The Jenny Lake Ranger Station is open every day from June 7 to Sept 7, 8:00 am – 5:00 pm (operating dates in GTNP). They post updates on conditions to Instagram and they covered the Upper Exum and OS on June 9th and July 4th.
Lower Saddle Weather Station (offline 7-22)
Moose, WY Forecast (GTNP)
(^forecast temps seem high^)
(^pans the Grand's west side^)
7-28-25:
The best running race in Jackson Hole takes place this Saturday at the JH Mountain Resort's 2025 Rendezvous Mountain Hill Climb. It's a nice testing ground for FKT runners on the Grand. It's mostly dirt single track by the ski slopes (harder to pass others), with a section of loose terrain over rock. Online registration closes Thursday, July 31 at 5pm MST. In-person registration will be available on Friday, August 1 at bib pickup from 3-6pm at Teton Village Sports.
It was a quiet Monday on the Grand. At least eight people were soloing throughout the day. Six were headed for the Upper Exum. A ranger and a solo climber headed for the OS. We only saw one roped party on the Upper Exum—at the end of Wall Street. And we only passed one roped party on route during the descent by Sargent's Chimney. No delays, warm weather, no real wind while climbing or while at the Lower Saddle. The Saddle was in the high 50s around 8am. As was the summit around 10am. The number of climbers headed for the saddle to climb on Tuesday far exceeded Monday's allotment. We only saw two small tents at the Moraines and none at the Saddle on Monday morning. The weather looks unstable this week so read the forecast discussion and look at the hourly forecast from the NWS.
Everything was pretty dry. Any new ice should clean up pretty quickly with warm temperatures at this mid-point in the summer climbing season. We did see two icicles between the Double Chimney and the Catwalk during the descent, in the shade. No ice was seen on route. We descended the Catwalk and not the Owen Chimney.
The two climbers we soloed with on the Upper Exum made the summit in about 4:16 from the parking lot. They were also shooting for Cloudveil via the Middle. It took us 5:09 to get to the summit. Good enough for the end of July. We met up at the end of Wall Street. The soloing climber on the OS made his very first ascent of the Grand in about 4 hours. He smoked the trail once he hit the Lower Saddle on the descent so we imagine he easily made his round-trip in under 6.5 hours.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lower Saddle Weather Station Update 7-26
The data from the Lower Saddle's weather station at 11,600' hasn't been available this summer. A fried modem at the valley floor was the excuse. You'll need to look at another high-elevation weather station to get a feel for summit temperatures until the saddle's station is back up and running. Mountain-Forecast.com tries to make an algorithmic estimate and it's often a good starting point. Like any forecast, it's a hit & miss affair.
Jackson Hole Mountain Resort 10,400'
JHMR Summit Temps: 10,400'
JH Airport Temps: 6,450'
Approximate Temperature Difference between the JHMR Summit (10,400) and the Grand Teton's Summit (13,775):
JH Airport Temps: 6,450'
Approximate Temperature Difference between the JHMR Summit (10,400) and the Grand Teton's Summit (13,775):
For this calculation to work, the weather conditions at the Airport, Grand Teton and the JHMR need to be very similar. For example: clear and dry, or wet and cloudy. It can be unreliable when cool air is trapped under hot air (inversion), or when temperatures are close to one another at the Airport and the JHMR's summit. If the Grand's Lower Saddle sits in sunshine above the clouds while the JHMR's summit sits in the clouds, then those sorts of conditions can throw off this lapse rate calculation. Nonetheless, this may help climbers who are missing the Lower Saddle's weather station. If you want to estimate the Saddle's temps, just change the 3,375 to 1,200 (1,200 is the difference in elevation between the JHMR Summit & the Lower Saddle).
