Getting There in Grand Teton National Park

 

American Airlines, Delta, SkyWest, and United all have flights to and from Jackson Hole Airport (307/733-7682; www.jacksonholeairport.com), which is right in Grand Teton National Park in Jackson, Wyoming, and only 56 miles of scenic driving from the southern entrance of Yellowstone.

 

Airfares to the small airports surrounding the parks can be pricey, so if you like to drive, consider flying into Salt Lake City, Utah, and driving about 300 miles to Grand Teton National Park, a route that has some nice scenic stretches. Even Denver, a drive of roughly 500 miles, is an alternative, although the route is not nearly as scenic.

 

Grand Teton’s gateways are from the north, south, and east. Drivers naturally enter from whichever side they approach the parks. From the west, U.S. 20 or U.S. 191 takes you to West Yellowstone, Montana. From the south, U.S. 191 runs through Jackson and the length of Jackson Hole before entering Yellowstone. From the east, U.S. 20 bisects Cody, Wyoming, and continues west 53 miles to the east entrance of Yellowstone. The northeast entrance of Yellowstone is accessible from U.S. 212 via Cooke City, Montana. Finally, the north entrance is just outside Gardiner, Montana, on U.S. 89. 

 

Most of the major auto-rental agencies have operations in the gateway city airports. Visit each airport’s rental car page for details, national reservation phone numbers, and local rental desk phone numbers. Also consider using a third-party booker such as Hotwire (www.hotwire.com) or Kayak (www.kayak.com) for substantial savings on your rates. You’ll find the most car rental companies at Billings Logan International (www.flybillings.com/815/car-rentals) and Bozeman Yellowstone International (www.bozemanairport.com), with eight each. Jackson Hole Airport and the town of Jackson together host eight options, with three at the airport itself (www.jacksonholeairport.com/airport-guide). Five outfits operate out of Cody’s Yellowstone Regional Airport (www.flyyra.com/parking-transportation), and three are based in West Yellowstone’s Yellowstone Airport (www.yellowstoneairport.org/airport-info.shtml). 

One U.S. gallon equals 3.8 liters or .85 imperial gallons. Gasoline is sold in the gateway cities, but at only a select few locations in the park; fill up well before empty. International visitors should note that insurance and taxes are almost never included in quoted rental car rates in the U.S. Be sure to ask your rental agency about additional fees for these. They can add a significant cost to your car rental.

 

Public transportation options are fairly limited around the park, but there are a few companies that will haul you from selected airports to gateway towns. For long-distance bus travel, check Greyhound (800/231-2222; www.greyhound.com) schedules for Bozeman, Jackson, and Idaho Falls. From the Bozeman airport, you can catch a ride to West Yellowstone with Karst Stage (406/556-3500; www.karststage.com) for $95 one-way (prices drop if you have more passengers) or Yellowstone Roadrunner (406/640-0631; www.yellowstoneroadrunner.com). The latter also serves Jackson and Idaho Falls; call for rates. And in winter, Xanterra Parks & Resorts (307/344-7311; www.yellowstonenationalparklodges.com) runs a daily shuttle from Bozeman airport to Mammoth for $75 one-way (advance booking required).