Winter Sports in Grand Teton NP

Winter Sports

Grand Teton has some of North America's finest and most varied cross-country skiing. (And don't forget the nearby Jackson Hole Mountain Resort.) Ski the gentle 3-mi Swan Lake-Heron Pond Loop near Colter Bay Visitor Center, the mostly level 10-mi Jenny Lake Trail, or the moderate 4-mi Taggart Lake-Beaver Creek Loop and 5-mi Phelps Lake Overlook trail. Advanced skiers should head for the Teton Crest Trail. In winter, overnight backcountry travelers must register or make a reservation at park headquarters in Moose for a permit costing $25 for each reservation. Those wanting to access the backside of the Tetons toward Idaho should check with Jackson Hole Mountain Resort to see if their new tram will access that backcountry.

You can snowmobile on the Continental Divide snowmobile trail as well as on Jackson Lake. You must first purchase a permit -- $15 permit for one day, $20 for seven days -- at a park entrance station. Snowmobilers wishing to proceed north from Flagg Ranch into Yellowstone National Park must be with a commercial tour guide. The Flagg Ranch Information Station closed for the 2007-08 winter season, and consequently ski and snowshoe trails went unmarked. Any references to marked or flagged trails on brochures should be disregarded until further notice. For a ranger-guided snowshoe walk, call the Craig Thomas visitor center.