Grand Teton National Park backcountry permits go live on January 7th!

If you are looking to secure a backcountry camping permit that allows you access to some of the most remote, beautiful portions of Grand Teton National Park, today marks the first day you can book them in advance. The park itself is over 310,000 acres in size and offers over 230 miles of trail access to both alpine and subalpine environments, and stands as one of the country’s premier outdoor recreation paradises.

Live now on Recreation.gov, a $20 permit fee (with an additional $7 per person per night add-on) can land you the ability to access the backcountry during peak season (counted officially as May 1st through October 31st). Permits for the following starting areas now available include:

• Jenny Lake
• Jackson Lake
• Mountain Camping Zones
• Mountain Group Sites
• Northern Canyons
• Meadows-Platforms
• Lower Saddle/Moraine/Caves
• South Fork/Garnet Canyon
• Technical Climbing Sites

Individual permits can include up to 6 members, while group sites require group permits and can accommodate between 7 and 12 members. It’s also worth pointing out that sites in the Jackson Lake area have a 3-night maximum stay, while the rest of the backcountry permit areas have a 2-night maximum stay. Also, if you’re planning a trip between June 1st and September 15th, the maximum length of your entire trip is capped at 10 days.

It’s worth pointing out that Grand Teton National Park is firmly in grizzly bear country, and approved bear resistant food storage containers are mandatory for all backcountry camping. The park requires hard-sided containers for areas that don’t have bear boxes, but does loan out these approved canisters free of charge if need be. You are encouraged to carry bear spray with you at all times while in the GTNP backcountry, too.

Also, check to make sure which sites allow campfires, if that’s your thing, since not all of them do (and also plan accordingly as fire restrictions often pop up later in the summer when things fully dry out).

It’s worth pointing out that while the interior access to GTNP is world class, the park itself actually borders each of the Jedediah Smith Wilderness and Teton Wilderness. So, if you plan things strategically, you can actually enter the park on various trails that originate outside the park (and stay the night, provided you book the correct sites on your permit and pick up said permit from one of the park’s ranger stations before heading back out to your trailhead).

Roughly 1/3rd of all permits will be released for advance booking, so don’t let their unavailability deter you from seeking out a big backcountry trip within the park. Walk-up and day-of permits will also be available at park permit offices, so you’ll still have the flexibility to either be spontaneous with your trip or to watch for the best possible weather windows before entering.

Good luck, and happy backcountry camping this season!

Know Before You Go

• Lean hard on the National Park Service’s interactive map of Grand Teton National Park’s campsites before selecting your specific route. It’s informative both in terms of campfire information as well as whether or not certain sites/areas have bear box availability. It also keeps you aware of just how much elevation you’ll be picking up to camp at each site, as well as which sites require WAG bags.
• Speaking of which, a solid paper map never hurts when planning your route. For GTNP, I’d suggest National Geographic Trails Illustrated #202 (Grand Teton National Park).
• Become familiar with Leave No Trace principles long before ever setting foot on the trail for an overnight trip. The more familiar with those, the better you’ll pack and prepare from the outset!