Generally speaking, the temperatures fall about 5.4°F per 1,000ft rise in elevation under dry and sunny conditions (9.8°C/km). The moist adiabatic lapse rate is more variable and between 2 to 5°F/1000ft according to Wikipedia. We usually go with -3.3°F/1,000ft when estimating the odds of icy conditions in the Tetons under cloudy daytime skies. The air column surrounding the Grand Teton can contain both dry and moist air at the same time. Don't forget that the forecast temperatures you see online are temperatures expected in the shade. And weather station temps are supposed to be shaded temperature readings.
The overnight temperatures at the Lower Saddle during the summer tend to converge toward the temperatures at the valley floor, and sometimes with a small inversion as seen below....
As
the graphic above clearly illustrates, the time of day has an influence on the temperature difference between two different elevations in Jackson Hole. And
temperature swings at the Lower Saddle are fairly minor compared to those at the valley floor during the summer. The maximum temperature difference was around 32°F during this August afternoon which exceeds the 5.4° change per 1000'.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
According to TCSAR,
there were 10 climbing related rescues in 2024. Each of Garnet Canyon's
two forks saw a rescue and one rescue was in the main canyon; one
rescue was on the Grand's North Face, Middle Teton climbers were
involved in five rescues, one rescue was on the Grand's Exum Ridge, and
one rescue was on Teepe Pillar. The
rescues on the Exum Ridge & North Face were topics of BackcountryZero's "Fine Line" podcast.
The Grand Teton Climbers’ Ranch season runs from June 7, 2025 - September 14, 2025.
Summer wildfire season started early: GOES Sat Images, NOAA's smoke map, Wildfire.gov's Fire Map, Inciweb fire listings, Wyoming's interactive Fire & Air Quality map. NOAA's Smoke Forecasting System resources. AirNow's air quality for Jackson. And there's the nice Windy.com resource.
Other Summer Stuff
The Teton Climbers’ Coalition hosts their weekly bouldering series called the Town Pump throughout the summer at the Teton Boulder Park.
The annual LOTOJA Classic is back in Jackson for the 43rd year on Sept 6. It's America's best and longest one-day USAC-sanctioned 200-mile bicycle race. It ends at Teton Village.
Private guided climbing prices for 2025:
JHMG
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~ Lower Saddle Weather ~
Between Grand & Middle Teton
~ SUMMER ONLY ~
You can check a forecast from the Lower Saddle with a smart phone. We
consider a Teton forecast to be valid for about 6 hours during the summer.
FYI: Once again, the Lower Saddle's weather station had some modem issues rolling into the 2025 climbing season. The rangers haven't provided any other updates as to its availability.
FYI: Once again, the Lower Saddle's weather station had some modem issues rolling into the 2025 climbing season. The rangers haven't provided any other updates as to its availability.
Lower Saddle Weather Station
Direction from
~ SUMMER ONLY ~
- usually mid-June to mid-Sept -
@ 11,600'
Temperatures
~ SUMMER ONLY ~
- usually mid-June to mid-Sept -
@11,600'
Wind Speed,
Gust &Direction from
~ SUMMER ONLY ~
- usually mid-June to mid-Sept -
The MesoWest weather graphics are unavailable when the University of Utah is doing server maintenance. At that time, try the Teton Saddle weather page or find another upper-elevation weather station. The Saddle's station is offline during the spring, winter and fall.
Comparing the saddle's forecast with actual temperatures at the saddle's weather station gives you a feel for forecast errors and helps with decision making. Forecast wind speeds are often off by a factor of 2 or more at the saddle due to the saddle's topography not being factored into a forecast. Forecast temperatures in the hourly forecast can easily be off by 10°F at any specific time.
Comparing the saddle's forecast with actual temperatures at the saddle's weather station gives you a feel for forecast errors and helps with decision making. Forecast wind speeds are often off by a factor of 2 or more at the saddle due to the saddle's topography not being factored into a forecast. Forecast temperatures in the hourly forecast can easily be off by 10°F at any specific time.
