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

 

 

Jackson Hole Museum

 Native Americans lived seasonally in the large valley between the Gros Ventre and Teton mountain ranges for thousands of years, however, Europeans didn't enter the valley until the fur trapping era of the early 1800s. Fur trapping ended in the 1840s, a short gold rush occurred in the 1870s, and homesteaders trickled in at the turn of the century. Farming and ranching were unreliable due to the harsh winters and short growing season. Resourceful ranchers, playing off the allure of the west and cowboy life, started dude ranches. Ski clubs and resorts soon followed. Jackson, the main town, is now a vibrant upscale resort and vacation home community and much too expensive for all of us ordinary people. :D

The small museum touches on all of this with exhibits containing many artifacts and a slightly disjointed story line. 

The museum is accessible. A few exhibits in cases are too high to view from a seated position. 

Designated RV parking is a block north and a block west at the Welcome Center. The sidewalks and curb cuts are in good conditions. Museum  43.47979, -110.75901

 

Hoback Campground

Eighteen primitive campsites are located along a short road with a turn around loop at the end. Most sites have access to the Hoback River. Amenities include picnic tables,vault toilets, drinking water, fire rings and grills. US 189 parallels the campground so there is some traffic noise especially during the daylight hours. 

None of the sites are designated as accessible but most are usable. All of the riverfront sites were taken when we arrived so we camped in site 10 which has a wide parking pad but a table and grill located on  grassy and bumpy ground.  

The sites along the road are large enough for most RVs. The sites in the loop are a little tight. Most sites are paved but at least one is grass. One is pull though. Campground  43.28022, -110.59806

 

 

 

 

The scenery along US 189 coming from the south is magnificent. 

Warren Bridge Campground

 A picnic area loop, a 16 site campground loop, and a boat launch are all located at the Warren Bridge Campground. The campground has tables, trash cans, fire rings, barbecue grills, vault toilets, a dump station, and fresh water.   

 

The boat ramp is on the opposite side of US 189 and has a small parking area and a gravel ramp to the Green River. The old bridge, where ospreys nest, can be accessed by unlatching a barbwire gate. We also spotted a hawk with its dinner and a moose in the sagebrush across the river. 

None of the campsites are designated as accessible but most are usable. The first one has a high fire ring and is closer to the accessible vault toilet located in the picnic area. Campground 43.01624, -110.12166