Grand Teton National Park in a Campervan
South of Yellowstone National Park is the majestic Grand Teton National Park. The park has one main road that provides access to the lower elevations of the park. The best way to explore the park is on foot. After securing a campsite for your campervan, it is worth taking a hike to really take in the wonders of the park.
Hiking Suggestions
Cascade Canyon in the center of the National Park tends to get most of the attention so we recommend traveling south to the Death Canyon Trailhead which is just south of the Moose Junction. Park your campervan in the Death Canyon Trailhead and head up the Death Canyon trail. After 1 miles you will come upon a great viewpoint for Phelps Lake. If this is as far as you want to go then you will have some great views of the peaks and the lake. Continue further on to climb up into the Teton Mountains. Death Canyon is a spectacular U-shaped valley carved by glaciers. Climbing up the canyon you will come to a junction at 3.9 miles, from here you can continue to the right and climb up to Static Peak or continue up the canyon to Fox Creek Pass.
Grand Teton National Park Campgrounds
Grand Teton’s National Park campgrounds are all fairly similar, providing excellent views with medium to large sites. The all have running water, flush toilets, picnic tables, and fire rings. Colter Bay and Headwaters have the most amenities and provide showers and laundry. Jenny Lake Campground should be avoided since the maximum vehicle length is 14ft and all our vans are either 19ft or 22ft.
Grand Teton National Park has a lot of campgrounds for campervans, but most are first-come-first-serve so you can not make reservations ahead of time. Reservations are accepted for group camping at Colter Bay RV Park (11 sites), and the Headwaters Campground & RV Sites at Flagg Ranch.
Northern Grand Teton National Park
Headwaters Campground at Flagg Ranch (reserve online) (175 sites)
This is truly your full service campground with all of the amenities and access to showers, laundry, and lots of bathroom facilities. The campground is located in a spruce-fir forest near the Snake River and you will find a grocery store, restaurant, and hiking trails nearby. Considering all of the amenities the campground has some good space in between sites so you are certainly not right next to the next site. There is also a good amount of shade in most spots.
Lizard Creek (first-come-first-serve) (60 sites)
Lizard Creek is a world apart from Headwaters Campground and has a more primitive nature. The campground is on the smaller side, this campground is located on the north side of Jackson Lake has nice primitive feel. There only a few sites with lake views so get there early to snag one.
Colter Bay/Colter Bay RV Park (first-come-first-serve) (335 sites)
Colter Bay Campgrond is near the center of the action in Grand Teton National Park, there is easy access to a restaurant, swimming beach, boat launch, grocery store, and guided activities. The campground is the largest in Grand Teton and is located in an evergreen forest and you are within a short walk of Jackson Lake. The sites can vary quite a bit so be sure to drive around to pick out the one you like if you have not made reservations. Since this is a first-come-first-serve campground make sure to get here early to get a spot.
Signal Mountain (first-come-first-serve) (105 sites)
Right near Colter Bay this campground is a lot smaller and quieter with larger sites and a little more privacy. You are tucked in the woods, but are still only a short trip to to the restaurants and the grocery store. This campground is set further back from Jackson Lake, but some sites do still have wooded views of the lake. Since this is a first-come-first-serve campground make sure to get here early to get a spot.
Southern Grand Teton National Park
Gros Ventre (first-come-first-serve) (300 sites)
This expansive campground lies in a sagebrush field dotted with cottonwoods and is close to Jackson Hole and the Gros Ventre River. There is some great wildlife viewing for moose and pronghorn and one of the best places to find a spot if you are running late. Campsites typically fill 12-5pm mid-June to mid-August and around Labor Day Weekend but rarely fill outside that time frame.
Where to Camp Near Grand Teton
There are lots of good campgrounds outside of park and many of them are less crowded and cheaper than those inside of the National Park. You will find Curtis Canyon Campground 8 miles from Jackson near the National Elk Refuge, then a little further away are Atherton Creek Campground and Crystal Creek Campground. To the northeast of the park you will find Hatchet and Pacific Creek campgrounds. These forest service campgrounds are cheaper than the national park campgrounds and are usually open from late May and late September.
Looking for a more primitive experience?
Head west on Grassy Creek Road from the Flagg Ranch area. You will find 20 free, primitive campsites line the road, each with a picnic table, pit toilet, and bear-resistant food storage box.
Check out this list of disperse campsites from the US Forest Service.
Operating Hours and Seasons:
Grand Teton National Park is open 24 hours every day, year-round.
From November through April, some roads, all campgrounds, and most visitor facilities are closed or have reduced hours.
