GRAND TETON NATIONAL PARK — Signs of the seasonal transition are plentiful these days, and national park roads are shuttering to vehicles to await snowfall.
Some roads in Grand Teton National Park (GTNP) close completely for the winter, and others remain open only to non-motorized traffic. On Nov. 1, the inner Teton Park Road closed to cars from the Taggart Lake Trailhead to Signal Mountain Lodge. It will remain open to cyclists, pedestrians and leashed dogs until enough snow falls to allow for grooming to begin. Grooming for cross-country ski tracks typically starts in mid-December.
The Moose-Wilson Road is currently closed for road construction, and winter recreation access between Moose and Death Canyon Junction will begin on Nov. 15. Grassy Lake Road, west of Flagg Ranch, closes to vehicles based on conditions: Once there is adequate snow cover, it will open to oversnow travel like snowmobiling, skiing and snowshoeing. Secondary roads, including Antelope Flats, Deadmans Bar, Pilgrim Creek, Schwabacher and Two Ocean close seasonally as conditions change. Learn more here.
“There’s still time to enjoy the quieter side of fall in Grand Teton!” GTNP wrote in a social media post. “Take a walk, ride your bike, or soak in the beauty of the changing landscape before winter settles in.”
Farther north, most roads in Yellowstone National Park (YNP) have closed to vehicles for the season, as well as the John D. Rockefeller Jr. Memorial Parkway from Flagg Ranch to YNP’s South Entrance.
Most YNP roads closed to vehicle traffic on Nov. 1. From mid-December to mid-March, those roads are open to limited oversnow travel, like commercially guided snowmobiles and snowcoaches. Learn more and check conditions here.
“Visitors traveling to Yellowstone by car during the winter season can access the park only via the road connecting the North Entrance in Gardiner, Montana, and the Northeast Entrance in Cooke City/Silver Gate, Montana,” nonprofit Yellowstone Forever said on Facebook. “This route passes through Mammoth Hot Springs, Tower Junction and Lamar Valley and remains open year-round, weather permitting.”
