A Climber's Guide to the Grand Teton




 ~ Route Overviews ~
 
 
 

Upper Exum
 
 
Owen-Spalding
 
 
Approach & Info
 
 
 
~ Grand Teton Trip Reports ~



April 9th, 2016 (OS)
April 17th, 2016 (OS)
May 30th, 2016 (OS)
June 19th, 2016 (UXM & OS)
July 9th, 2016  (OS)
July 17th, 2016 (UXM)
August 9th, 2015 (OS)
August 25th, 2015 (OS)
Sept. 10th 2016 (UXM & OS)
Sept.17th 2016 (UXM & OS)
September 20th, 2015 (OS)
September 26th, 2015 (OS)
 October 17th, 2015 (OS)
October 25th, 2015 (OS)

  
 
~ Forecast ~
Interactive WYDOT Map with webcams, weather and conditions.
 

 ~ 2024 Notes ~

 

Reservations for The Grand Teton Climbers’ Ranch 2024 summer season can now be made. They are open from June 8, 2024 - September 15, 2024.  
 
May is a tempting time to hit the backcountry skiing lines. Quite often, people who die or get injured in avalanches are experienced Teton mountaineers who think they can "read the mountains" as if they had magical powers and sufficient knowledge about unknown variables. Many were ignoring very basic rules of engagement in avalanche terrain when they got injured or died. Like these two guys on May 17th in 2015. Both of whom knew better. Nothing is certain in the backcountry but ignoring obvious red flags and not taking simple measures to mitigate threats is not going to end well.
 
Once the snow & ice burns off on the Bradley Lake approach into Garnet Canyon, the Burned Wagon Gulch trailhead is usually the best option to reach the first junction of the standard Lupine Meadows approach throughout May. At the mouth of the gulch, travel north to get around any standing water then back toward the gulch where the trail traverses the south-facing slope. This area burns off at a faster rate than the approach from the Lupine Meadows trailhead to the first junction; however, with a mild winter snowpack, there may not be a big advantage.
 
In what seems to be a new policy, according to Recreation.gov, "advanced backcountry reservations can be made up to two days before the start of a backcountry trip". Last-minute reservations (2-days ahead) might be hard to come by unless cancelled reservations become available. 2/3rds of all permits are set aside for walk-ins and online reservations are often made months in advance. Perhaps, other changes have been made to facilitate last-minute reservations if the stated policy is indeed true. If you have any questions about permits or require trip planning assistance, please contact a ranger at Grand Teton National Park (307) 739-3309.
 

Also new this year, summer backcountry camping permits will now be charged a base fee of $20, plus a fee of $7 per person, per night. This will result in much higher permit fees for families on multi-day trips.

Here is an interactive backcountry camping zones map which also shows bivy sites.
 
 
 

~ Live Weather ~
 


Check here for Latest Animation
Check here for Latest Image
Pacific Coast to WY

 
Northern Rockies Radar
↑Combines Radar and Satellite↑

The following weather graphs will not present data if the weather station goes offline. That's pretty common. Sometimes they are back online within 24 hours, other times it's a week or more. Some stations are seasonal weather stations.



 JH Airport Temps
(10 miles S-SE of Grand Teton)

Mt Glory Temps
@ 10,059 ft 
(17.5 mi S-SW of the Grand Teton)
 
Mt Glory Wind Speeds
@ 10,059 ft


U.S. CRN, Moose, WY
Precipitation @ 6466 ft
(7.2 miles SE of Grand Teton)
More Details
 
Precipitation  @ 6430 ft
(11.5 miles west of Grand)
Precip during the last 31 days
 
Surprise Pinnacle Wind & Temp
Just east of Grand @ 9770 ft
 
 
 ~ Lower Saddle Weather ~
Between Grand & Middle Teton
 
  
Saddle Forecast @ 11,600 Ft
   
***** Saddle's 7-Day Forecast
 
 
 
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. Do not trust a multi-day forecast. Dramatic changes in a mountain forecast are common, sometimes from morning to afternoon. And afternoon thunderstorms might be omitted from a morning forecast. The more detailed NWS's forecast discussion might be more helpful. Many forecasts are misleading if not examined carefully. Avoiding afternoon thunderstorms is one reason why most climbers get an early start in the Tetons. 


