Grand Teton National Park is America’s seventh most visited national park. It covers 485 square miles in northwest Wyoming and is famous for its majestic mountains filled with wildlife and forests. Camping, ranching, and outdoor recreation in fine weather and in winter provide a tremendous amount of different activities for visitors throughout the year.
Ranches
John D. Rockefeller’s former Jackson Hole dude ranch was donated to the park and is open to the public. It serves as an example of green living with its solar power and geothermal heating and other environmentally friendly features. The ranch sits between the trail heads for Death Canyon and Granite Canyon and has an on-site trail system along Phelps Lake. In the summer, Triangle X Ranch organizes Snake River trips, square dancing and hiking. It is a working dude ranch and is licensed to operate horseback riding inside the national park, where riders can access some of the nation’s most remote riding country. Winter at Triangle X brings cross country skiing, snowshoeing, snowmobiling and relaxing in the outdoor Jacuzzi tub.
Camping
Six campgrounds inside the park offer a combination of villages with full hookups for trailers and RVs and tent camping. Jenny Lake Campground is the most popular, with 49 individual campsites and 10 sites designated for hikers and cyclers. Trailers, camper and generators are prohibited and there are flush toilets but no shower facilities. The RV Park at Colter Bay Village is just a five-minute walk from Jackson Lake, and there are standard hookups. Colter Bay also has private and semi-private cabins and tent cabins for rent. Backcountry camping around the park is possible with a required permit from the Jenny Lake Ranger Station.
Water-based Activities
Triangle X Ranch’s Snake River trips are open to general public.Trained guides on the raft trips interpret wildlife, geology, human and natural history along the float. The Snake River also provides fertile waters for fishing and boating. Motor boats, kayaks and canoes can be rented at Jackson Lake. Phelps Lake has a designated swimming area and beach. Jackson Lake Lodge has a heated swimming pool.
Recreational Activities
Jackson Hole Golf and Tennis Club presents an opportunity to play under the resplendent mountain scenery within the confines of a Certified Audobon Cooperative Sanctuary, committed to protecting local flaura and fauna. Biking along multi-use pathways is a popular park activity as are climbing and hiking, where the rugged landscape provides a challenging experience. Miles of trails do not open up until June or mid-July since the snow cover generally melts slowly. Jackson Hole Mountain Resort’s Mountain Sports School operates a day camp for children, a climbing wall and bungee trampoline and teaches mountain biking, paragliding, and disc golf. The resort offers a chance to camp in a yurt, an eco-friendly tent-like structure traditionally used in Central Asia.
Winter Fun
Winter fun begins when the snow starts to fall. Cross country skiing and snowshoeing are excellent. Rangers offer guided snowshoes hikes departing from the Craig Thomas Discovery and Visitor Center. Once the snow depth is sufficient snowmobile trails open up, and the Continental Divide Snowmobile Trail connects Grand Teton National Park to Yellowstone National Park.
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