Grand Tetons hotels, cabins, lodging

It can be difficult to coordinate timing of activities if we don't all stay in the same area, so we've all stayed at Colter Bay for at least part of the time on previous trips.

If you will be staying in a Colter bay cabin, details are at: Colter Bay cabins, Grand Teton National Park

If you want to get a better room, or even a suite with fabulous view, fireplace, fridge, etc, read on.

Most cabins, hotels, etc. in Grand Teton National Park are open only from early May to late September or early or mid October. Dornan's Spur Ranch is open year 'round.

Plan your trip well. Rooms cancellations with partial refunds are allowed with three to 30 days notice depending on the property. If you decide to suddenly change trip plans or camp instead of hoteling you will pay.

There has always been campground space in the vicinity during our fall trips.

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Below: an aerial photo with Colter Bay environs in the foreground and part of Jackson Lake. The cabins are towards the left of the visible buildings, the long stripe of buildings is the stores and restaurants, and the campground area is towards the right. There is a black and white aerial photo/map to go with this picture at Colter Bay, Grand Teton National Park.

The campground at Colter Bay (350 sites - six people max each / 2 vehicles or one RV -$23 (seniors $11.50) per night in 2014) fills at around noon each day most of the summer. (Jenny Lake (51 sites) is the 'preferred' campground for backpackers / climbers, but it is farther from where most of our activities will take place. It is the first campground to fill and often fills by 8 a.m.)

map of Colter Bay campground Grand Teton National park

Colter Bay campground also has hiker/biker campsites for $8 per night per person. Communal camping with whoever shows up, (much like the pre-or-post backpack trip, if you have a backpack permit, walk-in campsites in Yosemite we have stayed at). No vehicle parking, therefor less security for your belongings, but if you only have one backpack full you can keep everything with you. Sometimes extra gear can be kept in a cabin someone rents.

The club owns lots of equipment that can be used on club events with refundable cleaning and late fee deposits. Details about equipment can be found at: Outdoor Club Equipment. Rentals will go much more smoothly if you have read Outdoor Club Sample Rental Agreement

Be adaptable. Even if you are certain you will not camp, bring tent, sleeping bag and insulated sleeping pad so you can if the opportunity or need arrives.

Colter Bay cabins have no air conditioning, phone or TV/radio. There are no lakeshore or mountain view units.

Many cabins have stall showers but no bath tubs.

Colter Bay cabins prices, (before taxes) according to the website in Feb. 2014:

$77 One Room (semi-private bath)

$141- $185 One Room (private bath, sleeps 2 to 3 or even 6 guests, $10 each extra adult over the double occupancy)

$206 Two Rooms (connecting bath) (one double bed and two twins, sleeps up to 6 with rollaway beds)

$239 Two Rooms (connecting bath, 1-4 persons, four double beds, (sleeps up to eight ... ten? with rollaway beds, $10 each extra adult)

2014: a $15 fee for cancellations up to 3 days in advance, lose the whole deposit if cancelled within three days.

Add another $10 per extra rollaway bed you want.

Units with a short to moderate walk to the guest lounge, restaurants, Visitor Center, museum and marina are the 205-235 and 430s to 490s. The lower 400s and lower 200s are closest to the store.

If too many people in a cabin sharing a bath means too long of a wait, there are also public (pay $4.25) showers at the Colter Bay laundromat, down the road from the cabins, 7:30 a.m.-9 p.m. (+/-) next to the small grocery/gift shop.

below: the first two photos of the cabins area at Colter Bay and a cabin interior are from GTLC, the third of is of a bear who was a frequent visitor one summer,

and below, a typical bathroom and the view out a window, usually of parking spaces in front of cabins and/or of other cabins:

details are at: Colter Bay cabins, Grand Teton National Park

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Colter Bay tent cabins with two log walls, two canvas walls and a canvas roof, picnic table, fire ring/grilling area, bear box, four fold down bunks (extra fee for up to two extra cots), interior wood stove for heat, not cooking, shared bathroom facilities (no showers at the tent cabins; fee showers are about three blocks away), were (rates from the website in Feb. 2014, plus tax)

$59 per tent cabin double or single occupancy, $6 per extra person, $6 per additional cot,

but they are usually closed by the time of our fall trips.

Colter Bay reservations well in advance are recommended. (The club often gets a few cabins well in advance.) Call 1 (800) 628-9988.

