Support Organizations

The Grand Teton Association (307/739-3403, www.grandtetonpark.org) operates bookstores in park visitor centers and the store at Menor’s Ferry. It also has an online service for Grand Teton books and other publications. All profits finance new publications or assist the Park Service in its research and interpretive programs.

The nonprofit Grand Teton National Park Foundation (307/739-0629, www.gtnpf.org) provides support for park projects (including the new visitor center at Moose) that would not otherwise be funded, and all contributions are tax-deductible.

Kids in the Park

It’s hard to imagine a more kid-friendly park than Grand Teton. Two marvelous new visitor centers—Craig Thomas Discovery and Visitor Center and Laurance S. Rockefeller Preserve Center—have a variety of fascinating exhibits, including the yes-you-can-touch variety. River rafting trips and horseback rides are fun for older kids, and everyone loves the boat rides across Jenny Lake to Inspiration Point. Park restaurants all have kid-friendly meals and Jackson Lake Lodge offers the perfect combo: a fun outdoor pool with a popular snack bar. If you have older kids (and a bike trailer), rent a bike and head out the back roads around Mormon Row and Kelly.

All sorts of ranger-led programs are listed in the park paper, including many family options. Grand Teton’s Junior Ranger program is filled with educational activities for kids. It takes an hour or so, and is a great way to introduce children to the natural world. The “graduation” ceremonies are fun too. One of the joys of Grand Teton is its proximity to Jackson, providing all sorts of in-town options if your kids are getting bored, from the speedy alpine slide at Snow King to the noisy shoot-out on Town Square.

Ranger Programs

Check your copy of the Teewinot for details on several dozen options for talks, hikes, junior ranger classes, boat cruises, campfire programs, and historical lectures. You might learn about the legacy of Laurance Rockefeller at one talk, or how teepees were used at another. There’s always something of interest, and many of these free programs are geared to families.