New - - - - Full
29-Jan 13-Jan
27-Feb 12-Feb
29-Mar 14-Mar
27-Apr 12-Apr
26-May 12-May
25-Jun 11-Jun
24-Jul 10-Jul
23-Aug 9-Aug
21-Sep 7-Sep
21-Oct 6-Oct
19-Nov 5-Nov
19-Dec 4-Dec
Tonight's Aurora Forecast
~ More Live Weather ~
Radar from Riverton, WY does a poor job of covering the Tetons. The Pocatello, ID radar is usually better suited to tracking weather headed for the Tetons. Inside Jackson Hole, the mountains can hide localized weather events.
JH Airport Temps
(10 miles S-SE of Grand Teton)
Forecast for 7-days @ 6,450 ft
Jackson KJAC Dashboard
Jackson KJAC Dashboard
JHA Wind Roses
etc
In years past, the National Weather Service called into question the accuracy of the airport's weather data. Not every station is built and maintained to a high standard in the Tetons. Even the posted elevation data of a few stations is incorrect. It's not unusual for any weather station to go offline in the Tetons. Sometimes it's back online in 24 hours; sometimes it's a week or more.
(17.5 mi S-SW of the Grand Teton)
The Grand Teton probably got rained on if the next two weather stations show rain on the same day.
Precipitation @ 6430 ft
(11.5 miles west of Grand)
(11.5 miles west of Grand)
Precip during the last 31 days
Precipitation data isn't always available for the Driggs, ID and Jackson, WY airport weather stations. If it's available, rain at those two stations also indicates that the Grand probably got precipitation during the summer. Summer showers can be highly localized. This NWS portal for the JH Airport often has precip data on a drop-down menu when MesoWest doesn't. The Idaho & Wyoming DOT travel maps show webcams along with road & weather conditions. If the roads are wet on both sides of the Tetons, then the Grand probably got precipitation.
~ Webcams ~
Snow King Mountain
(all SK Cams^ - sometimes offline)
The ● (red dot) should be seen at the "LIVE" feed indicator. You may wish to change the resolution to HD if it doesn't default to that. The YouTube address for live feeds is sometimes changed by SeeJH.
Grand Targhee Summit
Pans the west side of Grand Teton
Climbers' Ranch Webcam GTNP
Often offline during off-season
Google informs us that the location of
the Climbers' Ranch has been searched for on Google Maps over 7 million times
between 2017 & 2024. The webcam should be monetized on YouTube to help pay for a Starlink dish.
~ Jenny Lake ~
Climbing Rangers
_____________________
Ranger Station Location
Ranger Station
(Summer)
307–739–3399 General Info
(GTNP's General Information)
Older Climbing Stuff
Older Climbing Stuff
The Old Rangers' Blog
AAC Accident & Trip Reports
(Search for "Grand Teton" in AAJ & Accidents)
(Search for "Grand Teton" in AAJ & Accidents)
The Jenny Lake Ranger Station is where you'll find the park's climbing rangers. The station opens in early June and closes in early September (June 7 to Sept 7 in 2025). It's operating hours are from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM every day. We suggest calling to confirm operating dates and hours for any GTNP service. Dates and hours are subject to change and sometimes the park has incorrect information on their website.
The Jenny Lake Ranger Station can be an invaluable resource for information about mountaineering routes, conditions and backcountry hikes. The rangers don't always have the newest beta on conditions. Their Instagram channel might get feedback from climbers who have more recent beta. You could also try Mountain Project's Forums, or other social media accounts with a hashtag search. You can check the current snow cover via Copernicus if you're climbing during the shoulder seasons.
The ranger station is the only place for climbers to get backcountry camping permits during the summer. The rangers also provide search & rescue operations for the park. Most are law enforcement officers.
The climbing rangers are supported by many generous donations from our community and outside of it. You can make donations through GTNP or through the non-profit Grand Teton National Park Foundation.
Besides GTNP's climbing rangers, the Teton County Search & Rescue volunteers and Yellowstone's SAR team operate in Teton County, WY. And there's the Teton County Idaho Search & Rescue team on the western side of the Tetons. Beginning in 2024, the JLCR started using the TCSAR helicopter and integrating personnel on some missions. Jackson's TCSAR
gets millions of dollars in donations from the community. As with the
JLCR, TCSAR does not charge for rescue services. Donations can be made
online to the TCSAR Foundation.
