In A Nutshell

PLANNING YOUR STAY

General Park Information

Grand Teton National Park is open year-round, with most facilities inside its boundaries offering complete visitor services between May and October. For current information about the park, or park conditions, visit the website at www.nps.gov/grte or call (307) 739-3300. For lodging reservations and activity information, call the Grand Teton Lodge Company at (307) 543-3100 or (800) 628-9988, Signal Mountain Lodge at (307) 543-2831 or (800) 672-6012, and Flagg Ranch Resort at (307) 543-2861 or (800) 443-2311.

Entrance Fees

Entry to Grand Teton National Park costs $25 per vehicle for one to seven days. This seven-day permit also includes entry into Yellowstone National Park. Other entry options that involve higher costs but cover longer periods of time are also available. These include an Annual Parks Pass which allows unlimited entry into Grand Teton and Yellowstone national parks for a year, and an America the Beautiful Pass good for 12 months at all federal land areas with admission fees. If age 62 or older, you may purchase a $10 (one-time fee) Golden Age Passport. People with lifetime disabilities can get a free Golden Access Passport. Golden Age and Golden Access passports are only good for U.S. citizens or residents.

Getting to Grand Teton

Take U.S. 26-287 from Dubois, WY, to enter the park from the east at Moran Entrance Station. U.S. 26-89-191 arrives at Moose from the south, passing through the town of Jackson and skirting the National Elk Refuge along the way. Travelers coming from Yellowstone National Park's south entrance, drive through the John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway into Grand Teton's northern boundary. Snow closes this route from Yellowstone to Flagg Ranch Resort November through April. Call (307) 739-3614 or (307) 739-3300 for road conditions inside the park, or (888) WYOROAD (996-7623) for Wyoming road conditions.

Two other routes enter the park. On the north end, unpaved Grassy Lake Road (closed from November through May) from Ashton, ID, heads east and links with Rockefeller Parkway near Flagg Ranch Resort. The Moose- Wilson Road (closed November 1 to May 1) takes travelers northwest of Jackson to the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, with a partially paved spur that enters the park at the Granite Canyon Entrance Station and then connects to Moose Village. RVs and trailers are prohibited year-round on the spur from Teton Village to Moose.

Air: Jackson Hole Airport lies between Moose and Jackson. Major airlines that serve the area include American, Delta, Skywest, United and Northwest; for information, call (307) 733-7682. The Grand Teton Lodge Company meets most incoming flights at the airport (all flights with advance notice) and provides bus service to Colter Bay and Jackson Lake Lodge.

Bus: Alltrans Jackson Hole Express offers bus/shuttle service between Jackson Hole, eastern Idaho and Salt Lake City; call (307) 733-1719 or (800) 652-9510 for more information.

The nearest Greyhound stop is in Idaho Falls, ID. There is also service from Salt Lake City, UT, to Cody, WY. For more information, call Greyhound at (800) 231-2222. Shuttle bus service is available between Jackson, Jackson Lake Lodge and Colter Bay Village; please call (800) 628-9988 for more information. Grand Teton Lodge Company offers half-day bus tours of the park departing from Jackson Lake Lodge every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Full-day tours of nearby Yellowstone National Park depart from the lodge every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Alltrans provides single-package tours of the area from Jackson; call (307) 733-4325 for more information.

Rental Car: Alamo, Avis, Budget, Hertz, Dollar and Eagle rental cars are available at Jackson Hole Airport. These and other rental car companies are also located in Jackson.

Train: There is no direct train service to Grand Teton National Park. The nearest rail stations are 180 miles south in Rock Springs, WY, and 177 miles southwest in Pocatello, ID.

Getting Around

Public roads pass most of the popular features of Grand Teton National Park. Off-road travel is restricted to foot or horse traffic. Taxi service is available in Jackson for travel around town, in the park or throughout the Jackson Hole area. Jackson also has a public bus service, START; please call (307) 733-4521 for more information.

Weather

Most of the park's visitors come between mid-June and early September, when the temperatures average 70°F to 85°F and blue skies abound. Evenings still get chilly with nighttime temperatures ranging between 35°F and 45°F. Afternoon thundershowers may bring rain or hail, but they usually pass quickly.

Autumn is gaining in popularity as a visitor season, thanks to cool, but sunny days and colorful fall foliage. Trails usually remain snow-free from late June to mid-October. The thermometer ranges between 45°F and 70°F for highs, while lows may drop into the low teens.

Winter is the longest season at Grand Teton, usually keeping the park snow-blanketed from mid-November to late April. Lower elevations tend to get three to five feet of snow, while the mountain passes collect 15 feet on average. Daytime temperatures rarely get out of the 20°F to 30°F range, while nighttime lows average from 0°F to —20°F.

