04/12/2024
It's difficult to think of next spring, summer, and fall while we are in the midst of the holiday season.
Right now, you can book your INSIDE Grand Teton National Park lodging and camping reservations for all of May 2025.
Lodges inside the park accept reservations 12 months in advance.
Campgrounds accept reservations 6 months in advance and must be booked through recreation.gov.
Some things to know about visiting Grand Teton National Park in May:
MAY TEMPERATURE & WEATHER
Some things to know about visiting Grand Teton National Park in May:
MAY TEMPERATURE & WEATHER
- The temperatures have average lows of 30s and average highs of 60s
- Know those are the “averages” as we have camped and woken up to 25-degree mornings that had a “feel-like temperature of 21 degrees”. Fricken Brrrrr.
- It is very possible and most probable to snow and/or rain in May.
TETONS in MAY
- Will still have snow on them - making for gorgeous landscape photos
- Scenery in front of the Tetons and/or in the valley is bare and sparse. Trees will appear bare as their leaves are just starting to grow. Same with the willows. There will not be a lot of green, but rather scenery with a lot of brown colors.
- The naked trees and willows make it easier to see wildlife.
WILDLIFE in MAY
- Many animals will be on the move from their winter feeding grounds to inside Grand Teton National Park
- Those same animals will have their newborns and young in tow
- Bears will emerge from their dens. The male bears usually emerge before May, with females and their cubs emerging in mid to late May.
MAY ACTIVITIES
- May is not a good month for hiking. Back country hiking trails are snow packed and front country trails can be icy, muddy, and have a lot of standing water.
- Water activities are not available yet, as marinas usually don’t open until end of May and even then they aren’t renting boats, canoes, or kayaks because of cold water temperatures.
- Scenic drives and sightseeing by car is a good activity for May - including Antelope Flats Road, the Moose Wilson Road, and the 42 Mile Drive.
https://exploregtnp.com/42-mile-scenic-drive-grand-teton-national-park/
- Looking for wildlife by car or by hired tour is also a good activity for May.
OUR PERSONAL PREFERENCE FOR MAY
Is to wait and go towards the end of the third week of May at the earliest.
While a lot of activities still aren’t available at this time, more lodges, visitor centers, and restaurants will be open to stop at while sightseeing.
Stay warm in May - bring your winter clothes and layer up!