NPS Photo/Danielle Lehle
So you are driving to Grand Teton National Park from Yellowstone. You happily drive along knowing that you'll come to an entrance station where there will be a smiling park ranger to greet you and orient you with a map and a newspaper. Then before you know it, you're looking at the Teton Range across Jackson Lake. You think, "The entrance station must be just ahead." And a few miles later you are at the Colter Bay Visitor Center. You walk in and the first thing you ask the ranger at the desk is, "Where is the North Entrance Station?"
The short answer is, "There isn't one!" But why?
Well, your 7 Day Permit bought at either Yellowstone or Grand Teton is good for both parks. This means that as visitors travel south out of Yellowstone's South Entrance and on into Grand Teton, there is no need to collect another fee.
If you are traveling from Yellowstone and would like orientation to Grand Teton National Park, you have two options.
The first place to stop is in the John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway. The Flagg Ranch Information Station, located next to Headwaters Ranch, offers visitors a chance to speak to a park service volunteer, get a map and newspaper, and possibly purchase some souvenirs. Check out our blog post on the Flagg Ranch Info Station for more details.
The first option inside Grand Teton National Park itself is at the Colter Bay Visitor Center, located in Colter Bay Village, 18 miles south of Yellowstone. Park rangers in the visitor center can provide all the information you need to have a fun and successful trip to Grand Teton National Park. Additionally, concessionaires in Colter Bay Village offer a wide variety of visitor services, including lodging, dining, and recreational activities.
Colter Bay Visitor Center is open from May-October and can be contacted at 307-739-3594. (Hours vary throughout the summer: 8am to 7pm June 4 - Sept. 3, 2012; 8am - 5pm Sept. 4 - Oct. 8, 2012.)
-KG