Where Should I Stay While Visiting Grand Teton?

Grand Teton National Park is a spectacular land full of majestic mountains, pristine alpine lakes, and exciting wildlife — it’s the perfect place to take a vacation!

Where should you stay while visiting Grand Teton? If you want to be close to the best hikes and viewpoints in the park, stay in a central location near Jenny Lake, Signal Mountain, or Jackson Lake. If you’re looking for something outside of the park, the western town of Jackson is a fantastic option.

My name is Ash, and I worked as a park ranger in Wyoming — I’ve spent a lot of time in the park! I’m excited to help you decide where to stay during your Grand Teton adventures, so let’s talk about your options.

Grand Teton Map, Entrances, and Nearby Towns

First, let’s get the lay of the land around Grand Teton. This park has three official entrances, so you’ve got plenty of options for places to stay while visiting Grand Teton.

Moose Entrance of Grand Teton (Jackson)

The Moose Entrance is the main entrance to Grand Teton if you’re coming in from the town of Jackson. After passing through this entrance, you’ll be close to popular sights like Taggart Lake, Jenny Lake, and String Lake.  Because of its location, this entrance is usually my preferred place to stay near while visiting the park.

The town of Jackson has plenty of amenities, hotels, shops, restaurants, and outdoor activities to keep you busy for a long time. You’ll never get bored in this fun old western town!

Granite Canyon Entrance of Grand Teton (Wilson and Teton Village)

The Granite Canyon Entrance is located just outside of Teton Village on the Moose-Wilson Road. Entering the park through here feels like you’re taking a backway into Grand Teton. After entering the park at Granite Canyon, you’ll pass by the Death Canyon Trailhead and the Laurance Rockefeller Preserve as you drive up toward Moose and the main part of the park.

Be aware that when you enter the park through the Granite Canyon Entrance, you’ll also need to wait in line at the Moose Entrance if you plan on heading toward Jenny Lake. Also, vehicles longer than 23 feet are not permitted on the Moose-Wilson Road (which is narrow and only partially paved) beyond the Granite Canyon Entrance.

The towns of Wilson and Teton Village are tucked in close to the mountains and have a lot of luxury lodging options and activities.

Moran Entrance of Grand Teton (Yellowstone and Dubois)

Grand Teton’s neighbor to the north, Yellowstone National Park, is definitely worth a vacation all on its own. If you’re visiting Yellowstone while you’re in the area, you’ll likely pass through the Moran Entrance of Grand Teton at some point. You’ll also pass through this entrance if you’re coming to the park from Dubois or driving the Outer Park Road (Highway 191) to get to the Jackson Lake Lodge or Colter Bay Village.

There isn’t much outside of this entrance regarding modern amenities. You’ll find a few small ranches that have lodging options near Moran, and there’s a lodge and campground at Flagg Ranch located between the two parks. If you need groceries, your best bet will be driving south to Jackson, east to the town of Dubois, or north to West Yellowstone.

If you’d like more information on the best or closest airport and roads around Grand Teton, including details about getting to each of these entrances, check out How to Get to Grand Teton National Park.

Staying Inside of Grand Teton National Park

Grand Teton is small enough that it’s not necessary to stay in the heart of Grand Teton National Park to be close to the main points of interest. However, you’ll find some incredibly scenic lodges, rustic cabins, and campgrounds here that will enhance your experience. I recommend staying inside of the park if you want to have more opportunities for sightseeing without the crowds (especially in peak season!) — or if you want constant Teton views!

Hotels and Lodges in Grand Teton

There are seven lodges in the park, so you’ve got a lot of options for a great place to stay while visiting Grand Teton! Experiencing the park before everyone gets there or after everyone has left is the very best thing about staying in one of these lodges.

You’ll find a range of amenities and comforts between these lodging options — from basic camper cabins with shared bunks at the Climbers Ranch to the rustic luxury of Jenny Lake Lodge cabins with five-course dinners. Most of these lodges have fantastic Teton views directly from the guest rooms or just a short walk away.

The Climbers Ranch, Jackson Lake Lodge, Signal Mountain Lodge, Jenny Lake Lodge, Triangle X Dude Ranch, and Colter Bay Cabins are all within short driving distance to the park’s can’t-miss spots. The Headwaters Lodge is further north than I typically like to be while visiting the Tetons and staying here will add a decent amount of driving to your trip.

Reservations for the lodges in Grand Teton can typically be made up to one year in advance of your travel dates.

