Grand Teton National Park

Grand Teton National Park protects the Teton Range, a wall of peaks rising almost straight out of the flat valley of Jackson Hole, and the lakes and river along its base. It lies just south of Yellowstone, linked by one road, and in 2025 it had 3,800,648 recreation visits, the eighth most of any national park. Most visitors see it in a day or two between the town of Jackson and Yellowstone.

The facts below are from the park's own pages, read on 26 October 2026. Several roads and services change with the season, so the dates matter more here than in most parks.

Does a Yellowstone ticket cover Grand Teton?

A Yellowstone ticket does not cover Grand Teton, because the two are separate parks. The park's fee page says visitors travelling to or from Yellowstone must pay its own entrance fee. Each charges $35 a car for seven days, $30 a motorcycle and $20 a person on foot or bicycle.

The two parks are also on the 2026 list with a $100 surcharge for every non-resident aged 16 or over. Two adults from abroad in one car therefore pay $235 at each park, or $470 for both. The $250 non-resident America the Beautiful pass covers the car fee and the surcharge at both, and at every other national park for a year. Our guide to national park fees for international visitors has the details.

When do the Teton Park Road and its side roads close?

The Teton Park Road, the scenic road along the foot of the mountains from Taggart Lake to Signal Mountain, closes to cars from 1 November to 30 April. In winter the park grooms it for skiing and snowshoeing instead. The main highway through the valley, US 89/191 from Jackson north to Flagg Ranch, stays plowed and open.

• Moose-Wilson Road: closed from 1 November until mid-May, depending on conditions. In 2026 construction also closed it between the Laurance S. Rockefeller Preserve and Moose from 8 September to 15 November. It is closed at all times to motorhomes, trailers and anything over 23.3 feet.
• Death Canyon Road and trailhead: closed to all use from May 2026 to June 2027 while the trailhead moves about a mile.
• Schwabacher Landing: the gravel access road is typically closed from mid-October to mid-May.
• Antelope Flats Road, to Mormon Row: closes seasonally depending on conditions.

The park itself is open all day, all year, but from November to April all campgrounds and most facilities shut.

Which viewpoints line the valley from Jenny Lake to Oxbow Bend?

The classic viewpoints of the Teton Range line the valley floor of Jackson Hole, so a car reaches most of them in summer without a hike.

• Jenny Lake: the lake at the foot of the highest peaks. A shuttle boat crosses it to the trails up Cascade Canyon from 15 May, ice permitting, to 30 September. Tickets go on sale at the East Shore dock, with no reservations.
• Mormon Row: the Moulton barns on Antelope Flats Road, about a mile north and a mile and a half east of Moose. The park has been building a paved car park with tour-bus bays and restrooms there, and a Grand Teton Association building is due in 2027.
• Oxbow Bend: a bend of the Snake River east of Jackson Lake Junction, where Mount Moran reflects on calm mornings. Pelicans, otters, moose and bears turn up there, and it is open all year.
• Schwabacher Landing: a riverside landing about four miles north of Moose Junction, with about 20 parking spaces.
• Signal Mountain: a summit road climbs to 7,727 feet for a view over the whole valley and Jackson Lake.

Bison and pronghorn are active throughout the day along the Antelope Flats and Kelly loop, east of Moose, which makes it an easy wildlife drive.

When do Jackson Lake Lodge and the park campgrounds open?

The lodges and campgrounds below the Teton Range open from May and close by early October, so a stay inside the park is a summer option. The 2026 seasons show the pattern.

The lodges' operator takes bookings on a rolling 12 months and is already selling the 2027 season, though it has not published the dates. The park's seven campgrounds, about 1,000 sites, take bookings only on Recreation.gov, up to six months ahead. Jenny Lake campground is for tents only, with a seven-night limit. Outside the season, Jackson is the base.

When is the best time to visit Grand Teton?

The best time to visit Grand Teton is from late June to mid-September, when every road, lodge, campground and boat service is open. The shoulder weeks of late May to mid-June and the second half of September are quieter, with some services shut.

The Park Service's averages above are for Moose, in the valley. Snow lingers in the mountains until mid-July and on valley trails until late May. Nights near freezing are normal even in summer, so pack a warm layer for sunrise at Oxbow Bend or Schwabacher Landing.

Why does every Teton trail call for bear spray?

Black bears and grizzly bears live throughout Grand Teton, and the Park Service recommends carrying EPA-approved bear spray in every part of the park. Keep it within reach rather than packed away, and never leave it in the car.

Store food in the bear lockers at campgrounds and picnic areas or in a hard-sided vehicle, never in a tent.

How do you get to Grand Teton?

Jackson Hole Airport lies inside the national park, 9 miles from the town of Jackson. The airport makes the Tetons easier to reach than most big parks. From Jackson, US 89/191 runs north past Moose to the Moran Entrance, 30 miles from town, and on to Flagg Ranch, two miles south of Yellowstone.

The highway north makes the park the natural southern half of a Yellowstone trip. Our Wyoming guide covers the airports and the road seasons, and the Yellowstone and Grand Teton road trip strings both parks into one route.