Potential accommodations at Colter Bay can be previewed at http://www.gtlc.com including photos of room interiors. You can order a color brochure at that site. The reservations number is: (800) 628-9988.

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In the GTLC photo below, the main Jackson Lake Lodge building is the tan rectangle at the top of the section of forest at the bottom of the picture, with the hotel cottages, parking lots and swimming pool below it. Colter Bay is just out of the photo to the right.

C = corral

G = gas station

H = highways 191/89, Jackson 35 miles, Yellowstone 19 miles, Colter Bay 6 miles

L = Jackson Lake Lodge main building

M = Medical Clinic

PL = outdoor swimming pools, weather permitting, but they have never been open much past Labor Day during any of our fall trips. (Colter Bay cabins guests can use these.)

P = Lodge parking

W = Willow Flats overlook parking lot

When you enter the lodge main building from the main parking lot, you reach the lower lobby. The registration desk will be to your right, the public restrooms are down a hall on the right beyond the registration desk. There is a small gift shop/newsstand to the left. In front of you is the staircase to the upper lobby.

At the top is a huge seating area with floor to ceiling windows (two story, 60 feet tall) with Teton range views and WiFi. The Pioneer Grill counters and takeout are on the left, followed on the left by the Mural Room with its tall windows and views.

At the top of the stairs, turn around and to the left and right of the staircase area are clothes/gift shops and more restrooms.

At the far end of the upper lobby are doors to the large back deck looking out over Willow Flats. Some evenings a Ranger brings a spotter scope and answers questions.

Jackson Lake Lodge from the website in 2014 (plus tax)

out on the grounds

$259 - $269 (non-view rooms)

$325 - $355 (view rooms)

Suites: $705 (2010: $559 - $775) (2008: $459 - 650)

in the main building

3rd floor room, obstructed view $259

3rd floor room, view $355

Moran suite $845

The two heated pools are open when weather permits until fall.

There is a medical clinic on the grounds of Jackson Lake Lodge, open daytime hours. (St John's Medical Center in Jackson (24 hour) is at 625 E. Broadway at Redmond.)

Rooms 10 to 48 are in the main building.

To determine which rooms to ask for on the grounds, picture a slightly wavy rectangle of rows of two story hotel type units and one story cottages. (See aerial above).

At one end, building 900, that is 900 to 912 on the lower floor, and 901 to 911 upstairs, has the best views. 911 and 912 have bay-windowed sitting areas.

560 thru 578 (down) and 561 thru 579 have the next to the best views. 350 thru 364 (down) and 351 thru 365 (up) are the third best. Each of these buildings looks out across flats towards Jackson Lake. All the units upstairs have balconies (patios downstairs) with room to sit.

below a photo of the best buildings on the right and the main lodge building on the left:

Most of the rest of the lodging (outside of the main building) is cottages. Units on the outside edges of the rectangle have views of trees, etc. from either the rear or front. Units in the inside of the rectangle have views out front and back windows of other cottages and cars.

Nearest to the main building, units 143-121 have tree views from their rear windows, units 119 to 101 have rear window views of the service road and main building. A large general parking area separates these from units 201 to 211. Each of these has tree views from their rear windows, but 201 and 203 have more potential noise and headlights from the main hotel entrance drive.

One row down from these, 212 to 246 front on sage slope/tree views (but 224 is next to a laundry room).

On the far side of the rectangle, two story units (up) 719 to 701 and (down) 716 to 700 look to parking from their fronts and trees out their backs.

They are followed by cottages 552 to 546, (544 is next to a supply closet), and 542 to 516 have tree views at their rear. 514 to 500 look out to the corral (but not too close).

100 to 146, 301 to 347, 300 to 346, 501 to 551 are in the center of this section of cottages and look out both front and back windows to other cottages/cars.

On the other side of the large general parking area, still at the far edge of lodging away from the main building, (801 and 803 again have the potential of noise from the main entrance road) 805 thru 817 front to trees. 819 is next to an ice machine and cleaning office. 825 (again across from the ice machine and cleaning office) to 835 also front on trees, but 835 is at an end closest to employee housing.

Between most of the 200 and 800 units are cottages that front and back to other cottages and cars. 200 to 210, 401 to 447, 400 to 446, 601 to 647, and 600 to 630.

Potential accommodations at Jackson Lake Lodge can be previewed at http://www.gtlc.com including photos of room interiors and some views out windows. As of 2011/ 2012, the photo next to the description of the Moran Suite (kitchenette, two bathrooms, 'spectacular views,' no balcony) at Jackson Lake Lodge was of Oxbow Bend, not of the view from that room. You can order a color brochure at that site. The reservations number is: (800) 628-9988.

