Colter Bay Cabins Review: Best Place to Stay in Grand Teton National Park
See why the Colter Bay cabins are the best place to stay in Grand Teton National Park in this review!
These adorable log cabins have a Wild West feel while still providing modern amenities, plenty of space, and a convenient location in the heart of the park.
Thanks to the number of beds available in the cabins, these cabins are an excellent choice for families who need more room than a traditional hotel room.
We’ll deep dive into the history, layout, and amenities of these cabins—including plenty of photos from our most recent visit—and see what else is within walking distance of this cozy accommodation option in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.
The front of our log cabin at Colter Bay Village
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What are the Colter Bay Cabins at Grand Teton National Park?
The Colter Bay Cabins are one of the many accommodations available to guests inside Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming.
The log cabins come in a variety of sizes (see below for more details), and many date back to the late 1800s and early 1900s.
Welcome home!
In fact, most of these log cabins were moved from elsewhere on the property, including from the property once owned by the Rockefeller family, now the Laurance S. Rockefeller Preserve in the southwestern part of the park.
The cabins are built just as original pioneer cabins would’ve been more than 150 years ago when the first European settlers made their way to this area of Wyoming.
You’ll notice nods to this architectural history inside of the cabin. For example, the headboards of each bed are painted on instead of being a physical piece of wood or fabric.
This is because pioneers often had to leave their bulky headboards behind for the long journey West—or, if they were able to bring it, it often was chopped up for firewood before the journey ended.
In short, these cabins marry modern comfort with a rustic feel perfect for exploring Grand Teton National Park.
Where are the Colter Bay Cabins?
The Camping Kiddos standing on the shore at Colter Bay
The Colter Bay Cabins are located inside of Colter Bay Village at the northern end of the national park.
Just off of John D. Rockefeller Parkway, Colter Bay Village is an excellent place to use as a home base during your visit to Grand Teton thanks to the wide array of amenities here, including a launderette, a campground, multiple restaurants, a grocery store, and a park visitors center.
The Colter Bay cabins are near the front of Colter Bay Village, but are within an easy 5-10 minute walk of anything in this area.
We liked the Colter Bay Village area as it was convenient to all of the hiking and scenic drives, while being far enough into the park that we didn’t see much traffic.
This area is also close enough to the Grand Teton-Yellowstone border that you could make a day trip to see the West Thumb Geyser Basin, Old Faithful, and Grand Prismatic Springs.
Wondering which park is best for your family? Check out our comprehensive comparison of Grand Tetons vs. Yellowstone.
MOM TIP: While Grand Teton National Park isn’t as big as nearby Yellowstone, you’ll still spend a good deal of time driving around the park.
Make use of your time driving by listening to the GuideAlong app, which I can’t recommend enough for families.
We used it while driving all around Grand Teton National Park, and it was as good as having a live guide in the car.
It was actually better since we could stop and get out whenever something appealed to us, and we could repeat a particular section of the tour if the kids were asking questions.
The app uses GPS to determine where you are, and then provides in-real-time recommendations on what to see and do.
The guide, Dave, also shares fun tidbits about the geology, history, and animals you’ll see in the park.
For less than the price of a burger and fries back in Jackson, you’ll be able to learn so much about the park via this easy to use app.
>> Download the GuideAlong tour for Grand Teton National Park here. <<
NOTE: If you’re doing both Yellowstone National Park and Grand Teton National Park together, there is a dual tour for those. You’ll save about 30% by buying the bundle over each park separately.
Colter Bay Cabins: A Complete Review
These cabins aren’t the only ones inside of Grand Teton, but they are the only ones with as many amenities within walking distance.
I’d suggest booking 8-12 months in advance for the highest likelihood of getting the cabin type you want, and to have the best chance at any location requests within the cabin area.
You can book through Grand Teton Lodge Company's website, which is the lodging vendor for the park.
Note that the Colter Bay Cabins are seasonal and are typically open from the end of May to the end of September each year.
Get more family friendly suggestions in our guide to Grand Teton National Park with kids!
Cabin types
You’ll need to select from the 6 types of cabins available.
1 room cabin w/ 1 double bed and shared bathroom. There aren’t many of these, so you’ll need to book online. These cabins are actually duplexes, so you’ll share a wall with the other half of the cabin. Several of these cabins share a communal bathroom with toilets and showers, much like at a traditional campground.
1 room cabin w/2 twins and shared bathroom. This layout is the same as the one above and is also in a duplex. You’ll also need to use the shared bathroom nearby.