Snow and ice leave the valleys in late April, although highs rarely get above 65°F and lows can drop to 25°F. Rain and even snow may fall frequently throughout the spring.

Park Headquarters/Visitor Centers

When you arrive, stop at either of Grand Teton's two main visitor centers for a brief introduction to the park. Staff at the Moose and Colter Bay visitor centers can answer questions, give directions and provide permits for overnight backcountry camping or climbing adventures. Both centers have audiovisual programs and exhibits on display and sell Grand Teton Natural History Association (GTNHA) publications about the park.

Moose Visitor Center is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily and adjoins Park Headquarters; please call (307) 739-3399 for additional information. A ranger is available at Moose Visitor Center every day except Christmas.

Colter Bay houses an extensive Indian Arts Museum; to learn more, please call (307) 739-3594. Colter Bay is closed from late September to mid-May.

Jenny Lake Visitor Center, eight miles north of Moose Junction, has geology exhibits and sells GTNHA publications (open early June to late September).

Flagg Ranch Information Station, 15 miles north of Colter Bay, provides similar services and also offers audiovisual programs, and backcountry and boating permits (open from early June to early September).

Gateway Communities

Jackson is the only major community close to Grand Teton. The small towns of Teton Village and Wilson are also within easy driving distance of the Moose entrance. Call the Jackson Hole Chamber of Commerce at (307) 733-3316 for more information.

VISITOR SERVICES

The park offers a wide range of services from early summer to mid fall, the most popular time for people to visit. And although park services are limited between mid-October and June, the Jackson Hole area supports a thriving year-round community.

Banking

Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) are available at Jackson Lake Lodge and in Colter Bay Village during the summer, and in Moose, Jackson and at Flagg Ranch year-round. Jackson has the closest full banking services.

Camping Supplies

Stores in Moose Village, Colter Bay Village, Signal Mountain Lodge, Flagg Ranch Resort, Jackson Lake Lodge and South Jenny Lake Visitor Area sell basic camping necessities. Jackson has more extensive outdoor supply stores.

Emergency and Medical Services

Dial 911 for emergency help inside the park. For the NPS dispatch, please call (307) 739-3300.

In the park, Grand Teton Medical Clinic, near the Phillips 66 gas station at Jackson Lake Lodge, is open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., mid-May through mid-October. Please call (307) 543-2514 during business hours and (307) 733-8002 after hours. For additional help, St. John's Medical Center in Jackson serves the region; please call (307) 733-3636.

Gift Shops

Gifts, souvenirs, clothing and sundries are available at Jackson Lake Lodge, Jenny Lake Lodge, Colter Bay Village, Flagg Ranch Resort, Signal Mountain Lodge, the Jenny Lake Area and Moose Village, as well as in the gateway communities of Jackson and Teton Village.

Guide Services

Expert guides can make your fishing, mountain climbing or rafting expedition safer and more enjoyable. Grand Teton Lodge Company and Signal Mountain Lodge offer guided lake fishing on Jackson Lake, as well as guided fly-fishing trips. Please call (307) 543-3100 or (307) 543-2831 for reservations. For a complete list of services inside and outside the park, call the Jackson Hole Chamber of Commerce at (307) 733-3316 or visit www.jacksonholechamber.com.

Lodging and Dining

See "Lodging & Dining" on pages 46—53.

Lost and Found

To recover lost items or report found ones, please call (307) 739-3450 or check at the nearest visitor center, ranger station, campground office or concession facility.

Postal Service

U.S. Post Offices are located at Moose, Moran and Kelly inside the park, as well as in the outlying communities of Jackson, Teton Village and Wilson.

Religious Services

Religious services are held at several places inside the park during the summer, as well as in Jackson. For times and locations, consult the park newspaper, The Teewinot, or check at visitor centers, lodging front desks or activities desks.

Service Stations

Gas and diesel fuel are available at Jackson Lake Lodge, Colter Bay Village, Flagg Ranch Resort, Signal Mountain Lodge and Dornan's at Moose Village.

Special Services -

Pick up the Easy Access pamphlet at any visitor center to learn about park features that are accessible to people with disabilities (as well as to senior citizens and families with small children). Wheelchair-accessible trails include the lakeshore trails at Jenny and String lakes, Menors Ferry Historic Trail at Moose and the lakeshore trails at Colter Bay. All visitor centers and concession facilities can accommodate visitors with disabilities. Grand Teton's TDD number is (307) 739-3400.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

The Teewinot newspaper, provided with your entrance permit and available throughout the park, contains a wealth of information about Grand Teton, or visit the park's website at www.nps.gov/grte.