Teton County SAR and their partners (NPS rangers, BTAC, BackcountryZero, etc) host events for backcountry users. You may find them useful.
~ Backcountry Camping ~
Grand Teton National Park
Backcountry Camping Permits
(Reservations & Info and has ALL ZONES)
(Reservations & Info and has ALL ZONES)
(GTNP's General Information)
Safety in Bear Country
(No direct links from GTNP website, but still around)
(Old Ranger blog post)BC Trip Planner & Map
(Old GTNP pdf- no Garnet Canyon camping)
(npsmaps.com)
One-third of all summer backcountry campsites and all group sites in Grand Teton National Park may be reserved in advance, online, beginning in early January. Certain bivi sites located outside of camping zones are also available for reservation.
First-come, first-served, walk-in permits are available during the summer. Requests for those walk-in permits is often high. Permits can be issued one day before your trip begins and no sooner. You must arrive in person. Sometimes walk-in permits are not available for your destination. It might be that parties on multi-day trips snapped them up over the previous days. Or camping zones have reached their occupancy limit. It helps if you're first in line the day before your trip begins. You can try making a reservation two days before your trip - something new in 2024, according to Recreation.gov:
"Advance backcountry permit reservations open 8:00 a.m. MT on January 7th, 2025 for overnight stays May 1, 2025-October 31, 2025. Advanced reservations can be made up to two days before the start of a backcountry trip. If you have any questions about permits or require trip planning assistance, please contact a ranger at Grand Teton National Park (307) 739-3309."
Once the
Jenny Lake Ranger Station
opens in June, all permits for backcountry camping for climbers must be picked up
at the Jenny Lake Ranger Station. This includes walk-in permits and
those previously reserved online. Once the station closes in September, permits can be picked up at select visitor centers until they close for the winter.
Winter backcountry camping permits are usually free and available over the phone. The park's visitor centers are closed over the winter. Come May 1, all backcountry camping permits can be picked up at
the
Craig Thomas Discovery & Visitor Center until the Jenny Lake Ranger Station reopens for the summer season in early June.
Climbers
on overnight trips must have a backcountry camping permit to camp or
bivouac; however, permits are not required for climbing. We suspect that
climbing permits have been a target of discussion.
~ GTNP Emergency Dispatch ~
307-739-3301*
~ * 24/7 June 1 - Sept. 31 ~
~ * 6 a.m. - 10 p.m. Oct 1 - May 31 ~
* Please Confirm Hours/Dates
GTNP Emergency Procedures
For Climbers
911 works for texting in Teton County, WY & ID
307-739-3301*
~ * 24/7 June 1 - Sept. 31 ~
~ * 6 a.m. - 10 p.m. Oct 1 - May 31 ~
* Please Confirm Hours/Dates
GTNP Emergency Procedures
For Climbers
911 works for texting in Teton County, WY & ID
~ Smoke & Fire ~
~ Regional NWS Offices ~
(307) 857-3898
YouTubeNWS Jackson Weather Radio: 162.525
NWS Grant Village Yellowstone: 162.450
NWS Driggs, ID: 162.450
NWS Grant Village Yellowstone: 162.450
NWS Driggs, ID: 162.450
~ Aurora Forecast ~
Latest Aurora Forecast
- NOAA -
- UofA -
The
darkest sky
is N-NE of Jackson Lake
~ General Park Information ~
GTNP App
Climbing Information
Basic Info
307-739-3399 (or 3300)
Email: grte_info@nps.gov
GTNP Air Quality & Live Weather
GTNP Lost and Found 307.733.3350
The above map shows Voluntary Closures around the high peaks to protect bighorn sheep during the winter. It also shows suggested travel lines for skiers to minimize impacts on bighorns if you need to cross a "closure" zone. The full-size map shows mandatory and voluntary winter closures for bighorns in the entire park. GTNP has other closures during the winter that are mandatory (see links below).
