It’s officially spring at Grand Teton National Park. The 14-mile section of the Teton Park Road between Taggart Lake Trailhead and Signal Mountain Lodge is cleared of snow and open to walking, running, biking, and skating.
On lovely days in April, Teton Park Road can be busy. Children, pedestrians, cyclists, and other users share the section of the road between Taggart Lake Trailhead and Cottonwood Picnic Area with vehicles. To avoid riding in traffic with your group, use the 10-minute loading and unloading zone at Cottonwood, located just north of the Taggart parking lot.
Spring opening operations and plowing are ongoing throughout the park. Visitors should be alert for park vehicles and heavy equipment on all park roads, including Teton Park Road. Respect any road or wildlife closures marked by signs or barricades and use caution, as snow and ice may persist on some road sections. Please stay at least 100 feet from snow removal operations so operators can see approaching pedestrians or cyclists.
Teton Park Road will open to vehicles on Thursday, May 1, weather-dependent. The Craig Thomas Discovery and Visitor Center in Moose will also open for the season on May 1. It will be open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The paved multi-use pathway will open when it is mostly free of snow and ice. Other roads, facilities, and services will open later in the spring and early summer.
The NPS reminds visitors that antler collection is prohibited in all areas of Grand Teton National Park. Legal antler collection takes place on public lands outside the national park. A mapping app can help ensure you are outside the park’s boundaries.
Visitors enjoying Teton Park Road should consider:
- Entrance fees are required to enter Grand Teton National Park. Fees and passes can be paid at the Moose and Moran entrance stations or through Recreation.gov. For park fee information, visit go.nps.gov/tetonfees.
- Be watchful and cautious of wildlife, as it is common for animals to use park roads.
- Carry bear spray, have it readily accessible, and know how to use it.
- Drivers should slow down and use caution in parking areas.
- Be thoughtful of how music may affect others. Operating an audio device, such as a stereo, Bluetooth speaker, radio, or musical instrument, in a manner that is unreasonable and impacts park users is prohibited by law.
- Food and water are not available at the trailhead or along the road.
- Restroom facilities are available at Taggart Lake Trailhead, Cottonwood Picnic Area, and Signal Mountain Lodge. Portable restrooms are also located along Teton Park Road.
- Leave No Trace and dispose of trash in receptacles located at both ends of the road.
- Dogs are permitted on the Teton Park Road on a leash no longer than six feet. Pet owners are required to clean up after their dogs. Waste disposal bag stations are located at both ends of the road. Bags should be deposited in trash receptacles and not left along the road.
The paved multi-use pathway in the park is open whenever it is predominantly free of snow and ice. However, it is closed from dusk to dawn for wildlife and public safety, and pets are prohibited.
For information on park roads, visit go.nps.gov/tetonroads or call 307-739-3682. Construction activities will resume on Moose-Wilson Road, south of Laurance S. Rockefeller Preserve, on April 10. For information about Moose-Wilson Road construction, please visit go.nps.gov/moosewilson.
