3 Advantages to Visiting Grand Teton in May – and 4 Challenges

Three Advantages to Visiting Grand Teton in MAY – and Four Challenges

– Updated: April 24, 2024 –

A sunny, clear day in May in Grand Teton National Park —-photo credit: nps.gov – A. Falgoust

May is officially a springtime month on the calendar, but in Grand Teton National Park, the weather is still cold with lows in the 30s and highs in the 60s.

This means cold, COLD mornings, warmer afternoons, chilly evenings, and back to cold-cold at night.​

Brrrrrrrrrrr…..

And if you are camping…. double…. TRIPLE….. BRRRRRR!!!!!!

BUT…

…May in Grand Teton National Park also means fewer people, smaller crowds, and more wildlife activity.

So, YEA!!!!!

Grand Teton in May at the national park’s south entrance — photo credit: nps.gov – C. Adams (photo taken: May 20, 2021)

If you are considering visiting Grand Teton in May, this article may help you decide.

Grab a warm beverage, retrieve that winter coat you prematurely put away and read on to know all the advantages, challenges, and possible solutions to the challenges of visiting Grand Teton in MAY.

Article Contents

Advantages of Visiting Grand Teton in May
Fewer People / Smaller Crowds
More Wildlife Activity
More Availability for Lodging / Camping
Challenges of Visiting Grand Teton in May
Cold Weather
Not All Roads Open
Not All Park Services Available
Snowy, Muddy Hiking Trails
Know Before You Go

Table of Contents

Advantages of Visiting Grand Teton in May
Fewer People / Smaller Crowds
More Wildlife Activity
More Availability for Lodging / Camping
Challenges of Visiting Grand Teton in May
Cold Weather
Not All Roads Open
Not All Park Services Available
Snowy, Muddy Hiking Trails
Know Before You Go

Advantage: Fewer People / Smaller Crowds

Historically, the month of May records less visitation than the other popular months.

* Numbers affected by COVID-19 Pandemic
** Total Solar Eclipse
***The park was closed May 1- 17 in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic

Factors that contribute to lower visitation in May include:

• Cold weather
• School still in session
• The possibility of not all services, activities, and roads being open

What this means for you:

• Shorter lines at popular attractions (Jenny Lake, Hidden Falls)
• Fewer cars on the road (42 Mile Drive, Moose Wilson Road, Jenny Lake Scenic Drive)
• More available parking spots (Jenny Lake, String Lake, Taggart Lake).

But, even with fewer people in the park, the animal paparazzi and animal jams will be just as big because of the next advantage…

Advantage: More Wildlife Activity

Grizzly Bear in May – (look at those claws!!) — photo credit: nps.gov A. Falgoust

Spring is a time of renewal and rebirth, so you may see more animals with their newborns.

Throughout the park, you will see bears, bison, moose, elk, and pronghorn emerging with their babies in tow.

AND your chances of seeing them are increased as they are all on the move to find food and to move to their summer spots in the park.

For example, big horn sheep, elk, and bison spend the winter on the Elk Refuge near the town of Jackson. At the beginning of May, you may still see them there. As the month of May goes on, the animals start moving north into the park.

Mama moose with her two calves — Photo Credit: nps.gov/Adams

Check out these places to increase your chances of seeing wildlife:

• Bison – Antelope Flats Road, Moulton Barns / Mormon Row, Elk Flats Ranch Turnout
• Big Horn Sheep – Elk Refuge, Miller’s Butte (usually gone by the end of May)
• Bears – Jackson Lake Junction, Willow Flats, Jackson Lake Dam, Cattleman Bridge Road, Oxbow Bend, Pilgrim Creek
• Elk – Town of Kelly (early May), Kelly Warm Springs (early May), Antelope Flats Road (early May), Elk Flats Ranch, Willow Flats, near Jackson Lake Dam
• Moose – Gros Ventre River, Gros Ventre Campground, Moose Wilson Road, Moose Habitat on Moose Wilson Road
• Pronghorn – Town of Kelly, Antelope Flats Road, Moulton Barns / Mormon Row, Elk Flats Ranch

Bison Family — photo credit: nps.gov – Adams

Note: Always keep a safe distance when viewing wildlife. Whether you are in your vehicle or on foot, you must maintain a distance of at least 100 yards from bears and wolves, and 25 yards from all other wildlife. Animals in the park are wild and may act aggressively if approached. More Animal Safety

Pro Tip: Respect and follow instructions from the on-site Wild Life Management Teams. They are there to protect you and the animals. They are not trying to be “jerks” by asking you to stay in your car or move along. They really want you to see the animals, they know how thrilling that is! They just want to do everything possible to keep the animals safe and alive, as a human mistake can result in an animal being put to death.

