Telephones

Many convenience stores and packaging services sell prepaid calling cards in denominations up to $50. Many public pay phones at airports accept American Express, MasterCard, and Visa. Local calls made from most pay phones cost either 25¢ or 35¢. Most long-distance and international calls can be dialed directly from any phone. To make calls within the U.S. and to Canada, dial 1 followed by the area code and the seven-digit number. For other international calls, dial 011 followed by the country code, city code, and the number you are calling.

Calls to area codes 800, 888, 877, and 866 are toll free. Calls to area codes 700 and 900 (chat lines, bulletin boards, "dating" services, and so on) can be expensive, with charges of 95¢ to $3 or more per minute. Some numbers have minimum charges that can run $15 or more.

For reversed-charge or collect calls, and for person-to-person calls, dial the number 0 then the area code and number; an operator will come on the line, and you should specify whether you are calling collect, person-to-person, or both. If your operator-assisted call is international, ask for the overseas operator.

For directory assistance ("Information"), dial 411 for local numbers and national numbers in the U.S. and Canada. For dedicated long-distance information, dial 1, then the appropriate area code plus 555-1212.

Mobile Phones

The parks have several cell towers in developed areas. Cell service is widely available on the floor of Jackson Hole throughout Grand Teton National Park; in Yellowstone, it is available in Canyon, Grant, Mammoth Hot Springs, and Old Faithful villages but largely unavailable on the roads and in wilderness areas. Cell service is available in all of the gateway cities. International travelers may want to buy a pay-as-you-go phone for the trip.

Internet & Wi-Fi

When it comes to modern telecommunications, Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks have extremely limited infrastructure: Lack of connectivity is the rule, not the exception. These are not the best destinations for those who need to check e-mail every minute -- or even every day. The lodgings in the park typically lack Internet connections. Wi-Fi is prohibited at Lake Yellowstone Hotel, Roosevelt Lodge, Old Faithful Inn, Old Faithful Lodge, Lake Lodge, and Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel; the concessionaires are permitted to offer it at other lodgings and general stores, but as of this writing, it was not available. In Grand Teton National Park, Wi-Fi is available in public areas at Jenny Lake Lodge, Jackson Lake Lodge, Signal Mountain, and Colter Bay Village. Internet access is widely available in all of the gateways, but can be notably slow in Gardiner and West Yellowstone.

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.