 
 
Lower Saddle Weather Station 
@ 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 -
 

You can compare the saddle's forecast temperatures with actual temperatures at the saddle's weather station. Same with wind speeds. Getting a feel for forecast errors helps with decision making. Forecast wind speeds are often off by a factor of 2 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. For the record, valley temperatures inside GTNP are rarely above 90°F.
 

  ~ Webcams ~ 


 
Stilson Parking Lot - JHMR cams
(Google Map of Hwy 22 & Hwy 390)
 
 
View from GTNP @ Moose, WY



  Jackson Hole Golf & Tennis


The ● (red dot) should be seen at the "LIVE" feed indicator. The YouTube channel's address for live feeds is sometimes changed by SeeJH. You can find more Jackson Hole webcams near the bottom of this page.



WY Balloon Co.
Pans JH Valley, zooms GT

 

Cody Bowl JHMR


Often offline during off-season 

Check the Time & Date. It may be an old image. It can be hours before the AAC's image updates.
 
Grand Targhee Summit
Pans the west side of Grand Teton

Snow King Mountain
(all SK Cams^ - sometimes offline)


from Buffalo Fork

Togwotee Mtn Lodge
Togwotee Pass Highway

Wind River Lake
(Togwotee Pass)
-Blackrock, Wind River, Dubois-



 
 ~ Jenny Lake ~
Climbing Rangers

  
 
** Rangers' Blog **
(Check First)
 
 
~ Route Conditions ~
  


Ranger Station Location

Ranger Station

307-739-3343
(Summer)
 
(GTNP's General Information)
 

The ranger station at Jenny Lake starts operating in early June and closes in early September. It's open from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM every day during that time period. We always suggest calling to confirm operating dates and hours for any GTNP service. Outside of the summer high season, you can call: 307-739-3309 for information on conditions, climbing, permits, etc.
 
The Jenny Lake Climbing Rangers provide search & rescue operations for the park. Some are law enforcement officers. They also provide information about mountaineering routes and backcountry hikes during the summer. And they distribute backcountry camping permits.
 
The Jenny Lake Climbing Rangers are supported by many generous donations from our community and outside of it. You can make donations to the rangers directly through GTNP or the non-profit Grand Teton National Park Foundation.
 
Besides GTNP's climbing rangers, we also have Teton County Search & Rescue and Yellowstone's SAR team in Teton County, WY. And there's the Teton County Idaho Search & Rescue team on the western side of the Tetons in Driggs, ID. 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.
 
Throughout the year, TCSAR hosts many programs for backcountry users intended to help everyone stay safe. They are worth checking out if you're new to skiing, mountaineering, or just playing in the Tetons.



~ Backcountry Camping ~
Grand Teton National Park

 
 
Backcountry Camping Permits
(Reservations & Info)

(GTNP's General Information)
 
Backcountry Permits
(GTNP's General Information)

Safety in Bear Country
 
 
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 (not verified by us). We assume that these last-minute reservations are for permits set aside for reservations that went unclaimed or cancelled but we don't know for sure.
 
Once the Jenny Lake Ranger Station opens in June, all permits for backcountry camping in Garnet Canyon and all backcountry camping permits 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 



Spring Creek Ranch
Pans east side of Teton Range
(atop the East Gros Ventre Butte)


 
~ Regional NWS Offices ~

(307) 857-3898
1-800-211-1448
nws.riverton@noaa.gov
12744 West U.S. Hwy 26
Riverton, WY 82501

 
NWS Office in Pocatello, ID
1945 Beechcraft Ave
Pocatello, ID 83204
208-233-0834
YouTube

~ Aurora Forecast ~


Latest Aurora Forecast

- NOAA -
 
 
 
 
 
- UofA -

 
 
~ Night Sky ~
 

The darkest sky is N-NE of Jackson Lake
 
 

 
 
 

~ Valley Resources ~


Exum Mountain Guides: exumguides.com
Jackson Hole Mountain Guides: themountainguides.com
Teton Backcountry Guides: tetonbackcountryguides.com
American Avalanche Institute: americanavalancheinstitute.com
Driggs based Yostmark: yostmark.com
Teton Backcountry Alliance
Teton Climbers’ Coalition
 
 
~ Valley Camping ~
 
 
 Free Camping close to GTNP
(Click to enlarge)

 
 
Free camping locations fill up quickly during the summer. The ones closer to town are very busy. It's almost not worth looking for a spot unless you know when it's worth looking through first-hand experience. If you do look, early to mid morning is suggested. Don't be surprised if no spots are available or others are also looking. Of course, you may get lucky. It's not always super crowded. A 5-day stay limit was 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 for updated details.