Grand Teton National Park Seasonal Closures
(For details, Superintendents Compendium)
Caribou-Targhee Official Travel Maps
Bridger-Teton National Forest Official Travel Maps
Shoshone National Forest Official Travel Maps
JH Conservation Alliance (Additional Agency Maps)
(For details, Superintendents Compendium)
Caribou-Targhee Official Travel Maps
Bridger-Teton National Forest Official Travel Maps
Shoshone National Forest Official Travel Maps
JH Conservation Alliance (Additional Agency Maps)
~ Why free-solo ~
For those who can safely solo this mountain on a fast and light trip, it brings many advantages. It's faster. You can climb on any day that fits your schedule instead of someone else's. It's easier to make a round-trip in single day if you're soloing. You can go at your own
pace. You can leave later in the day. You can travel further when you're carrying less weight. You'll feel stronger while climbing. You might recover
more quickly. You can focus on the rock and not on the mechanics of roped
climbing. You can skip the expensive camping permit, gear and guide. Older, injured or
physically weaker climbers may not be able to carry gear or travel on
time-lengthy trips. Stronger climbers may not have the time for multi-day climbing
activities. You'll move faster then protected climbers and that is
often a safety advantage when the weather window is short, or a quick escape is necessary. It's unlikely
that free-soloing climbers are delaying other climbers in a
significant way and that helps keep all climbers moving in a timely
manner. It's easier to pass other climbers when you're soloing so that you're not delayed. You might have a smaller environmental impact in
the backcountry if you're just out for the day. You can enjoy some solitude. There's a freedom that you can't get from being tied to the mountain or other climbers. And it's a far more enjoyable experience for many.
To quote
Anton Krupicka: "It’s about, of course, having fun, covering a wide variety of
ground efficiently, emphasizing the movement and the activity."
Free-soloing has its inherent, objective dangers as does any activity but it's
relativity safe if you're climbing within your comfort zone and taking
obvious precautions like avoiding bad weather and poor conditions. For a time, back in the old days, solo climbing was illegal in the park but the rule was often broken by climbers like John Gill who was soloing 5.10s in the Tetons.
The best investment you can make if you wish to solo these routes
and don't mind spending some money might be buying or renting
a pair of climbing shoes. They will
boost your confidence & safety on the rock. You don't need super
sticky big wall climbing shoes for the Owen-Spalding or Upper Exum routes. Most approach shoes made for climbing work fine as do several trail running and mountain biking shoes. The wrong shoes will ruin a trip so if your clunky work boots
keep your feet happy on 15-mile mountain hikes, you might prefer
those over something else. Preferably boots with non-slip soles. Most Vibram soles work well. There are others. Choose wisely given the objective, your skill set and preferences. Of course, wearing a helmet doesn't hurt.
~ Valley Camping ~
Free Camping close to GTNP
On the BTNF
(Click to enlarge)
Free camping locations fill up quickly during the summer. You may get lucky. It's not always super crowded. A 5-day stay limit is in effect from May 1st through Labor Day on the Bridger-Teton's Jackson Ranger District and parts of the Blackrock Ranger District (Moran area). Call 307-739-5500 for updated details or visit their website. Interactive Forest Service Map.
As of 2025, no user permits are required to use the national forest for dispersed camping but that's likely to change in the future. The BTNF has a radio broadcast on 1710 AM to broadcast pertinent travel information but the broadcast is often worthless for travel updates, hazards, closures, etc. Camping information, regulations and locations can change from year-to-year.
Not all dirt roads are easy to navigate by a small car. Some roads need a 4x4 truck. Vehicles may not be able to turn around in tight spots at dead ends. Forest service roads open to the public for summer access as the roads dry out. The BTNF Motor Vehicle Use Maps have typical opening dates for each road (Link to all BTNF maps).
