Five campgrounds and plenty of outdoor recreation makes 310,000-acre Grand Teton National Park a great place to stay. You won't find electric and water hook-ups at the park campgrounds, but RVs are welcome at most of the campsites. For recreation, hike on more than 200 miles of trails or bike on any road in the park. You can also fish, kayak and canoe in the park.
Planning Your Trip
All campgrounds in Grand Teton are first-come, first-serve. You'll need to purchase a pass to enter the park. The pass is available at the entrance stations to the park. If you plan to fish in the area, you'll need a Wyoming State fishing license, available at sporting goods stores or bait and tackle shops in Jackson Hole. Plan to dress in layers since the weather can change very rapidly. Keep all food, coolers, cosmetics and cookware in your car, RV or bear-proof locker or hung from a tree when not in use since bears frequent the area.
Tent-Only Camping
Jenny Lake Campground offers campsites for tent camping only. Head to the lake to hike, fish for trout or canoe and kayak. During the summer, the campground fills up very quickly, so arrive as early as possible to pick out your campsite.
RV and Tent Campgrounds
The largest campgrounds in the park include Colter Bay with 350 sites and Gros Ventre with 360 sites. Both offer campsites for tents, trailers and RVs with a dump station. Colter Bay also features a laundry facility, showers, a camp grocery store and a gas service station. At Colter Bay, head to the lake to hike around the water, or canoe and kayak.
Lizard Creek Campground offers easy access to Jackson Lake where you can bird watch and fish for trout. Next door, you'll find a marina for launching canoes or kayaks so you can explore the lake. The campground tends to see less traffic than the other campgrounds, so it rarely fills up. Signal Mountain Campground offers lake and mountain views with campsites set among spruce and fir trees.
Backcountry Camping
To camp at back-country sites while backpacking, you'll need to obtain a backcountry permit before you start your trip. The park reserves one-third of the campsites for people who make reservations. The other two-thirds of the campsites are reserved on a first-come, first-served basis one day before you start your hike. You can apply for and pick up the permits at the Moose or Colter Bay visitor centers or at the Jenny Lake Ranger Station. You'll need to bring your own water and carry out all trash. Gas stoves are allowed in the backcountry.
Flagg Ranch Camping
Flagg Ranch offers camping for tenters and RVers with full hook-ups. The campground is located just outside the northern edge of the park near Yellowstone National Park. Amenities include showers and a laundry. The resort arranges three-hour float and 8-mile white-water rafting trips down the Snake River.
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