Both parks charge separately, but one ticket covers your vehicle for 7 days at the park you enter. If you enter Yellowstone via the South Entrance — the route from Jackson — you pass through Grand Teton first and need to pay both entrance fees. Keep your receipts.
| Pass Type | Yellowstone | Grand Teton | Valid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Private Vehicle | $35 | $35 | 7 days |
| Motorcycle | $30 | $30 | 7 days |
| Walk-in / Bicycle | $20/person | $20/person | 7 days |
| America the Beautiful (all parks) | $80 — covers both parks | 12 months | |
| Senior Pass (62+, US residents) | $80 lifetime · $20/year | Lifetime | |
| 4th Grade Pass (kids) | Free via everykidoutdoors.gov | 1 year | |
Neither park requires advance reservations to enter — you pay at the gate or buy your pass online ahead of time at recreation.gov. Gates are open 24 hours. Note that some park roads close seasonally due to snow.
Each season at these parks is genuinely different — not just in weather, but in what you'll see and experience. Here's an honest breakdown.
Wildlife is exceptional — bears emerge from hibernation with cubs, elk calves appear, and animals concentrate on valley floors where snow has melted first. Crowds are thin. The tradeoff: some roads and facilities are still closed, trails can be muddy or snowy, and April weather is wildly unpredictable.
All roads, trails, visitor centers, and facilities are open. Long days, warm temperatures, and the widest range of activities — hiking, rafting, boating. The downside is real: July and August are the most crowded months, and popular spots like Old Faithful and Grand Prismatic Spring can feel like theme parks. Book lodging months in advance.
Many locals and experienced park visitors consider this the single best time of year. Crowds drop sharply after Labor Day, the aspen groves turn gold, and elk rut begins in September — you'll hear bugling bulls across the valleys. Wildlife is extremely active. Temperatures are cool but comfortable. Early October can bring snow.
A completely different park — and genuinely magical if you prepare for it. Bison plow through deep snow, wolves are easier to spot against white backgrounds, and geothermal features look otherworldly in frozen air. Yellowstone vehicle access closes; you'll need a snowcoach or snowmobile tour. Grand Teton is driveable on main roads and excellent for skiing and snowshoeing.
Yellowstone is enormous — over 2.2 million acres. You can't see it all in a day. Here's what's worth prioritizing, roughly in order from Jackson via the South Entrance.
The largest hot spring in the US and one of the most photographed sights on Earth. Vivid rings of orange, yellow, and green from heat-loving microbes around a deep blue center. Hike the Fairy Falls Trail for the aerial view — most visitors miss this.
The iconic geyser erupts roughly every 90 minutes, reaching 100–180 feet. Arrive early to get a front-row bench. The surrounding Upper Geyser Basin has the highest concentration of geysers on Earth — budget 2–3 hours to walk the full loop.
Two stunning viewpoints — Upper Falls and Lower Falls — and the dramatic yellow-and-orange canyon walls that gave the park its name. Often overlooked by visitors rushing to geysers. Allow at least an hour and hike down to the base of the Lower Falls if you're able.
Called "America's Serengeti" by wildlife biologists. Best place in the world to reliably see wolves, as well as bison herds, bears, elk, and pronghorn. Go at dawn or dusk. Bring binoculars or a spotting scope — animals are often far from the road.
Wide open valley with the Yellowstone River running through it. Excellent bison viewing — herds of hundreds can block the road in summer. Also a prime spot for grizzly bears, wolves, and waterfowl. Photographers love the golden light here at sunrise.
Terraced travertine formations that look like something from another planet, constantly changing as hot water deposits calcium carbonate. The only area of Yellowstone open to vehicles year-round and the site of the historic park headquarters.
Grand Teton is more compact than Yellowstone and easier to cover in a single day. The scenery — a sheer wall of peaks rising straight from the valley floor — is arguably more dramatic. Start early and drive the inner park road.
The jewel of Grand Teton. A pristine glacially-carved lake at the foot of the Cathedral Group peaks. Take the short boat shuttle across ($18 roundtrip) and hike to Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point for one of the best views in the American West. In summer, arrive before 9am or expect a long queue.
One of the most photographed spots in the entire park — a slow bend in the Snake River reflecting Mount Moran in calm morning water. Prime moose habitat and excellent for waterfowl, beavers, and bald eagles. Best at sunrise when the light hits the Tetons directly.
Historic homestead barns with the Teton Range as a backdrop — the most photographed barn in America (Moulton Barn) is here. Also excellent for bison and pronghorn. Walking between the old barns gives a sense of the homesteaders who lived here in the early 1900s.
A short drive up a paved road leads to a panoramic view of the entire Jackson Hole valley and the Teton Range from above. One of the few places you can see both the mountains AND the valley they rise from. Very easy — no hiking required.
The largest lake in the park with stunning Teton views. Colter Bay Village has the best on-water access — rent a canoe or kayak, walk the 2-mile lakeshore trail, or just sit on the dock. The visitor center here is excellent for orienting to the whole park.
A narrow unpaved road (no RVs) through dense forest and wetland corridors. The best place in the park to see moose, black bears, and the occasional grizzly close to the road. Drive it slowly at dawn or dusk. It connects directly from Teton Village — perfect if you're staying there.
The Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem is one of the last intact temperate ecosystems on Earth. Seeing large wildlife in the wild here is not a special occasion — it's the norm if you go at the right time and know where to look.
Virtually nonexistent inside both parks. Download offline maps (Google Maps or Maps.me) before you leave Jackson. The park visitor center WiFi is your best bet mid-day.
Fill up in Jackson. Gas inside the parks is available but expensive and not always open. Don't rely on it.
Layers regardless of season — mountain weather changes fast. Sunscreen, water (minimum 2L/person for any hike), bear spray if hiking.
Carry bear spray on any trail. Make noise. Never hike alone in thick brush. Bears are not the main risk — most park injuries are from bison.
Old Faithful and Jenny Lake fill completely by 9–10am in summer. Arrive at 7am or plan to wait. Weekdays are significantly better than weekends.
Grand Teton entrance gates are credit/debit card only — no cash. Buy your pass online at recreation.gov in advance to skip the gate line.
Summer thunderstorms roll in almost daily around 2–4pm. Plan hikes for morning. Lightning at altitude is serious.
Book campsites months in advance via recreation.gov — they sell out the same day they open for reservations. Same for park lodges.
Jackson is the best base for visiting both parks. Grand Teton is practically in your backyard — the park boundary starts just north of town. Yellowstone is an easy day trip, but it's a full day.
Parking at Jenny Lake and Old Faithful fills by 9am in summer. We drop you at the trailhead, wait, and bring you back — no parking stress, no rush, and a local driver who knows the parks inside out.
Park entrance fees paid separately by passengers at the gate