Most 3rd-party commercial apps and websites do a great job covering all of the valley camping options. Of course, paid lodging is available throughout the valley. And private fee-based campgrounds in the valley are available (mostly RVs). Our Jackson Hole Camping Guide also covers some camping options.
There are a few first-come, first-served free camping spots along the Grassy Lake Road at the northern end of Grand Teton National Park inside the GTNP-managed John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway. They are usually full. You'll also find the Flagg Ranch campground and their lodging in the same general area (the Headwaters). And just south of there is the BTNF's fee-based Sheffield Campground. More camping sites are on the west side of the Tetons in the CTNF (access via Idaho).
Please be thoughtful when using our free camping sites so that they remain accessible to those who prefer undeveloped camping options. The Forest Service spends a considerable amount of money cleaning up after visitors, managing sites, and repairing damaged resources. They will probably start charging fees to access forest resources in the coming years. If you wish to donate time or money to improve our forest resources, please visit the BTNF offices or contact the Friends of the Bridger-Teton non-profit.
~ Showers ~
Inside the park, showers are available at the Climbers' Ranch, Colter Bay Village, and the Signal Mountain Lodge RV Park. They started around $5 or so in 2025. The Headwaters/Flagg Ranch has free showers for tent campers staying at the northern reaches of the GTNP/JDR Parkway. In the Town of Jackson, the Teton County recreation center has a pool, showers, climbing wall, etc. You could always take a cool (or freezing) summer dip in a river, creek, lake or pond.
~ Miscellaneous ~
Below are a few online resources of historical interest connected to
the Tetons. Books cover much of our climbing history but some great
mementos are down the rabbit hole, especially visual. New history is
always being written on the web but it often disappears if left unattended.
Bentley Boykin (offline)
Googler: Noah Howell or Website
Jerry Roberts passed away in '23 and his website went with him:
(^Sadly, website in poor shape)
George Gardner Scholarship Fund
George BellGeorge Gardner Scholarship Fund
Alpinist Teton Women
Taylor Glenn
Miscellaneous Links
~ Water Resources ~
Taylor Glenn
Miscellaneous Links
~ Water Resources ~
FYI: The above graphic has been using Pacific Time, not Mountain Time for the "latest" temp reading. Time.gov
Water temps at Jenny Lake might be available by calling the Jenny Lake Boating team. They have a water thermometer by the boat dock (webcam). Summer only. Climbers engaged in The Picnic (AKA the Grand Teton Triathlon) like to track water temps for their swim across Jenny Lake. A few climbers like to take a refreshing dip after their climb. A dirt road splits off of the Lupine Meadows Road immediately after passing the bridge over Cottonwood Creek. It goes north to the Jenny Lake Boat Launch area. You can take a quick dip to cool off or clean up but it's not for swimming.
Water temps at Jenny Lake might be available by calling the Jenny Lake Boating team. They have a water thermometer by the boat dock (webcam). Summer only. Climbers engaged in The Picnic (AKA the Grand Teton Triathlon) like to track water temps for their swim across Jenny Lake. A few climbers like to take a refreshing dip after their climb. A dirt road splits off of the Lupine Meadows Road immediately after passing the bridge over Cottonwood Creek. It goes north to the Jenny Lake Boat Launch area. You can take a quick dip to cool off or clean up but it's not for swimming.
@ Jackson Lake Dam ↑ - 6777'
Inside GTNP
Snake River Reservoirs
Upper Snake River BasinInside GTNP
Snake's flows before Alpine
~~~~~~~
Gros Venture River
Buffalo Fork
Pacific Creek
Green River at Warren Bridge
Salt River
Hoback River below Camp Cr
~~~~~~~
Gros Venture River
Buffalo Fork
Pacific Creek
Green River at Warren Bridge
Salt River
Hoback River below Camp Cr
Snow/SWE/Water↑
~~~~~
If Jackson Lake is really low, the western banks of the lake can be used to access some of the trailless bushwhacking areas north of Mt Moran. Bring bear spray and a mountain man sensibility.
~River Webcams~
Enjoy Safe Climbing