Signs will begin switching from "closed" to "open" soon in Grand Teton National Park as facilities prepare for the May 1 start of the 2012 summer season. (Ruffin Prevost/Yellowstone Gate - click to enlarge)
From Staff Reports
MOOSE, WYO. — The summer season officially gets under way Tuesday in Grand Teton National Park when the Teton Park Road opens to auto traffic. Most facilities and campgrounds in the park will be open by the end of May.
Park officials reminded motorists in a statement released this week that wildlife are migrating throughout the park. Animals are crossing park roads, especially from dusk to dawn. Spring road repairs may be underway on park roads as well.
Bicyclists are reminded that they must stop and show an entry pass before proceeding through the gates, just as vehicles are required to do. An automated self-serve machine is located on the multi-use pathway adjacent to the Moose Entrance Station.
People traveling on the paved pathway by foot, bike, or rollerblade will be required to stop and pay $12 for a 7-day entry permit, or have a previously purchased pass in their possession. Personal identification is required with any pass that requires a signature. The new multi-use pathway that parallels Highway 26/89/191 from the Gros Ventre River to Moose Junction will not open until early summer.
The Grassy Lake Road in the John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway opens on June 1, but lingering snow drifts may limit the extent of that road’s accessibility. Due to preseason work, the Moose-Wilson Road will have a delayed opening.
Here are more key dates and additional contact information for the 2012 summer season in Grand Teton National Park:
Entrance Stations:
The Moose, Moran and Granite Canyon entrance stations are open. Fee options include:
$12 for a 7-day permit for foot/bicycle entry into Grand Teton & Yellowstone national parks.
$20 for a 7-day permit for motorcycle entry into Grand Teton & Yellowstone national parks.
$25 for a 7-day permit for vehicle entry into Grand Teton & Yellowstone national parks.
$50 for a Grand Teton/Yellowstone Annual Pass valid for one-year entry into both parks.
$80 for an Interagency Annual Pass valid for one year entry to all fee areas on federal lands.
Visitor Centers:
The Craig Thomas Discovery and Visitor Center is open daily, year-round.
Other visitor information centers open on the following dates:
Jenny Lake Visitor Center: May 18
Jenny Lake Ranger Station: May 26
Colter Bay Visitor Center: May 26
Laurance S. Rockefeller Preserve Center: May 27
Flagg Ranch Information Station: June 4
Ranger-led activities begin Monday, June 4. An activity schedule can be found in the park’s newspaper, Grand Teton Guide or online.
Campgrounds:
Campgrounds throughout Grand Teton National Park open on the following dates:
Gros Ventre: May 4
Signal Mountain: May 11
Jenny Lake: May 11
Colter Bay: May 24
Colter Bay RV Park: May 24
Headwaters Campground & RV Sites: June 1
Lizard Creek: June 8
With the exception of the RV parks, all concession-operated campgrounds within Grand Teton National Park operate on a first-come, first-served basis.
Group sites are available at the Colter Bay and Gros Ventre campgrounds. To reserve a group site, call 307-543-3100 or 800-628-9988. Reservations can also be made for RV camping at either Colter Bay or the Flagg Ranch area. To secure reservations, call Colter Bay RV Park at 307-543-3100 or 800-628-9988 or Headwaters Lodge & Cabins at Flagg Ranch at 800-443-2311.
Camping is also available outside the park in nearby national forest areas and at other public and private facilities.
Backcountry campsite reservations may be made until May 15 with a $25 non-refundable fee. Reservations can be made online at the Grand Teton web site, by fax at 307-739-3438, or by mail to Grand Teton National Park, Backcountry Permits, P.O. Box 170, Moose, WY 83012. After May 15, all backcountry site permits are issued on a first-come, first-served basis.
Lodging:
Concessioner-operated lodging facilities will open on the following dates:
Signal Mountain Lodge: May 11
Jackson Lake Lodge: May 21
Colter Bay Cabins: May 24
Triangle X Ranch: May 25
Jenny Lake Lodge: June 1
Headwaters Lodge & Cabins at Flagg Ranch: June 1
For current road conditions, call the information hotline at 307-739-3614. For additional information about activities and services within Grand Teton National Park or the John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway, visit the park’s website, stop by any visitor center and ranger station or call 307-739-3300.
Contact Yellowstone Gate at 307-213-9818 or info@yellowstonegate.com.