Upon our arrival in Jackson, Wyoming (just outside of Grand Teton National Park), we went to Albertson’s to restock on groceries and had lunch at a restaurant called Bubba’s BBQ (Pat had brisket, beans, and potato salad; while Tim had BBQ chicken and pork ribs, potato salad, and mac & cheese). After lunch, we dropped off the rental car at the Jackson airport.
Afterward, we drove into Grand Teton National Park from the south entrance and to our RV campground within the park: Colter Bay Village RV Park. Grand Teton National Park is the seventh national park that we’ve visited since starting our full-time RV travels. The park includes the major peaks of the 40-mile-long Teton Range as well as most of the northern sections of the valley known as Jackson Hole. Grand Teton National Park is named for Grand Teton, the tallest mountain in the Teton Range. At 13,775 feet, Grand Teton abruptly rises more than 7,000 feet above Jackson Hole, almost 850 feet higher than Mount Owen, the second-highest summit in the range. The park has numerous lakes, including 15-mile-long Jackson Lake; as well as the upper main stem of the Snake River. Though in a state of recession, a dozen small glaciers persist at the higher elevations near the highest peaks in the range. Some of the rocks in the park are the oldest found in any American national park and have been dated at nearly 2.7 billion years.
Once we arrived at Colter Bay Village RV Park within Grand Teton National Park, we had to set up twice because after we completed the first set up we realized that we had no electricity in the RV (our automated panel within the RV was telling us that the electrical unit at the campground was not properly grounded). We called the emergency afterhours campground number to report the issue, and to their credit, they sent someone quickly to take a look at the issue and ultimately put us in a different site. We had to disconnect from everything and move to the new site and set up again.
Our RV site was gravel/dirt but was a bit unlevel. The site included only a picnic table (no fire pit or grill). We immediately noticed the significant change in temperature from our last stay in Salt Lake City (and from our hot and humid 80 and 90 degree days in Puerto Vallarta) as the low temperatures were in the 30s and the highs in the 50s. We had to put away our shorts again.
The following day, we walked to the Colter Bay Visitor Center, where we bought some souvenirs and got our passbooks stamped. Afterward, we hiked along the Lakeshore Foot Trail, where we were eventually stopped by a ranger as a black bear was on the lakeshore about 100 yards from where we were stopped. We managed to take a few pictures though. We had to turn around and return the same way we had started the hike instead of taking the loop around. We hiked a total of about 4 miles on this relatively easy trail and returned to the RV for the evening (the trail was adjacent to our campground).
Our second full day at Grand Teton was a rainy one. So, we did some laundry, took care of some blog entries, and caught up on emails and television shows. We still saw plenty of reminders about the bears!
On our third (and last) full day at Grand Teton, we took our longest hike on the Hermitage Point Trail. The trail head was at the end of the parking lot for the Visitor Center. We hiked a total of 9.2 miles on this moderately difficult trail (lots of inclines) through wooded areas with magnificent views of the Grand Tetons. The ultimate destination, Hermitage Point, was about 4.4 miles from the trail head. After we arrived at this point, we sat on the rocks next to Jackson Lake, ate the sandwiches we brought with us, and admired the view of the Grand Tetons from the lake. The entire hike took us about 6.5 hours (including the stop for lunch). It rained on us for a portion of the hike, but the rain subsided, and the sun came out toward the end of our hike. We even saw a pronghorn elk on the way back. 
By the time we finished, we were exhausted (and our legs and feet were sore). We decided then that 9 miles (or maybe 7 or 8) would be our limit on future hikes.
Review of Colter Bay Village RV Park in Grand Teton National Park
Colter Bay Village RV Park is located within Grand Teton National Park. Showcasing views of the Grand Tetons, this campground is located on the shores of Jackson Lake. The RV campground includes 112 full hookup RV sites. All sites include a picnic table.
The Colter Bay Visitor Center is within walking distance of the campground, as is a restaurant (featuring down-home fare); grocery store (with firewood, camping supplies, and groceries); and a gift shop. Other amenities include bathroom/shower facilities (showers are an additional fee), laundry facilities, a marina, and horse corrals. Campers can enjoy hiking, with trail heads that begin within walking distance of the campground. Additionally, campers can kayak, canoe, horseback ride, fish, and swim. The campground also offers lake cruises and ranger-led programs. Additionally, campers can purchase propane at the campground.
Despite our early issues with electricity, we really enjoyed our stay at Colter Bay Village RV Park. We particularly liked that hiking trail heads, Visitor Center, grocery store, and a restaurant were within walking distance of the campground. If we were to visit Grand Teton National Park again, we would certainly consider staying at Colter Bay Village RV Park.
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