Advantage: More Lodging/Camping Flexibility and Availability

Signal Mountain Cabin #141

With schools still in session in May, you won’t have to compete with the “family vacationers.”

Fewer people in May gives you more choices of lodges, rooms, and campsites to pick from and a wider range of dates.

For the lodges that open in May, inside the park, it is easier to book rooms for May dates in comparison to high visitation months like July and August.

BUT, most lodges inside the park don’t offer discounts. They set their rates for their rooms for the season.

The exception is Dornans Spur Ranch Cabins (located inside the park, but outside the Moose entrance gate) rent their 12 cabins from May 1st to May 14th for a lesser price than from May 15th to August 31st.

Willow Cabin at Dornans Spur Cabins in Grand Teton National Park

You are more likely to find discounts at lodging outside the park including rentals through Rendezvous Mountain Rentals, and Outpost.

Note: As the month of May progresses, demand increases and flexibility/availability decreases both inside and outside the park.

Note: If thinking of lodging in Teton Village in May, know that the Moose-Wilson Road’s scheduled May 1st opening is sometimes delayed until mid-May due to snowpack. Those staying in Teton Village will need to access Grand Teton National Park via HWY 390 – HWY 22 – through Jackson, and up HWY 191 when the Moose Wilson Road is closed. 

Camping

All campsites inside Grand Teton National Park are reservation only and must be reserved through Recreation.gov.

You can make reservations up to 6 months in advance. Sign up for a free recreation.gov account to make your reservation.

Again, early May has more availability and flexibility than the end of May.

Pro Tip: Colter Bay RV Park does fill up quickly as soon as it opens in May. It has full hookups. Reservations are required through recreation.gov.

Colter Bay RV Park in Grand Teton National Park

Challenge: Cold Weather

As mentioned before, Grand Teton in May, the lows are usually in the 30s and highs are in the 60s.

Snow is still possible in May, and dare I say it is PROBABLE, especially in early May.

Snow in Grand Teton National Park in May – photo credit: nps.gov – A. Falgoust (taken 5/4/2022)

And if it doesn’t snow, expect some rain as May is the 4th highest in amount of precipitation after Dec, Nov, and Jan.

Solutions

1. Bring your cold-weather clothes and prepare to dress in layers.
Cold-weather clothes include hats, gloves, waterproof shoes, winter jackets, and rain gear.

Pro Tip: Have a good backpack that you can use to store shed layers and cold-weather gear. As the day goes on, you will most likely shed and reapply layers a couple of times. Carrying a backpack makes the items easily accessible, saves trips back to the car/lodging, and removes the possibility of “choosing poorly” (regretting not bringing items).

2. Choose lodging over camping.
This may seem obvious, I know, and no shade to those experienced campers who have all the correct gear to stay warm, but if you are new to Grand Teton and are not familiar with how 30 degrees feels here – choosing a cabin or lodge with a heater is a good choice.

3. Start activities later in the day and take advantage of the evening sunlight hours.
Early to mid-May is about the only time you will ever hear me give this advice as the summer months are so busy it is almost imperative to get to some places and do some activities at the earliest part of the day as possible.

In May, the days are long as the sun rises at 6:00 am and sets around 9:00 pm.

That is 15 hours of daylight!

Beginning your activities later in the morning and making the most of the warmer afternoon temperatures, then concluding them after dinner before sunset, ensures you remain active during the warmest parts of the day, as the evening daylight hours tend to be warmer than the early crack of dawn hours.

Here are the differences in temperature between 6 am, 7 am, 7 pm, and 9 pm.

Source: Weatherspark.com

Note: At this altitude, the air is thinner and drier, and it warms up and cools off quicker than at lower altitudes.

Roller skater in Grand Teton National Park – warmly dressed with a backpack — photo credit: nps.gov/A. Falgoust

Challenge: Possibility Not All Roads Are Open

The park’s main roadways, Highway US 89/191 and Highway US 26/287, are open year-round from the town of Jackson to Flagg Ranch just south of Yellowstone National Park (weather permitting).

