It doesn't get much more "Outdoors" than this...

One of my best friends and roommate at A&M is turning 40 this Spring. To celebrate, he wants to climb Grand Teton this summer....and he wants me to join him, haha!

We already have the climb booked with an outfitter up there (Exum Mountain Guides.) It is a 4 day deal, where we train/practice for 2 days and then spend the next two days getting to the summit.

My friend is making a family trip out of it with his wife and kids staying in Jackson. Instead of paying $400/night for a hotel room just for me, I would love to just tent camp. I am too late in the year to get a spot at any of the national park campgrounds. I'm also having trouble finding anything available close by at any of the private campgrounds.

I've looked into "dispersed camping" in the national forest...but I've never done that before and it makes me a little nervous to get up there without a spot reserved.

Just wondering if anyone has camped in the area before...or have any other ideas?

Thanks!

Well...I looked back today and saw that 2 tent sites opened up at Colter Bay campground. That is about as close as I can get, unless something at Jenny Lake opens up, which I now have an alert set up for.

Still open to any other suggestions!

If you have a spot locked up at Colter Bay I would stick with it to be safe. I never did any dispersed camping near the park. My wife and I would camp in the Hoback Canyon area (e.g. Hoback Campground, Kozy Campground) and we frequented the Bridger-Teton National Forest south of Jackson when we lived up there. The Shadow Mountain Dispersed Camping is popular and if you get there in the mornings you'll usually secure a spot from what I've heard. Exum is a great outfit and I'm sure that will be a great experience. I do not think there is a more beautiful area of the country than the Grand Tetons.

Can camp in the national forest, just get there in plenty of time before dark to find a spot. It isn't too hard. I have also gotten a a back country pass, but it does take a while to get into the back country if you plan on coming out daily. I have spent a few nights in both.

If you are worried about it just book the Coulter

Thank you for the replies. Good to hear positive things about Exum...they've been around a long time so I figured they were probably doing it right.

I did go ahead and book a spot at Colter Bay. I'm going to keep looking at other options, but at least I have that to fall back on.

clinte234 said:

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I've looked into "dispersed camping" in the national forest...but I've never done that before and it makes me a little nervous to get up there without a spot reserved.

Just wondering if anyone has camped in the area before...or have any other ideas?

Thanks!

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Good luck on your adventure, sounds awesome!

You don't need a reservation for dispersed camping. Dispersed means you don't have to stay in a designated campground. Just find a place. There's a couple of roads that take off from hwy. 191, the main road that runs north/south through the park, and go east to the park boundary into National Forest land.

It sounds like your practice will be done with the intent of getting you acclimated to high altitude, but consider getting there at least a day or two earlier. The Grand Teton's peak is at nearly 14,000 ft. And altitude sickness can be very serious.

If you're a member of the RMEF check out this month's issue of the Bugle. It has a good article on altitude sickness. The author is a PA and nearly lost his dad on an elk hunting trip at less than 10,000 ft. because he got AMS (altitude mountain sickness)

clinte234 said:

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It doesn't get much more "Outdoors" than this...

One of my best friends and roommate at A&M is turning 40 this Spring. To celebrate, he wants to climb Grand Teton this summer....and he wants me to join him, haha!

We already have the climb booked with an outfitter up there (Exum Mountain Guides.) It is a 4 day deal, where we train/practice for 2 days and then spend the next two days getting to the summit.

My friend is making a family trip out of it with his wife and kids staying in Jackson. Instead of paying $400/night for a hotel room just for me, I would love to just tent camp. I am too late in the year to get a spot at any of the national park campgrounds. I'm also having trouble finding anything available close by at any of the private campgrounds.

I've looked into "dispersed camping" in the national forest...but I've never done that before and it makes me a little nervous to get up there without a spot reserved.

Just wondering if anyone has camped in the area before...or have any other ideas?

Thanks!

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What dates is your climb? I have my climb booked for july 17-20 with Exum

Stupid double post

Don't know about camping but took the wife for our 20th anniversary last Jan and was absolutely amazing trip.

Climbing that mountain is a very cool gift.

That is wild! We are booked for July 18-21!

Are yall doing the private climb? The 2 climbers 1 guide ratio. Since I'm going solo I chose to do the group climb for the moral support haha. When I booked mine they said there were only 2 others so far in the group that have booked the dates i booked.

We signed up for the group climb...if you want to push your climb back a day, you'd have a couple of Aggies in your group!

Texags meet-up on the summit! My plan was to fly up there the 15th to give me a couple of days to acclimate and fly back to Houston on the 21st, but I can look at my schedule and may be able to swing moving it back a day and make sure your group has more Aggie fans.

ETA. I'm yall's age and trying to get myself into shape to do it, but I won't hold a group back.

Awesome trip, it will be a grind but worth it. I have not done the Grand, but have done other non-technical routes leaving from Garnet canyon, which is the meadow camp area and base for all hikes/climbs.

As others have said, get acclimated, I've had group members bail on two occasions bc of altitude.

Sounds like you have a site reserved, keep checking there will be cancelations as date approaches. Might consider looking into the climbers ranch, bare bones situation (never done it). A back country site at Leigh lake would be nice, it's a flat hike to sites, great views and could go into town and hike back at night, very doable.

I know you didn't ask but some other recs:
Consider just renting gear from Teton back county rentals over flying up with gear for one.

Next to to that gear shop is creek side market, great stop for good snacks, locals joint for sandwiches and a sloshy to go.

Eleanor's again is a great stop for dinner, enter through the liquor store.

Dornan's for roof top pizza and sundown. I think Monday's they have a hootenanny, it's a unique singer song writter event. There is also a well stocked store (sandwiches to go are good) and a great wine shop if that is your thing. Consider a couple mini champagnes to celebrate the summit.

Consider doing paint brush divide hike to get some miles and elevation in. Also, delta lake is a really cool, unofficial hike, it has gotten popular with social, would strongly recommend you do this pre-dawn to catch sunrise at lake and beat the crowds of people with no business being up there. If you do it, get the all trails app to navigate, there is light trail finding over rocks.

Beef up on good sunscreen you will get a lot of exposure. Consider getting some sunglasses with sides to block sun, I always forget and and up using athletic tape to improvise. Anticipate light showers.

Enjoy, it will be epic.

Thanks for all of the advice…much appreciated!

No worries, I love it there. It's hard to mess up.

barnacle bob said:

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Eleanor's again is a great stop for dinner, enter through the liquor store.

Dornan's for roof top pizza and sundown.

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Actually there's a really good pizzeria at Leaks Marina, just a few miles north of Colter Bay where you'll be staying. Take every chance you can to avoid the crowds and traffic of Jackson.

Someone on the National Parks thread on the travel board had an awesome tent site that I remember seeing a picture of