Grand Teton Choose Your Own Adventure

I’m excited to invite you all to Cattleman’s Bridge in Grand Teton NP on Saturday, August 22. This is a fun area with recreational opportunities for everyone. You can spend the day hanging out on the river beach, kayaking, canoeing, paddle boarding or fishing on the Snake River. There are also easy hikes along the river and harder ones just up the road. It is a more secluded area, down an unmarked road (which helps!)

What to bring: Lunch, water, snacks. Camp chairs or blankets, easy ups if you have them. Equipment for your chosen fun for the day. Sun screen, bug spray (although the skeeters weren’t bad on the recon mission last week) and bear spray if you’re hiking.  Bathing suits, towels and a change of clothes (at least for the kids). Hand sanitizer and/or wet wipes.

How to get there: Teton Pass out of the valley, then there are several options.

Moose-Wilson Road: take left at the first light after the pass, after passing Teton Village, you will come to an entrance station. Then continue on the main road until you get to Moose. This road can be pretty rough. Turn left to go through Main Park road (more scenic) or right and out to the highway (a little faster).

Spring Gulch Road: take a left at the second light after the pass.  Follow the main road until Sagebrush Drive, turn right. Go 3/4 of the way around the roundabout and head to the park. Use either the Moose or Moran entrance. This way will likely be fastest, as you can bypass tourist and construction traffic.

Jackson: go to the third light after the pass (at Albertson’s) turn left, then left at the main light on the square. Follow this road until Moose or Moran.

   Moose Entrance: follow the main park road to the Jackson Lake intersection, turn right. Make the first right (it’s unmarked). Follow the road around until the end.

   Moran Entrance: follow the highway to the Moran entrance. Turn left on the road after the Oxbow Bend of the Snake River. It’s unmarked. Follow it to the end.

A few notes:

Entrance fees are $30/ car for 7 days. America the Beautiful, Senior and Access Passes will get your vehicle load in for free. I recommend carpooling if you don’t already have a full vehicle. This will help with parking as well. Kayaks, canoes and paddle boards and boats will need WY and Grand Teton AIS stickers. WY can be purchased online, GTNP can be purchased at the Visitor Stations at Moose and Colter Bay. I know some of us already use these at String Lake and may have them. Anglers need WY fishing licenses, there is no special GTNP license.  More info can be found here: https://www.nps.gov/grte/planyourvisit/boat.htm.

The closest bathrooms are on your way in, in Moose there are several on the main road, but the visitor center has the nicest ones. In Moran, just after the entrance station there is one on the left at the Pacific Creek river access. There are some at the Jackson Lake dam area and parking areas near the Jackson Lake Lodge just up the road.