Grand Teton National Park accessible trails

The Craig Thomas, Jenny Lake, and Colter Bay visitor centers and the Flagg Ranch Information Station all have accessible restrooms, TDD, parking spaces, curb cuts, and entrances, per NPS, though the Flagg Ranch station does not open every year. Three of them lend wheelchairs: Craig Thomas in Moose, Jenny Lake, and Colter Bay. The Rockefeller Preserve and Flagg Ranch don't. Colter Bay has a push-button door and an accessible family restroom outside the building, and Jenny Lake has vault and flush toilets, including a family restroom. Out in the park, wayside exhibits and overlooks have curb cuts and designated parking. Restaurants with accessible facilities are at Flagg Ranch, Leeks Marina, Colter Bay, Signal Mountain Lodge, Jackson Lake Lodge, and Jenny Lake Lodge (NPS physical and mobility page).

Borrow a wheelchair at the Craig Thomas, Jenny Lake, or Colter Bay visitor centers while they're open. Check each center's operating calendar before relying on a loan. NPS names no rental or adventure wheelchair program. It does say people with disabilities may use any type of assistive technology in the park, trails included, and motorized wheelchairs are allowed on the paved multi-use pathway, which is otherwise for non-motorized use only.

At Jenny Lake, NPS says the concessioner's shuttle boats, the east-side boat dock, and the bridge are wheelchair accessible. None of the concessioners that run activities is fully ADA compliant, but NPS says they'll work with you to try to accommodate, so ask when you book.

U.S. citizens and residents with a permanent disability get the Access Pass free, and our Grand Teton fees page has the details.

For visitors with hearing loss, the park film "Life on the Edge" at the Craig Thomas Discovery and Visitor Center is open captioned, audio exhibits have captions or text versions, you can borrow an amplifier for the film, and the auditorium has an induction loop for hearing aids with a T-coil. At Colter Bay, "Life on the Edge" and "Yellowstone Aflame" are open captioned, but "Circle of Life" and "Wolves" are not. NPS will try to provide an American Sign Language interpreter for ranger programs if you ask ahead: call TTY/TDD 307-739-3301 or email the park (NPS hearing loss page).

For blind and low-vision visitors, Craig Thomas has many tactile exhibits and lends a device that plays audio description during "Life on the Edge." Colter Bay's films have no audio description. NPS also offers printable standard and large-format accessibility brochures. The hearing and vision pages were last updated in 2018 and 2016, so confirm details at the desk (NPS low vision page).

Service animals are allowed throughout the park and in all park facilities, and they must be leashed. Dogs whose only job is comfort or emotional support don't qualify. NPS does not recommend service animals in the backcountry, warns that deer and moose can charge a service dog as they would a wolf, and provides no waste bags, so bring your own (NPS service animals page). Wildlife distances are on our Grand Teton with kids page.

Campground access varies a lot. Colter Bay Campground has 13 ADA-accessible sites with electric hookups, and next door Colter Bay RV Park has four sites widened for wheelchairs; restrooms at both are partially accessible, with accessible showers in Colter Bay Village. Gros Ventre has 10 ADA-accessible sites with electric hookups beside an ADA-compliant restroom, on mostly level compact gravel, but its registration office is not wheelchair accessible. Jenny Lake Campground, tent only, has three ADA-compliant sites, though the route to its amphitheater is not accessible. At Headwaters Campground at Flagg Ranch, most sites are accessible to wheelchairs. Signal Mountain (81 sites) and Lizard Creek (60 sites) have no ADA-accessible sites yet, and both are hilly, though Signal Mountain's showers and laundry are fully ADA accessible. Eight primitive campsite areas along Grassy Lake Road, west of Flagg Ranch, have vehicle access and accessible vault toilets but no water. For rooms, NPS asks you to contact each lodge directly. Jackson Lake Lodge has a strobe and TDD kit, and its Mural Room and Blue Heron Lounge are wheelchair accessible; the Pioneer Grill isn't, but you can order from its menu in the Mural Room. Jenny Lake Lodge parking is behind the cabins, a longer walk, and the paths at Climber's Ranch are not wheelchair friendly. Season dates are on our Grand Teton camping page.

NPS is frank that hiking here can be hard: rugged terrain, high altitude, steep and uneven trails, and sudden weather changes. Most of the more than 235 miles of trail don't exceed 10 to 15% grade, but some reach 20%, and surfaces run from level compacted soil to broken rock and roots. Ask a ranger for suggestions before you set out.

Many summer and fall ranger programs are wheelchair accessible, which is an easy way to learn the park without a long walk. For a gentle day, start at Craig Thomas in Moose, then drive to South Jenny Lake to roll the paved paths to the water's edge.

The park is working on its gaps. Its Self Evaluation Transition Plan names seven key park experiences every visitor should be able to have, and planners assessed 17 areas for barriers such as steep walkways, missing grab bars, or films without audio description. Confirm the exact campsite features before booking. The best time to visit Grand Teton page shows how busy each month gets.