Winter Sports in Grand Teton National Park

Park facilities pretty much shut down during the winter, except for a ranger posted at the Jackson Hole and Greater Yellowstone Visitor Center in Jackson, and the park shows no signs of becoming a winter magnet, à la Yellowstone. That may be just as well—you can enjoy some quiet, fun times in the park without the crowds.

Winter Road Conditions: The park’s primary roads, U.S. 26/89/191 and U.S. 26/287, remain open and plowed all winter from Jackson to Flagg Ranch. Teton Park Road and Moose-Wilson Road close to cars between November 1 and April 30. The 14-mile section of Teton Park Road between Taggart Lake Trailhead and Signal Mountain Lodge is open and groomed for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing, though. 

Sporting Goods & Equipment Rental: Jackson has enough sporting equipment places to keep all of Wyoming outfitted. Skinny Skis, 65 W. Deloney Ave. (tel. 307/733-6094; www.skinnyskis.com), is an outdoors shop with a focus on Nordic skiing and touring skis, skate skis, alpine touring skis, and snowshoes for rent. Teton Mountaineering, 170 N. Cache St. (tel. 307/733-3595; www.tetonmtn.com), also rents all the gear for backcountry ski touring, cross-country skiing, skate skiing, and snowshoeing. And Teton Backcountry Rentals, at 565 N. Cache St. (tel. 307/828-1885; www.tetonbcrentals.com), offers everything from splitboards to avalanche safety gear to ice axes, plus, they’ll deliver to your hotel. 

Backcountry Skiing: Adventurous and experienced skiers flock to the park to earn their turns, preferring the wilderness slopes to the in-bounds skiing at the nearby resorts. There’s excellent skiing to be had in these peaks, but fierce weather and significant avalanche risk makes this suitable for advanced-level skiers only. For a safe introduction to backcountry skiing, go guided with Exum Mountain Guides or Jackson Hole Mountain Guides

Cross-country Skiing: Kicking and gliding under the snowcapped Teton Range makes for an unforgettable day in the snow, and there are plenty of options for Nordic skiers in the park. The park grooms 14 miles of the closed Teton Park Road (between Taggart Lake Trailhead and Signal Mountain Lodge) for classic and skate skiing. Other winter routes are ungroomed and unmarked, so plan to use burlier touring skis. For an easier day, try the 8-mile, mostly flat loop that takes off from the Taggart Lake Trailhead and follows Jenny Lake Trail along Cottonwood Creek, then returns on Teton Park Road. The 3-mile Swan Lake/Heron Pond Loop from Colter Bay is just as lovely in winter as it is in summer, and the 4.2-mile South Flagg Canyon Trail from Flagg Ranch is another easy outing. For something more challenging, ski up the Signal Mountain Summit Road, a 12-mile round-trip with a fun downhill return.

SNOWMOBILING[em]Snowmobiling is a popular winter option in the area. Snowmobiling is allowed on the frozen surface of Jackson Lake for ice fishing only, on Grassy Lake Road, and in the nearby Bridger-Teton National Forest, immediately east of the park.

Snowmobiling: You can snowshoe pretty much anywhere you can cross-country ski in the park. Plus, rangers lead snowshoe trips from the Taggart Lake Trailhead several times a week, late December to mid-March. Call 307/739-3399 to make reservations. The Grand Teton Association provides rental snowshoes for a suggested donation of $5.