Most main roads in Grand Teton National Park are open or open on May 1st, including the Moose-Wilson Road and Teton Park Road (the Teton Park Road is important if you plan on doing Grand Teton’s 42 Mile Drive).

Roads NOT OPEN by May 1st are usually the SIDE ROADS. These roads may stay closed longer due to snow or early spring wildlife activity. These roads include:

• Schwabacher Landing Road – usually opens in early May
• Pilgrim Creek Road – usually closed in early May, sometimes remains closed throughout May due to bear activity
• Cattleman Bridge Road – usually closed in early May, sometimes remains closed as May goes on due to bear activity
• Road from Flagg Ranch to South Gate of Yellowstone – usually opens mid-May
• Signal Mountain Summit Road – often open June 1st – snowpack dependent
• Grassy Lake Road – usually opens June 1st

Grand Teton National Park map of roads open in May

Up-to-date Road Status of all roads in Grand Teton.

Challenge: Possibility Not All Park Services Are Open

This challenge is one of the reasons that fewer people visit Grand Teton in May – there is a risk amenities and services are not open for the season yet.

Solution: The later in the month of May you go to Grand Teton National Park, the more likely roads and services will be open and available. Following is a list of when amenities and services will be open for May 2024.

Lodging

Most of the lodges take reservations a year in advance and online.

Following is a list of the lodges and cabins INSIDE Grand Teton National Park and their Opening Dates for 2024.

• Signal Mountain Lodge Cabins – May 10th
• Jackson Lake Lodge – May 17th
• Triangle X Ranch – May 22nd
• Colter Bay Village Cabins – May 23rd
• Jenny Lake Lodge – May 31st
• Headwaters Lodge and Cabins – June 1st

Campgrounds

There are eight different options to camp INSIDE Grand Teton National Park. Reservations are required and can be made six months in advance at recreation.gov.

Find out more details on all the campgrounds (like sizes for RVs and tents, available electricity, amenities, restrictions…etc) in Grand Teton.

Gros Ventre campground is usually the first campground to open in Grand Teton — photo credit: NPS-Tobiason

The following are the posted opening dates for each campground INSIDE Grand Teton National Park for May 2024.

• Gros Ventre Campground – April 26th
• Colter Bay RV Park – May 2nd
• Jenny Lake Campground – May 6th
• Signal Mountain Campground – May 10th
• Headwaters Campground at Flagg Ranch – for RV Park Only – May 10th
• Colter Bay Campground – May 23rd
• Colter Bay Tent Village – May 24th
• Headwaters Campground at Flagg Ranch – for tent camping – June 1st
• Lizard Creek Campground – June 14th

Restaurants

Restaurants throughout Grand Teton National Park open at different times in the month of May.

Solutions

If restaurants are not open inside Grand Teton National Park when you visit, know that Dornans’s Pizza Pasta Co Restaurant and Trading Post and Deli (grocery store) are open year-round except for the months of April and November. (Dornans Village is inside Grand Teton National Park, but outside the Moose Entrance Gate).

Also, you will find plenty of restaurants open in Jackson, Teton Village, and Wilson, WY.

A third solution would be to hit a grocery store in the Jackson Hole Valley and have your food and snacks with you.

Pro Tip: Save time and order your groceries online and pick them up curbside.

Trapper Grill at Signal Mountain Lodge is set to open May 10, 2024.

The following is a list of all the major restaurants inside Grand Teton National Park and when they are open to the public.

• Trapper Grill at Signal Mountain Lodge – May 10th
• Blue Heron Lounge at Jackson Lake Lodge – May 19th
• The Mural Room at Jackson Lake Lodge – May 17th
• Pioneer Grill at Jackson Lake Lodge – May 19th
• Ranch House at Colter Bay Village – May 25th
• Café Court Pizzeria at Colter Bay Village – May 26th
• Leek’s Pizzeria at Leek’s Marina – May 24th
• Jenny Lake Lodge – May 31st – (lunch reservations recommended, dinner reservations required)
• Sheffields at Flagg Ranch – June 1st
• Pool Cantina at Jackson Lake Lodge – June 10th

Visitor Centers

The following are open dates for 2024.

Jenny Lake Visitor Center – A good place to chat with a ranger — photo credit: nps / Adams

• Craig Thomas Discovery and Visitor Center – May 1st
• Colter Bay Visitor Center – May 3rd
• Jenny Lake Visitor Center – May 12th
• Laurance S. Rockefeller Preserve Center – June 6th

Marinas

Early May usually has some ice on the lakes, but the marinas start opening about mid-May – offering buoys and some motorized boat rentals.

