There are four major scenic drives in Grand Teton National Park:
- Jenny Lake Scenic Drive takes you around the eastern shore of Jenny Lake with amazing views of the Grand Teton peaks.
- Moose-Wilson Road connects the two towns of Moose and Wilson.
- Signal Mountain Summit Road offers panoramic views of the Teton Range and the town of Jackson Hole.
- Teton Park Road goes from Moose to Jackson Lake Junction following the base of the Teton Range through the heart of Grand Teton National Park.
As you drive through the park, another option is to drive along Highway 191/26/89 which runs along the Snake River on the eastern side of the park. While this isn’t considered one of the official scenic routes, there are many overlooks, turnouts, and historic sites along this drive.
Where are the National Park Entrances?
Moose Entrance
The Moose Entrance Station is the most popular entrance station and is convenient to those staying in almost any of the towns south or west of the park. This station is on highway 191-26-98 just past the Jackson Hole Airport.
Moran Entrance
For those coming from the eastern side of the park, possibly from the Denver area through Dubois, Wyoming, the Moran Entrance is likely the easiest way to enter the park. This entrance is on Highway 26-89 and will bring you near the Jackson Lake and Colter Bay areas on the northern side of the park.
Granite Canyon Entrance
While the Granite Canyon Entrance looks like it may be closest if you are approaching the park from the west, this is not the quickest entrance. Once you go just past the entrance, Moose-Wilson Road is closed during the winter months, and takes longer to get to the heart of the park. Unless you know you want to go on hikes that start in the area, you are better off going to the Moose Entrance.
North Entrance
While not an official entrance, the John D. Rockefeller, Jr. National Memorial Highway is a 10-mile stretch of road that connects Grand Teton National Park to Yellowstone National Park. Travelers can enter through, but there’s no formal entrance station on this route. If you want a park newspaper and map, stop at the Flagg Ranch Information Station about halfway between the parks.
What is the Nearest City to Grand Teton?
Jackson, Wyoming, is only about 5 miles south of the park’s South Entrance, and the closest town to the national park. There are a few other cities that you can stay in to access Grand Teton National Park. All of these are listed with their estimated mileage to the South Entrance.
- Jackson Hole, WY: 3 miles
- Jackson, WY: 13 miles
- Kelly, WY: 13.5 miles
- Moran, WY: 20 miles
- Teton Village, WY: 25 miles
- Driggs, ID: 46 miles
What is the Nearest Airport to Grand Teton?
The closest airport is Jackson Hole Airport (JAC) which is only about 5 miles from the South Entrance of the park. This is the most popular airport to fly in and out of when visiting Grand Teton National Park, but it’s also a small airport so the flights can be expensive.
The next closest airports are Idaho Falls Regional Airport (IDA) 110 miles away, Yellowstone Airport (WYS) 142 miles away, Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport (BZN) 230 miles away, and Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC) 293 miles away.
Itineraries including Grand Teton National Park
Lodging Near Grand Teton National Park
Where to Stay
Grand Teton National Park has many options for lodging inside the park with a range of accommodations to fit almost any needs. Make sure to check what months they are open and make reservations as soon as they are available.
- American Alpine Club
- Grand Teton Climber’s Ranch
- Colter Bay Cabins
- Headwaters Lodge & Cabins at Flagg Ranch
- Jackson Lake Lodge
- Jenny Lake Lodge
- Signal Mountain Lodge
- Triangle X Ranch
If you prefer to find lodging outside of the park, there are a plethora of hotels and rental homes available in the surrounding cities. The most costly places will be those in Jackson Hole and just outside the park due to their convenience. Places further out will be more budget-friendly, but due to the nature of the mountain roads, even a place in Driggs, Idaho, only 45 miles from the park will take over an hour to get to the entrance station.
Campgrounds in the Area
All of the campgrounds in Grand Teton National Park are by reservation only and you must be camped in a designated camping spot. Car camping is not allowed in any of the park pullouts, parking areas, picnic grounds, or anywhere else. There are eight front-country campgrounds in GTNP:
- Gros Ventre Campground
- Jenny Lake Campground
- Signal Mountain Campground
- Colter Bay Campground
- Colter Bay RV Park
- Colter Bay Tent Village
- Lizard Creek Campground
- Headwaters Campground
Backcountry camping is available but requires a permit that can be purchased at the Craig Thomas Visitor Center, Colter Bay Visitor Center, and Jenny Lake Ranger Station.
What are the Closest National Parks to Grand Teton National Park?
Facts about Grand Teton National Park
The Plants and Animals of Grand Teton
Due to the range in elevation and ecological zones, there is a wide variety of plants in Grand Teton National Park that can be found in specific areas of the park. There are over 100 species of flowers in the park though — the growing season is short with only about 60 continuous frost-free days in the park per year. Most of the trees in the park are conifers such as lodgepole pines, whitebark, and limber pines.
Grand Teton National Park is the home of a wide variety of animals including many large mammals such as moose, black bears, grizzly bears, pronghorn, elk, gray wolves, coyotes, and bison. There are 61 species of mammals in the park, 10,000 species of insects, over 300 species of birds, only 4 species of reptiles, 3 species of snakes, and 6 amphibian species. There is only one species of trout that is native to Grand Teton National Park, the Snake River fine-spotted cutthroat trout, which is only found in the Snake River and tributaries below the Jackson Lake dam to the Palisades Reservoir in Idaho. Other trout species were introduced by the Wyoming Fish and Game Department so there are now five trout species in the park.
What is the Highest Point? What is the Lowest Point?
The highest point in Grand Teton National Park is as the summit of Grand Teton at 13,770 feet above sea level.
Sitting a staggering 7,400 feet lower, Fish Creek is the lowest point in Grand Teton National Park.
Grand Teton Fun Facts
- Grand Teton National Park is on the list of the Top 10 National Parks visited every year with an average of 3-4 million visitors per year.
- The Teton Range is believed to be the youngest range in the Rocky Mountains with formation about 6-9 million years ago.
- Grand Teton is the highest peak in the park, but there are eight other peaks over 12,000 feet in height.
- With a variation of over 7,000 feet of elevation, Grand Teton National Park has many different ecological zones.