Tip — if you aren’t able to book an in-park lodge listed above but still want Teton views, check out the cabins at Dornan’s. While not considered in-park lodging, Dornan’s is only about 2 minutes from the Moose Entrance Station and nearby visitor center.

Grand Teton Campgrounds

Grand Teton has seven in-park campgrounds that range from tent-only to full RV hookups.

I recommend trying to stay in the middle of the park to get as close as you can to the can’t-miss spots in Grand Teton. Jenny Lake and Signal Mountain are the most centrally located campgrounds in the park, so I’d start there. If you’re unable to get a site in either of those campgrounds, try for Gros Ventre or Colter Bay next. Lizard Creek and Headwaters are the most outlying campgrounds in Grand Teton, so I’d only stay there if that’s all that is available or you want to be off-the-beaten-path.

All campsites in Grand Teton are reservable, and reservations can be made up to 6 months in advance of your travel dates. To learn more about your camping options and how to snag a site, read all about camping in Grand Teton.

Tip — if you aren’t able to reserve a campsite in the park, you’ll find more options in the nearby forest service land.

Staying Outside of Grand Teton National Park

Because Grand Teton is a relatively small national park, it’s easy to stay close to the park without actually being in the park. I recommend staying outside of Grand Teton if you want nicer amenities, more variety in pricing, or more activity and dining options.

But here’s the disclaimer — lodging options in the Jackson Hole area are typically rather expensive. Staying in the park can actually often be cheaper than staying in town. If you can’t get in-park lodging, you may be tempted to book a hotel further out from the park or the town of Jackson to save some money. If you decide to go that route, recognize that you may need to drive on curvy canyon roads or steep mountain passes to get to Grand Teton.

Staying in Jackson

So, that being said, the cowboy town of Jackson is the most convenient place to stay outside of Grand Teton. You’ll be hitting the trails in no time due to its location, just a short drive from the park.

Jackson also has many shops and restaurants and is the prime location for activities such as whitewater rafting on the Snake River, skiing, horseback riding, and biking in the surrounding areas. You’ll love the art galleries, dinner shows, shootouts, rodeos, and the famous elk antler arches in the Town Square. This old western town is one of the best national park gateway towns in the country!

The town of Jackson is located on the southern end of Grand Teton, near both the Moose Entrance and the Outer Park Road (Highway 191). Click here to see lodging options in Jackson.

Staying in Wilson or Teton Village

The towns of Wilson and Teton Village are just a few minutes from Jackson and Grand Teton. If you still want to be close to everything but would like to avoid the crowds in Jackson, staying here might be a great fit for you. You’ll find more solitude here as you stay and play at the base of the Teton Range.

Enjoy upscale dining, ride the gondola, or go on a Via Ferrata adventure while you’re here! When you’re ready to go into Grand Teton, you can take the traditional route into the park via Jackson, or drive the narrow Moose-Wilson Road and look for wildlife. Click here to see lodging options in Teton Village.

Staying in Victor, Alpine, or Bondurant

I get a lot of questions about staying a little further away from Grand Teton due to the high cost of lodging in Jackson. The towns of Victor, Alpine, and Bondurant are all about 35-45 minutes from Jackson and can be a great option for budget-friendly lodging.

If you decide to stay in one of these towns, you’ll want to read about the roads you’ll have to drive to get to Grand Teton before you book your stay. Because you’ll have to drive further to get to the park, I’d only book something in these towns if you’re willing to get an early start to your day to make it to the Grand Teton before the parking lots fill.

Click here to see lodging options in Victor, Alpine, or Bondurant.

Should I Stay in One Hotel to See Both Grand Teton and Yellowstone?

I don’t recommend staying in one hotel to visit both Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks. If you want to take advantage of your time in each park, I suggest booking your lodging for each park individually.

Some people day trip from Grand Teton up to Yellowstone, or vice versa, and that’s fine if it’s the only way you can make time to see the parks. But it’s about a 1.5-hour drive from the town of Jackson to Yellowstone’s South Entrance, and driving that route each day will significantly cut into your sightseeing time. Even staying somewhere like Flagg Ranch will add a ton of extra driving time to your trip if you want to visit the southern end of Grand Teton or the northern end of Yellowstone.

If you have the time to devote to both national parks, it makes more sense to book separate local hotels for each park.

I hope you find a fabulous place to stay while visiting Grand Teton National Park — happy trails!

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