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Signal Mountain Lodge

http://www.signalmtnlodge.com/ has (2014 - May 9 to Oct 18 - prices) rustic cabins from 162.35 to $191.35.

Better rooms, a few with views, fridge, gas fireplace, go up from there to $296.35. (2014) 7 day cancellation, (with a $15 per room per night fee), within 7 days you forfeit the whole deposit.

Pet fee, some units $20 per night.

The facility is right on the shore of Jackson Lake with a few units with great views.

The upper lakefronts front doors are mostly level with the parking area and have a semi-private balcony on the lakeside. The lower lakefronts are a flight down stairs and have a shared porch. As you can see from this picture of the balconies and porches, trees block part of the views of many units.

No pets allowed in upper lakefronts.

Short walk to stores and Peaks restaurant (lines at peak times).

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At Moose, Dornan's Spur Ranch Cabins with complete kitchens and living/dining areas, steps from the river with Teton range views. http://dornans.com/cabins/ (307) 733-2522. No pets.

Dornan's rates from their website in Feb. 2014:

One bedroom cabin:

$185 - 215

Two bedroom cabin:

$265

shoulder/winter season (May 1-15, October 16-31, Dec. 1 - March 31) one bedroom $125-150

two bedroom $175

Cancellation Policy (2014) : If you need to cancel your reservation thirty (30) or more days prior to your arrival, we charge a $50 processing fee. If you cancel your reservation within thirty days of your arrival, we retain your entire deposit."

All share a wall with another unit.

You can't park near/next to most cabins. (There are carts to move luggage). Cabins named Rimrock, Bearpaw, Willow, Hawthorn and Owen are closest to parking.

Larkspur and Cascade seem to have the best views.

Short walk to stores, deli, restaurant. Longer walk to park Visitor Center, etc. at Moose.

Moose, Wyoming has black and white aerial photo/maps.

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The photos below of Jenny Lake Lodge main lodge and dining room are from GTLC

Jenny Lake Lodge, just north of Jenny Lake, (2014 plau tax),

"Nightly accomodations include breakfast, a 5-course dinner, access to horseback riding, and bicycle rentals." No TVs or radios.

One room cabin (free standing and duplex style):

$689 (two persons)

Each additional person is $155 per night

Suites (with wood burning stove, Water Lily suite has a jacuzzi jetted tub):

$869 - 959 (one or two persons)

Each additional person is $161 per night

Not all of the 37 historic cabins, featuring exposed beams and handmade quilts, have great views. A couple have views of a few peaks, but not from the cabins, from the porches. Most others look out at trees or other cabins. Many share a common wall.

No part of Jenny Lake Lodge is actually ON Jenny Lake or String Lake, but both are a short walk or bike ride away.

Gentian cabin will have headlights hitting the front porch from the main driveway access for most of the other cabins.

Potential accommodations at Jenny Lake Lodge can be previewed at http://www.gtlc.com You can order a color brochure at that site. The reservations number is: (307) 733-4647.

Jenny Lake has been included by Conde Nast Traveler Magazine in the 50 best Hotels in North America (the only national park concessioner in the ranking) and received a Wine Spectator Award for Excellence.

There is a black and white aerial photo at:

String Lake and Jenny Lake Lodge vicinity

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Flagg Ranch is located on the banks of the Snake River two miles south of Yellowstone National Park and five miles north of Grand Teton National Park, a bit of a distance from where we have planned activities. They have log cabin rooms with bathroom and either two queen beds or one king bed. Some rooms have a view of the Tetons. Patio with rocking chairs.

http://www.flaggranch.com/

2014: $190.00 - $275 double or single occupancy

$11 charge for each additional adult. $17 pet deposit."

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Grand Tetons Climbers Ranch, near Moose headquarters, (2014) $25 per night per non-AAC member. Rate is $16 for AAC members (bring your card, but they can look you up if needed). 100% of deposit returned if cancellation received more than 30 days before arrival date. 50% of deposit refunded if cancellation received between 7 and 30 days of arrival. No refund within 7 days.

From the website in early 2014: open June 7 - September 12.

Accommodations - The Climbers' Ranch offers dormitory-style accommodations in small log cabins that sleep 4-6-8 people each. You rent a bunk, not a cabin. Parties larger than two will likely be in separate cabins, as the bunks are filled as they become available, but they do try to keep two people together. You can't reserve a particular cabin.

