Visiting Grand Teton National Park: The Complete Guide

Post Summary: Visiting Grand Teton National Park

Planning a trip to Grand Teton National Park and need some help planning your trip? Grand Teton National Park is often considered to be Yellowstone National Park‘s little sister.  While these two national parks are less than 10 miles apart, these two parks are worlds apart.  Very little geothermal activity is found in Grand Tetons National Park, but the impressive peaks of the Teton Mountain Range and the numerous lakes that form the upper watershed of the Snake River more than makeup for it.  Visitors will often see herds of elf in the valleys while the moose hang out in the marshland.  Activities include mountain climbing, hiking, and scenic driving tours.

Here is the National Park Obsessed guide for visiting Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming.

The Quick Guide to Visiting Grand Teton National Park

Map of Grand Teton National Park

Click on the Grand Teton Map above to download the official brochure map. If you’d like a PDF copy of this Grand Teton Map click here.

Grand Teton National Park Basics

Region: Intermountain / West Coast / Rockies

Park Size: 310,000 acres (484.38 sq miles) (1,254.53 sq km)

Location: Teton County

Closest Cities: Jackson, Wyoming

Busy Season: June to September

Visitation: 3,405,614 (in 2019)

How much does Grand Teton National Park Cost?

Grand Teton National Park costs the following from May to mid-December:

• 7-day Passenger Vehicle Pass – $35
• 7-day Motorcycle Pass – $30
• 7-day Individual Pass – $20

Grand Teton Fees from mid-December to late April

• 1-day Pass – $15

An annual Grand Teton National Park Pass cost $70 but it is not recommended you buy this pass. For an extra $10 you can get an American the Beautiful Pass. This $80 pass offers free admission to all 116 fee-charging National Park Units.

When is Grand Teton National Park Open?

Grand Teton National Park is open year-round.

Are dogs allowed in Grand Teton National Park?

Yes, pets are welcome in Grand Teton National Park but are limited to developed areas such as roads, parking areas, picnic areas, and campgrounds. Pets are not allowed on trails, pathways or to swim in park waters. Please review the Grand Teton Pet Policy before bringing your dog to Grand Teton.

Where are Grand Teton National Park’s visitor centers?

Craig Thomas Discovery & Visitor Center – April to October

Laurence S. Rockefeller Preserve Center – June to August

Jenny Lake Visitor Center – May to September

Jenny Lake Ranger Station – June to August

Colter Bay Visitor Center – May to October

Flagg Ranch Information Station – June to September

Land Acknowledgments for Grand Teton National Park

The National Park known as Grand Teton National Park sits on Shoshone-Bannock, Apsaalooké (Crow), Eastern Shoshone, and Cheyenne land.

Thank you to the Native Land Digital for making the Indigenous territories accessible to all. They have mapped the known territories to the best of the current knowledge and is a work in progress. If you have additional information on the Indigenous nations boundaries, please let them know.

Native Land Digital is a registered Canadian not-for-profit organization with the goal to creates spaces where non-Indigenous people can be invited and challenged to learn more about the lands they inhabit, the history of those lands, and how to actively be part of a better future going forward together.

When was Grand Teton National Park Created?

Then Yellowstone National Park superintendent Horace Albright was concerned about the further developments of dams in the region south of Yellowstone and tried to add the Teton Range to Yellowstone National Park. He was opposed by locals but was able to work out a solution to have a separate National Park created. Grand Teton National Park was established on February 26, 1929. The original park was 96,000 acres that protected the Teton range and the six lakes at the base of the mountains.

While Albright won a small victory but he knew more was needed. Albright found a partner in philanthropist John D. Rockefeller. Rockefeller started buying outside the park with the purposes to donate the land to NPS at a later date. When locals discovered Rockefeller’s plan, congressional efforts prevent the donation. By 1942, Rockefeller feared that the donation would never happened and threaten to sell. That threat got President Franklin Roosevelt used the Antiquities Act to declare Rockefeller’s 210,00 acres land holding Jackson Hole National Monument.

In 1950, Jackson Hole National Monument and Grand Teton National Park were combined to form the modern Grand Teton National Park

Fun Facts about Grand Teton National Park

• The highest point in Grand Teton National Park is Grand Teton Summit which is 13,770 feet (4,200 m) above sea level.

• The lowest point in Grand Teton National Park is Fish Creek which is 6,310 feet (1,920 m) above sea level.

• The 40-mile Teton Range is are the youngest mountain range in the Rocky Mountains.

• Grand Teton National Park is the ONLY National Park with a commercial airport within park boundaries.

• Grand Teton by the numbers
  • 152 miles of paved roads
  • 65 miles of unpaved roads
  • 242 miles of hiking trails
  • 7 moraine lakes

When to Visit Grand Teton National Park?

Grand Teton National Park Visitation

Grand Teton is busiest from June to September.

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National Parks Near Grand TetonNational Park

National Park Service units within a 4 hours drive

• Yellowstone National Park
• John D Rockefeller Jr Memorial Parkway
• Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area
• Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument
• Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve
• Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument
• Golden Spike National Historic Site
• Nez Perce National Historical Park
  • Big Hole National Battlefield
• City of Rocks National Reserve

National Park Service units within an 8 hours drive

• Glacier National Park
• Wind Cave National Park
• Devils Tower National Monument
• Fossil Butte National Monument
• Jewel Cave National Monument
• Dinosaur National Monument
• Timpanogos Cave National Monument
• Mount Rushmore National Memorial
• Fort Laramie National Historic Site
• Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Site
• Nez Perce National Historical Park Visitor Center
  • Bear Paw Battlefield
  • Heart of the Monster
  • Canoe Camp
  • White Bird Battlefield

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