Jenny Lake with ice and snow – May 10, 2022 — photo credit: nps.gov — A. Falgoust

Jenny Lake Boating – May 15th

• Shuttle Service – May 15th
• Scenic Boat Rides – Reservations – May 15th
• Boat Rentals – available end of June or beginning of July – water temperature dependent

Signal Mountain Marina – May 18th

• Pontoon and Runabout Boat Rentals – May 18th
• Kayak Rentals – available early to mid-June – water temperature dependent

Colter Bay Marina – TBD (Colter Bay Marina opening depends on lake levels)

• Boat Rentals – TBD
• Jackson Lake Scenic Cruises – TBD

Leek’s Marina – (no boat rentals or cruises) May 18th

Challenge: Muddy and/or Snow Packed Hiking Trails

String Lake Bridge near Jenny Lake – taken May 11, 2022 — photo credit: NPS – A. Falgoust

May is not the best month for hiking in Grand Teton after a normal Grand Teton winter, especially for high-elevation hikes and back-country hiking.

With the cold weather and the possibility of more snow in May, it probably wouldn’t shock you to know that in early May, many of the trails, including the lower, front country trails have snow on them.

The high-elevation trails?

Forget about them, they are snow-packed.

As the month of May goes on, a lot of snowmelt is possible, on the trails and on the lakes, which means the trails and unpaved areas can have a lot of water and mud on them.

Taggart Lake Hiking Trail – photo taken 5-18-2022 — photo credit: NPS / A. Falgoust

It’s not my favorite type of hiking, but if you are made of stronger stuff than me, make sure you have all the safety gear needed for the conditions.

And before you hit the trail, do check in at a visitor center and talk to a park ranger. They are going to have the most up-to-date info on conditions and may have a tip or two to give you on where the best places are to hike at that moment. (Look for rangers at the visitor centers – or give them a call: 307-739-3399).

Bear and cub in Grand Teton

Also be sure to be bear aware on the trails! Snow on the ground does not mean bears are hibernating.

May is an extremely active time for bears and their new cubs. Be sure to make noise, carry bear spray, know how to use it, have it accessible (at the bottom of a backpack is not accessible).

Pro Tip: If planning to hike, make sure to check in at a visitor center and speak to a park ranger for tips on the best trail conditions and ask about bear activity on the trails.

A Few More Things to Know Before You Go

Still trying to decide if you visit Grand Teton in May?

May in Grand Teton National Park is better for people who are more interested in:

• Sight-seeing
• Doing scenic drives
• Viewing wildlife

These activities are self-reliant activities and are not dependent on park services (marinas, restaurants, equipment rentals) or weather.

Jeep Driving the 42 Mile Scenic Drive in Grand Teton

May is not the best option for people who want to:

• Hike
• Camp in the high/backcountry
• Water Sports and Boat Rentals
• Horseback Riding
• Have all services available, like restaurants

As mentioned previously, for hiking, you are at the mercy of how much snow has melted and the possible muddy conditions if snow has melted. And that is talking about the lower, front country hikes. Backcountry hiking and higher elevation trails will have snowpack on them.

For horseback riding, kayaking, canoeing, and boating, June, July, and August are better months as all the horse corals and marinas will be open for rentals.

Jenny Lake covered in snow in May – photo credit: nps.gov – Falgoust

To partake in eating at restaurants while gazing at a Teton view or having other amenities available (grocery store, laundry, showers, information centers) you might be able to in May if you confirm what is open the days you are there.

Again, everything is open in the months of June, July, and August.

And swimming? Seriously, the water is cold no matter what month you go.

Sooooo….freaking….cold….

I have tried swimming at String Lake at the beginning of June and found it painful.

I find the water still cold in July and August, but not as painful.

Good luck kids!

Have any questions about services not listed here? Or any other questions? Contact me or leave a comment.

Keep Your Eye Peeled for a Moose!

Jenn Cunningham
Founder, Explore GTNP

Grand Teton National Park’s 42 Mile Drive Guide

Your Guide to Seeing All the Stops, Spots, Overlooks, and Turnouts on the 42 Mile Drive
Complete with Checklists of What You Must SEE and DO for Each Spot!!

Plus five additional points of interest that are just outside the 42 Mile Drive that we highly recommend to be included.