Grand Teton National Park
Grand Teton Regulations
For your safety, and to protect Grand Teton's treasures, please read and follow all NPS regulations. Complete regulations are available at any park visitor center.
Backcountry Use
Permits are required for overnight backcountry use. Please see the "Walking & Hiking" section on pages 60—62, and "Camping" section on pages 64—65.
Biking
You may ride anywhere cars are permitted. Biking is prohibited on trails or in the backcountry.
Swimming
Swimming is permitted in park lakes; it is discouraged in the Snake River due to cold water and strong currents.
Lake and River Boating
Motorized craft and non-motorized craft both require a park permit to operate on park waters. Boaters can purchase either a seven-day permit or a season-long (annual) permit; fees vary accordingly. To float the Snake River, you must register your craft with the NPS and obtain a boat permit. Register and pay fees at Moose or Colter Bay visitor centers.
Motorized craft are permitted only on Jackson and Jenny lakes (small engine only on Jenny). Non-motorized craft are allowed on Bearpaw, Bradley, Emma Matilda, Jackson, Jenny, Leigh, Phelps, String, Taggart and Two Ocean lakes. Note that sailing, waterskiing and windsurfing are allowed only on Jackson Lake. Please check with park personnel regarding current fees and regulations during your visit.
Vehicle Regulations
Vehicles are restricted to established roadways; no off-road (ORV) travel is allowed in the park. Snowmobiles are allowed on the Continental Divide Snowmobile Trail when snow conditions permit.
Firearms/Hunting
Firearms are not allowed openly in Grand Teton, although unloaded weapons may be transported through the park if kept cased, packed or stored in a manner that prevents their ready use. In autumn, an elk reduction program is conducted by special permit at the National Elk Refuge, throughout the John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway, and in specified portions of Grand Teton.
STAYING SAFE
Altitude
The lowest points in Jackson Hole are more than a mile above sea level. Trails and tram rides into the mountains can take you above 10,000 feet in elevation. Visitors from lower elevations may feel short of breath at times and should carefully consider their physical condition when planning backcountry travel. Symptoms can be minimized by resting, eating high energy snacks, drinking more fluids, avoiding cigarettes and alcohol, and limiting strenuous activity.
Wildlife
Animals have the right-of-way everywhere in the park, including roads, trails and parking lots. All wild creatures, from chipmunks to moose, are potentially dangerous and should be respected from a distance. Female animals with young are especially unpredictable. The park is also home to both black and grizzly bears and mountain lions. These large predators are considered dangerous, especially when surprised or approached too closely. Maintain a distance of at least a football field from bears, and give all animals including bison, moose and elk a wide berth. Bison have been known to gore visitors who approach too closely. Campers must guard their food from scavengers by storing it inside vehicles out of view or by using backcountry bearproof facilities or canisters. For other tips, please see pages 44—45.
Driving
The view out the window can distract you from paying attention to other vehicles on the road; share driving responsibilities so everyone gets a chance to sightsee in comfort. Fellow motorists may stop suddenly to avoid animals jumping in the flow of traffic or to watch them feeding along the roadsides. If you stop to view an attraction, use roadside turnouts to avoid being a traffic hazard.
As an alternative to driving, consider taking a scenic tour of the park by bus. Contact the Grand Teton Lodge Company at (307) 543-2811 or other tour operators for information.
Be aware that mountain storms can result in snowy conditions or icy roads during almost any month of the year.
Water Safety
Boating and rafting are popular on Grand Teton's many lakes and the Snake River (mountain water is usually quite cold year-round). There are no lifeguards at park lakes. No inner-tubing is allowed on the Snake River due to its swift currents and natural debris such as logjams.
Water from lakes, rivers or streams needs to be treated before drinking by either filtering or boiling to eliminate microorganisms, such as Giardia lamblia, that can make you ill.
Dress
Sunscreen, sunglasses, hats, and protective clothing should be worn every day of the year. During warmer months, a cotton shirt, fleece pullover and rain jacket or windbreaker are a wise combination against potential hot sun, high winds, rain or mosquitoes. Shorts are fine at noon, but long pants are better in the morning and evening. If you are visiting in winter, late fall or early spring, be prepared for extreme cold and sudden storms by dressing in warm layered clothing.
Fires
Campgrounds provide fire grates for visitor use. Backcounty campfires are prohibited except at designated lakeshore campsites.
Pets
All domestic animals must be leashed in Grand Teton whenever they are outside of a private vehicle. No pets are allowed in the backcountry or on park trails. Service animals are allowed in the park, but must be kept under restraint.
