Cell phone coverage - GTNP and YNP
 

What type of cell phone coverage can I expect in the Tetons and Yellowstone?

I know when we were in Tanzania on a safari, it always surprised me that cell phones worked just fine. The guides were always relaying information to each other.

It depends on your carrier.

Go to their website and look up their coverage map.

Countries that were way behind in physical infrastructure are often quite advanced in digital infrastructure, particularly cell phones. They skipped a generation.

Don't expect much coverage. We did get coverage right around Old Faithful. I think there is a tower there. You will get spotty coverage, but don't expect it.

We have Verizon. Verizon is the best of the 2 cell carriers that have the best coverage in Wyoming in general. Cell coverage was only at Old Faithful, in Yellowstone.

We found better coverage in the Tetons, Jackson Lake Lodge, Jackson Hole (ski area), Jackson (town airport).

Even if you are high up it does not work well in Yellowstone.

The GPS feature of the cellphone (for hiking) did seem to work in both areas.

We also found good cell reception (Verizon) by driving a short way out the road toward Cody and parking at an overlook on the lake. It was funny to see the number of cars parked there after dark - when there was nothing to see - and know that most of them were probably like us, there looking for a signal, not "parking" in the old sense of the word.

Thanks, I didn't think of looking up the coverage map of my carrier.

I guess we'll need to make plans for meeting up at certain places at certain times in case we get separated.

Verizon has some coverage but the other phones with different carriers did not. The coverage within GTNP was pretty good, but you can't count on it. Most of the time there was no coverage in Yellowstone. At each of the lodging spots there was some but very spotty. On the way out of Yellowstone towards Cody, the other phones lit up like Christmas with missed calls and saved messages.

all good information -- thanks!