Frommer's National Parks of the American West - Don Laine [217]
Camping
INSIDE THE PARK
The campground chart below lists amenities for each campground in the park. All the campgrounds except Jenny Lake can accommodate tents, RVs, and trailers, but none has utility hookups. Jenny Lake Campground, a tents-only area with 51 sites, is in a quiet, wooded area near the lake. You have to be here first thing in the morning to get a site.
The largest campground, Gros Ventre, is the last to fill, if it fills up at all— probably because it's on the east side of the park, a few miles from Kelly on the Gros Ventre River Road. It has 360 sites, a trailer dump station, a tents-only section, and no showers. If you arrive late in the day and you have no place to stay, go here first.
Signal Mountain Campground, with views of the lake and access to the beach, is another popular spot that fills first thing in the morning. It has 86 sites overlooking Jackson Lake and Mount Moran, as well as a pleasant picnic area and boat launch. There are no showers or laundry, but a store and service station are nearby.
Colter Bay Campground and Trailer
Village has 350 sites, some with RV hookups, showers, and a launderette. The area has access to the lake but is far enough from the hubbub of the village to offer a modicum of solitude; spaces are usually gone by noon.
Lizard Creek Campground, at the north end of Grand Teton National Park near Jackson Lake, occupies an aesthetically pleasing wooded area near the lake with views of the Tetons, bird-watching, and fishing (and mosquitoes; bring your repellent). It's only 8 miles from facilities at Colter Bay and has 60 sites that fill by 2pm.
A concessionaire-operated campground is at the Flagg Ranch Resort complex on the John D. Rockefeller, Jr., Memorial Parkway. The campground, in a wooded area next to the parkway, has 121 sites for RVs and campers, showers, and a launderette.
NEAR THE PARK
There are several places to park the RV or pitch a tent around Jackson Hole, and a few of them are reasonably priced and not too far from the park. Some of your best bets are either out of Jackson or way out of Jackson. Most campgrounds are open from late spring to early fall.
In Jackson, the Wagon Wheel Campground (☎ 307/733-4588) is about 5 blocks north of Town Square at the Wagon Wheel Motel. The Teton Village KOA (☎ 307/733-5354), 12 miles northwest of Jackson, has 150 sites. Also away from the crowds, the Snake River Park KOA Campground is on U.S. 89, 10 miles south of town (☎ 307/733-7078), and has 90 sites.
Where to Stay
INSIDE THE PARK
Grand Teton's lodging options are few but varied. You can get information about or make reservations for Jackson Lake Lodge, Jenny Lake Lodge, and Colter Bay Village through the Grand Teton Lodge Company, Box 240, Moran, WY 83013 (☎ 800/628-9988 or 307/543-3100; www.gtlc.com). For Signal Mountain Lodge, contact Signal Mountain Lodge Co., Box 50, Moran, WY 83013 (☎ 307/543-2831; www.signal mountainlodge.com).
Grand Teton National Park properties have in-room telephones, but none have in-room television or air-conditioning. You'll find televisions in the lounge areas at the Jackson Lodge, Signal Mountain Resort, and Flagg Ranch.
COLTER BAY VILLAGE AREA
Colter Bay Village
P.O. Box 240, Moran, WY 83013. ☎ 800/628-9988 or 307/543-3100. www.gtlc.com. 166 units. $74–$139 log cabin; $37 tent cabin. MC, V. Closed late Sept to late May.
You might call this the people's resort of Grand Teton. Its simple lodgings, comparatively low prices, and lively, inclusive atmosphere seem particularly suited to families. Situated on the eastern shore of Jackson Lake, 35 miles north of Jackson, Colter Bay Village is a full-fledged recreation center. Accommodations are in roughly built log cabins perched on a wooded hillside; they are simply furnished with area rugs on tile floors, beamed ceilings, and copies of pioneer