Gros Ventre & Mormon Row ~ Grand Teton National Park

​Grand Teton National Park is one of the most popular places to be in the entire west and this vast Wyoming wilderness area even has a winter ski season. Since this park is such a busy tourist attraction, organization is the key to keeping the operations working smoothly. This is especially true at the Gros Ventre Campground in Grand Teton, which is one of the largest campgrounds that I have seen anywhere out west. A good site management system is what keeps this big campground running efficiently and for first time visitors, the check-in process will likely be something new. 

Just like nearly everywhere, making campsite reservations well ahead of time is necessary during the peak tourism seasons and on busy weekends. For casual travelers that make no reservations, it does not always pay to assume that there will be no open campsites inside this busy National Park. The sheer immense size of the Gros Ventre Campground says it all and there are even more camping options inside the park. The neighboring National Forest campgrounds are an option too, so the chances are good that there will be a few open campsites to be found on any given day. 

The best place to inquire about open campsites is the Craig Thomas Discovery & Visitor Center in Moose, which is located across Highway 191 from the Gros Ventre Campground and Mormon Row. The Moose Visitor Center staff stays in constant contact with all of the campgrounds in the park and they will point visitors toward where an open campsite can be found. As the day progresses there will be fewer open spots and the "Campground Full" signs will be seen more often, so getting to the Visitor Center information desk directly upon arrival will help the cause. The optimal time for landing a campsite with no prior reservation is early in the afternoon, which is good to keep in mind when planning the first day in this park.

Just like with nearly every big campground, self service is not an option, so there is no need to endlessly cruise around the Gros Ventre Campground to look for an empty spot. There is a campground concierge cabin at the entrance and this is where the staff will find a campsite that will best suit your needs. There are RV slips, places for large trailers, car camping spots and tent sites, so mentioning the size of your vehicle and your camping mode upon check-in will guarantee a tailor made spot. If you mention that you are going to use solar recharging panels, the staff will even select a sunny campsite instead of one that is covered with shade trees. The Gros Ventre Campground staff members are good at what they do, which makes the check-in process a real pleasure.

As can be guessed, the reason for mentioning how to land a campsite with no reservation was because this is how I went about my own visit at Grand Teton. I originally intended to camp for free on the neighboring public lands, but spending the night at a campground that had top notch facilities sounded like a luxurious proposition. The weather also had to do with the decision to camp inside the National Park, because there was plenty of foul weather that day and sunnier skies were expected the following morning before another storm front passed through. Being on site at daybreak was the best plan for getting some better views of this majestic place!

Even though Gros Ventre is a very large campground, it is very quiet at night. This is because Grand Teton is a hiker's park that offers all sorts of strenuous activities and most of the campers are too tired to last much longer than shortly after sunset. After getting a good night's sleep in the tent and cooking breakfast at dawn, the plan to get an early start on the day was in full effect and the first stop was right next door at the old historic Mormon Row!

Mormon Row is a great place to start the day at Grand Teton, simply because life on a farm traditionally begins way before dawn. Early morning photos of old farm buildings always turn out to be more dramatic, because the first light of the day is so bright and the long shadows come into play. On an overcast morning, the old abandoned farm houses are more ominous looking and the feeling imparted by the views is somber and cold. Touring Mormon Row at dawn is quite a visual experience and a lot can be learned about pioneer history in this region by touring this farm village in the grassy plains where wild buffalo roam.

As can be seen, all is not lost if no campsite reservations were made ahead of time when a visitor shows up out of the blue. There are usually a few campsites open on any given day, but the time to inquire is early in the afternoon before every available campsite is taken. Waking up in Gros Ventre will certainly present an opportunity to capture some dramatic views of the Grand Teton Mountain Range and the old historic Mormon Row is right next door. As far as getting an early start for a Grand Teton venture is concerned, it does not get much better than this!