Some of the dispersed camping locations in the national forest might have volunteer hosts keeping an eye on things. A few of those free locations might have toilets. Currently, no user permits are required to use the national forest for dispersed camping. This might change. The BTNF was proposing a new permit & fee system for all river users (news coverage) in 2023. The BTNF has a radio broadcast on 1710 AM to broadcast pertinent travel information. Sometimes roads are closed due to fallen trees, landslides, or poor conditions. Or other issues crop up.

Not all dirt roads are easy to navigate by a small car. Some roads are impossible to navigate with anything but a 4x4 truck. And vehicles may not be able to turn around in tight spots at dead ends. Forest service roads do not always open to the public on a specific date. They wait for the roads to dry out after the winter snow and spring moisture. The Moran Vista site up Spread Creek is part of a gravel pit area. It's easy to get to on a well maintained dirt road and it's a good spot for big RVs. As expected, it's busy.

In the past, the visitor guides for our national forests had detailed camping information: older BTNF & CTNF guides. Sadly, they aren't updated on a yearly basis and it's unknown if they will continue to be published. However, starting around 2020-21, the forest service websites were greatly improved and they continue to see improvements. Camping regulations and locations do change so it's good to get the latest updates from them. Our Jackson Hole Camping page is not updated on a regular basis but it has additional information on valley camping options. Web-based apps and webpages cover every camping spot in the valley. Of course, paid lodging is available in throughout the valley. Fee-based campgrounds in the valley are just as busy as free ones.

The campgrounds in GTNP require reservations. There are several types of booking windows available in GTNP. We have seen reservations available on the day of arrival (or day before) if campground spots are unused. This was an unexpected change in 2023. Places like Colter Bay were holding some campsites for those reserving two weeks in advance. Many spots are reserved months in advance. Call to confirm your options at a specific concessionaire's campground, or check with the privately run recreation.gov website. The AAC Climbers' Ranch in GTNP has rustic cabins with bunk beds. The ranch is south of the Lupine Meadows trailhead. You might get a last-minute reservation there, but you might not get much sleep in a shared bunk cabin.

All the fee-based campgrounds on the Bridger-Teton National Forest are on a first come, first served basis. There are no reservations taken except for large group sites and cabins. Outside of the valley, there are fee-based Forest Service campgrounds in the Hoback River Canyon & Snake River Canyon. They are popular. Free dispersed car camping is also available in the Hoback Canyon. The only free dispersed car camping that's near the Snake River Canyon's northern end is off Fall Creek Rd.

There is a public fee-based parking lot for cars, RVs, and campers that's just below Togwotee Mountain Lodge (TML webcam). It's $10 but subject to change. There is a pit toilet. Free dispersed car camping is also available further up the Togwotee Pass highway. All these spots are a long drive from Jackson. They are good for visitors on their way here who might need a camping spot before arriving, or upon leaving.

There are first-come, first-served free camping spots along the Grassy Lake Road at the northern end of the GTNP in the JDR Parkway near Yellowstone. You'll also find the Flagg Ranch campground and their lodging in the same general area inside the GTNP-managed JD Rockefeller Parkway. 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 start around $6 or so. In the Town of Jackson, the Teton County recreation center has a pool, showers, climbing wall, etc. You could always take a summer dip in a river, creek, lake or pond.



~ Miscellaneous ~

 
 
 

~ Water Resources ~

 

Upper Snake River Basin

~Webcams~

Hoback River @ Hoback Junction
@ the Lodge at Palisades Creek


 


 

Enjoy Safe Climbing