Vandalism
Damaging property or removing plants, animals and minerals from the park is illegal. Violators are subject to heavy fines.
Grand Teton In Depth
News from the Parks
Gettysburg Address to Return for Visitor Center Grand Opening
August 21, 2008 - 5:04pm
There are only five known manuscripts of the famous Gettysburg Address, penned by President Abraham Lincoln — one of those original documents is scheduled to appear in Gettysburg, during the grand opening celebration of the new Gettysburg National Military Park Visitor Center.
August 21, 2008 - 5:04pm
There are only five known manuscripts of the famous Gettysburg Address, penned by President Abraham Lincoln — one of those original documents is scheduled to appear in Gettysburg, during the grand opening celebration of the new Gettysburg National Military Park Visitor Center.
Anglers Wary of North Cascades Plan to Limit Fishing
August 21, 2008 - 10:51am
Not much comes easy in the precipitous ice-and-rock geography of North Cascades National Park -- not the hiking, not the high-lakes fishing, and across the park's 40 years of existence, not even fish management. This is what I'm thinking during the sweaty hike out of the stunning cirque that embraces Monogram Lake, where I've spent a couple hours catching and releasing dozens of pretty cutthroat trout with two mountain anglers who fear that soon there will be no fish in the park's high lakes. Whether trout should be in these lakes at all has been an issue since the park was created in 1968, and it is coming to a head with the release in July of the park's voluminous "Mountain Lakes Fishery Management Plan."
August 21, 2008 - 10:51am
Not much comes easy in the precipitous ice-and-rock geography of North Cascades National Park -- not the hiking, not the high-lakes fishing, and across the park's 40 years of existence, not even fish management. This is what I'm thinking during the sweaty hike out of the stunning cirque that embraces Monogram Lake, where I've spent a couple hours catching and releasing dozens of pretty cutthroat trout with two mountain anglers who fear that soon there will be no fish in the park's high lakes. Whether trout should be in these lakes at all has been an issue since the park was created in 1968, and it is coming to a head with the release in July of the park's voluminous "Mountain Lakes Fishery Management Plan."
Bison Advocates Go for Space
August 21, 2008 - 10:48am
As rancher Rick Knobe slowly guides his pickup around the iconic American bison on the prairie here, he reflects on a time when they roamed freely. "I figure the buffalo were there first, the elk were there first, the wolves were there first," he says, looking over his herd of 28 American bison, on his Lazy RRse Buffalo Ranch. "I figure these animals should be given more the right of way to roam."
August 21, 2008 - 10:48am
As rancher Rick Knobe slowly guides his pickup around the iconic American bison on the prairie here, he reflects on a time when they roamed freely. "I figure the buffalo were there first, the elk were there first, the wolves were there first," he says, looking over his herd of 28 American bison, on his Lazy RRse Buffalo Ranch. "I figure these animals should be given more the right of way to roam."
Rapid Climate Change Threatens to Thaw Icy Wonderland of Alaska
August 21, 2008 - 10:43am
I was in Alaska for 10 days in August, on a fellowship with Michigan State University's Knight Center for Environmental Journalism and the Union of Concerned Scientists, to see firsthand the effects of global warming. I didn't have to look far. I watched massive chunks of glacial ice breaking off into the sea.
August 21, 2008 - 10:43am
I was in Alaska for 10 days in August, on a fellowship with Michigan State University's Knight Center for Environmental Journalism and the Union of Concerned Scientists, to see firsthand the effects of global warming. I didn't have to look far. I watched massive chunks of glacial ice breaking off into the sea.
Park Seeks Construction Comment
August 21, 2008 - 10:38am
The National Park Service proposes to construct new housing, operations and recreation facilities in Big Bend National Park. The public, organizations and other agencies may review and comment upon a draft environmental assessment (EA) describing the proposal. The new construction would occur at Panther Junction, Rio Grande Village and Castolon. The proposal is to construct 27 structures, of which 15 would serve new purposes and 12 would replace temporary or inadequate facilities.
August 21, 2008 - 10:38am
The National Park Service proposes to construct new housing, operations and recreation facilities in Big Bend National Park. The public, organizations and other agencies may review and comment upon a draft environmental assessment (EA) describing the proposal. The new construction would occur at Panther Junction, Rio Grande Village and Castolon. The proposal is to construct 27 structures, of which 15 would serve new purposes and 12 would replace temporary or inadequate facilities.
