Winter in Grand Teton: ten tips for planning like a park ranger

A winter visit to Grand Teton National Park is a different trip from a summer one. Services are limited, and roads and wildlife areas close for the season. The Park Service's top ten tips, written as advice to plan like a park ranger, are below as the article gave them, including one set of pandemic-era guidance.

Plan for closures and storms

1. Plan ahead. Many facilities, roads and areas are closed in winter, and Yellowstone cannot be reached from the south without a guide. Ranger-led snowshoe hikes need an advance reservation.
2. Be flexible. Full parking lots and road closures mean a visit needs a plan A, B and C. Check the weather first, use the Wyoming 511 app and the park's road-closure page, and expect large snowstorms. Sometimes it is best to postpone the drive.

Snow, wildlife and dogs

3. Know the snow. Fresh powder turns are not worth a life. Anyone going into the mountains should assess the snowpack carefully, choose terrain wisely and check the Bridger-Teton Avalanche Center before heading into the backcountry.
4. Keep the wild in wildlife. Animals are active, including in developed areas. Do not feed foxes, squirrels or any other wildlife, and follow the winter closures for animals such as bighorn sheep.

Image from the National Park Service's page.

5. Dogs. National parks are not always the best place for a dog. In winter a dog may be walked on a leash of up to six feet on the closed Teton Park Road from Taggart to Signal Mountain. Dogs are not allowed on trails or pathways.

On the road and outdoors

6. Slow down. Slowing down is the best way to avoid losing control on slick roads. Keep a large following distance, give snowplows plenty of space and watch for wildlife near the road. The nighttime speed limit is 45 mph.

Image from the National Park Service's page.

7. Bring winter clothes. A coat, hat, gloves, waterproof snow pants and waterproof boots, in layers, plus traction devices for icy trails.
8. Cross-country skiing. A portion of the Teton Park Road is groomed for classic and skate skiing. The grooming is supported by the Grand Teton National Park Foundation and a Federal Highway Administration Recreational Trails Program grant managed by the State of Wyoming.

Leave no trace, and look after each other

9. Leave No Trace. Dispose of trash and pet waste properly and pack out what you bring in.
10. Recreate responsibly. The article, written during the COVID-19 pandemic, also asked visitors to follow CDC and local guidance, including social distancing and a face covering in crowded outdoor areas.

Sources

• National Park Service, "Top 10 Tips for a winter visit to Grand Teton" (nps.gov article); rewritten in hubnx's own words.