The Ranch has a communal open-air, partially roofed cook shelter (including picnic tables, dish and pot washing facilities), toilet facilities and hot showers, a small mountaineering library/lounge (woodstove on cold nights), a hard-wired computer for internet access, limited storage space and usually some loaner bikes. Climbers supply their own sleeping bags, pads (there are no mattresses), cooking equipment, food, towels, and other personal gear.

To minimize impact on the surrounding environment, tent and trailer camping is not available at the Climbers' Ranch. No pets are allowed at the GTCR. Special permission can be obtained from management for seeing eye or aid dogs but you must contact the ranch manager beforehand. Firearms strictly prohibited. Smoking prohibited in all cabins and indoor spaces.

Read important info and make reservations at:

http://www.americanalpineclub.org/p/grand_teton_climbers_ranch

307 733-7271 when open.

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Luton's Teton Cabins are 4 miles east of Moran Junction.

These log cabins have one and two bedroom units, (plus a queen sofa in the sitting area next to the kitchen), dining table/chairs, all with full kitchen (fridge w/freezer, four burner stove, oven with broiler, microwave, coffee maker, dishes) data ports, high speed internet and a front porch. Some units have the same kitchen appliances and a dishwasher, plus bigger beds (king replaces queen; queen replaces double bed). All non-smoking. Some units have long distance Teton views.

A short, passable dirt road takes you from the highway.

The units are arranged in one "L" shape. Unit 1 (2 bdrm) has a master bedroom view on its end. Units 2 on follow. Units A,B and C,D (delux) are at the other end with the office in between. All share a wall with another unit.

(2014) 50% deposit required. 5% convenience charge for credit cards. No pets. "Your deposit (less $75) is refundable if your notice of cancellation is received at least 30 days in advance of your arrival date. Any changes in your reservation will need to be made 30 days prior to your arrival or you will be charged for nights reserved but not used."

Prices range from $229 to $433 per night, depending on size and season.

http://www.tetoncabins.com/

2010/2011/2012/2013/2014 the scenic photos at the website were not all at the property, some are of Oxbow Bend in the park.

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Triangle X Ranch, a working ranch, 2014 summer weekly rates per person, per week (plus Wyoming tax and 15% service charge to cover gratuities):

Three-Bedroom Cabin: 6 people $1820, 5 people $2045

Two-Bedroom Cabin: 5 people $1820, 4 people $1970, 3 people $2250

One-Bedroom Cabin: 3 people $1820, 2 people $2130, Single $2520

includes lodging, family style meals, horseback riding and all ranch activities.

There is a guest laundry.

Off the main highway, north of Deadman's Bar and south of Moran Junction.

http://www.trianglex.com/

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For info about lodging in the nearby town of Jackson, closer to the restaurants, shopping, art galleries, aerial tram, western shows and the offices of most of the rafting companies:

The Jackson Hole Chamber of Commerce site is at: http://www.jacksonholechamber.com/chamber/index.php

Another big site of info is at: http://www.jacksonholenet.com/

and yet another is at: http://www.jacksonholewy.net/

There are dozens of lodging choices in the town of Jackson, but it is 30 miles from where most of our very early morning kayaking will take place.

Info about the hotels and cabins in Yellowstone is at: http://www.ynp-lodges.com/

There are dozens of restaurants in Jackson. They vary from burgers, Chinese, Mexican, sushi, pasta, Italian, steakhouse to four-stars with an award-winning wine list. Most lean towards family or casual atmosphere.

Restaurants in the park are non-smoking, most others in Wyoming and Montana allow smoking. See also: Grand Tetons restaurants

Jackson Hole, Wyoming has a description of the main streets and how to find grocery stores, K Mart, hardware, Teton County library, St John's Medical Center / hospital and more.

The main De Anza College Outdoor Club Grand Tetons trip information page is at Grand Tetons

See also: Grand Tetons kayaking

Grand Tetons sightseeing

Yellowstone

Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Park photos

Grand Tetons trip pages index has brief descriptions of most of the pages about this trip.

Grand Tetons trip transportation has flight info, driving distances and guesses at gas cost, previous trip examples, etc.

Grand Tetons trip cost has examples of

The cheap trip,

The not-so cheap trip,

The slightly more costly trip, but less driving time,

also known as the I-can't-get-much-time-off-work trip,

and The expensive trip.