Grand Teton National Park

 We haven't visited Grande Teton in years. The terrain blocks easy wheelchair access but we decided to give it another chance. The scenery is gorgeous so just driving through is amazing enough. Most of the activities such as hiking trails, campgrounds, lodges, and restaurants are along the Teton Park Road. Wishing to avoid the crowds we drove north along US 191 on the east side of the park.

Our first stop was Gros Ventre Campground. Even this early in the season campgrounds can be booked up but we didn't have a problem getting a site for one night at both GrosVentre  and Colter Bay Campgrounds. We camped in the no-generator section at Gros Ventre. The sites are short and the parking pads are gravel. Most of the campers are in tents. None of the sites are designated as accessible but they can be used. 

Loop D has thirty six electric sites; nine are accessible - $77.00 a night. Grand Teton campsites are much more expensive than other national parks. Even the non electric sites are $58.00! All of the sites in Loop D are paved and long enough for RVs. 

The next day, before starting our trip north, we stopped at the Craig Thomas Discovery Center which has good exhibits about the history of the park. It's accessible. The parking lot has long RV spaces.

A trail from the Discovery Center leads to the Murie Ranch Historic District. Margaret and Olaus Murie were early environmentalists who spent most of their lives studying the wildlife in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem and welcoming other conservation leaders into their home. In 1968, five years after Olaus's death, Margaret sold the ranch to the park in exchange for a life estate lease. Upon her death the ranch was established as a National Historic District and is managed in partnership with the Teton Science Schools. Cabins, that date from the 1920s when the property was a dude ranch, are used to house attendees at retreats and are not opened to the public. Tours of the Murie home are given once a day on weekdays. 

The Murie house has several steps up to the porch. The half mile trail to the ranch is not accessible due to a short section of loose, deep gravel. A dirt road also accesses the ranch. Short RVs will fit in the parking lot. 

Menor's Ferry Historic District is also near the Discovery Center. It's the site of William Menor's 1894 homestead. Menor operated a store, blacksmith shop, and the ferry that transported wagons, horses, and people across the Snake River. Several buildings are located on the site - the Mentor cabin/store; a shed with a collection of wagons and coaches; the Chapel of Transformation, a 1925 log church; and the cabin of Maude Noble who bought the ferry from Menor in 1918. The Noble cabin was the location of a 1932 meeting where plans were made to protect the valley from commercialization. 

 The Chapel has a ramp to the entrance but there's high threshold. The parking lot has RV spaces. 

The Menor's Ferry loop trail is rough and only accessible with assistance. The shed is the only building that's opened. 

The parking lot has RV spaces.  Instead of driving to this parking lot from Discovery Center we walked/rolled along the Grand Teton Pathway and Menors Ferry Road, about a mile one way. The pathway and road are in good condition and accessible. 

 Continuing north on US 191 we tried visiting Mormon Row but it was too crowded with no spaces left in the small lot or along the road.

Our next stop was the Cunningham Cabin. The parking lot is large enough for short RVs. The loop path to the cabin has steps, loose gravel, and a narrow sunken section. It's not accessible. 

We spent the night at Colter Bay Campground which has an odd arrangement of sites, at least in the loop we were in. All of the parking pads are along the sides of the road so there are lines of RVs on either side. I mistakenly choose a site in the generator section but fortunately there was only one noisy generator running on our loop. There are accessible sites that have electric hookups for a ridiculously high price per night - $83.00! 

A large parking lot with designated RV spaces is located at the Colter Bay Visitor Center. The Lakeshore Trail can be accessed from this lot by following the signs to the amphitheater and taking the paved path down the hill. The main trail is paved for short distance. We completed the 1 mile long first loop and found obstacles such as tree roots and loose rocks. The second loop goes up hill and has narrow spots. We did not attempt it.  

In conclusion, Grand Teton National Park is minimally wheelchair accessible. Go for the drive but don't expect to travel far off the road. Park  43.65546, -110.71771