1 room cabin w/ 1 double bed and private bathroom. I think it’s worth the extra $40 or so a night to have your own bathroom, especially when you’re traveling with little kids. These cabins aren’t huge, but they are stand alone structures for a bit more privacy.
1 room cabin w/ 1 double, 1 twin bed and private bathroom. These cabins are slightly larger than the ones with a double bed and come with their own bathroom. It would be great for a family with an older child and one younger one who could sleep on a rollaway bed.
1 room cabin w/ 2 doubles, 1 twin bed and private bathroom. This cabin is quite large with a massive living/sleeping area.
2 room cabin w/ 1 double, 2 twins and private bathroom. Another great option for families if you’d like even more privacy with the separate bedrooms.
2 room cabin with 4 doubles and private bathroom. This cabin is huge and can sleep up to 10 people.
PIN ME!
You can also make more space by requesting the free roll-away beds that the property offers. These will be delivered to your room by the housekeeping staff.
We stayed in the 1 room cabin with 2 double beds and 1 twin, which was excellent for our family. Plan to pay around $350 per night for this cabin type.
We used a small hiking cot throughout our stay for my 6 year old who wanted his own bed. It was worth every penny!
If you have children like that, I’d recommend a cot or rollaway bed from the front desk: don’t sleep directly on the floor as the cabins can have mice in them.
(We didn’t see any in our cabin, but there was one living outside.)
The smaller cabin types begin around $250, while the largest cabins can run nearly $390 per night.
Room Overview
For this review, I’ll be pulling from our experience in the 1 room cabin with 2 double beds and 1 twin. However, based on information from the front desk and other guests, our experience and amenities were in line with all of the cabins available at Colter Bay.
The interior of our 1 room cabin with 2 doubles and 1 twin bed
What’s included in the rooms
In the room, you’ll find linens and towels for the number of people in your party.
We went through some towels quickly, but housekeeping was prompt in bringing us new ones when we called the front desk.
The room did have plenty of pillows, which we appreciated since my son was sleeping on his little cot.
Double bed and large armoire in our cabin
I loved how many beds the larger cabins had. We were traveling with my parents, so we didn’t feel cramped in the big cabin even though 5 of us were sharing the space.
The coffee and tea area in our cabin
I will say that my double bed was oddly shorter than the one my parents slept on.
I’m 5’7”, and my feet nearly touched the end of the double bed when I was laying down.
My double was actually shorter than my daughter’s twin bed. I have no idea what was going on there.
I ended up sleeping diagonally across the bed, which worked out in the end.
My 6’ tall dad slept without any issues on the other double bed.
You’ll also find a coffee service area with a small Keurig, several coffee pods, creamer, sugar, and sugar substitutes. There were also a few tea bags in this area, too.
There’s a small wooden table and 1 wooden chair, as well as 2 plush chairs in the sitting area near the door.
The interior of our private bathroom in the cabin
In the bathroom, you’ll find a stand-up shower, standard toilet, and sink area.
There is a hair dryer included in the room for those who need one.
In the shower is a large dispenser with shampoo, conditioner, and body wash.
While I appreciated the free products, I didn’t care for the smell, which was an odd combination of weed and lemon. I also didn’t think that the shampoo worked particularly well on my thick, long hair.
Thankfully, the strong smell of the products did dissipate once we’d been out of the shower for a bit.
There is an ice machine for guests at the front office, which we used throughout our stay to freshen our small cooler and get ice for drinks.
What could be changed or added
More than once, we wished there had been an extra blanket or two in the room. While housekeeping had these available, keeping a few in the room would help cut down on the number of times they need to come by the room.
For the number of people that our cabin could hold, we had nowhere to eat in the room. Since there was just a single chair and small table, we had to end up sitting on the plush chairs or the ends of our beds to have a snack or a quick breakfast.
There was plenty of room for a larger table in the middle of the room, which would’ve made this space much more functional for longer stays like ours.
On that note, it would’ve been helpful for a more defined seating area. We did have a couple of chairs, but it wasn’t enough for us to sit and chat.
There also isn’t a refrigerator, which is a bit annoying since we like to keep soft drinks, juices, and waters available, as well as cheese sticks and yogurts for snacks.
We got around this by using a cooler, but that was one more thing to buy and carry around.
We are outdoorsy people, and we stay in cabins and campgrounds in order to get outside as much as possible.
However, the cabins don’t have any outdoor furniture.
This meant that when we wanted to enjoy the beautiful Wyoming evenings, we had to sit on rocks or stumps while my kids played, which wasn’t ideal.
What else is in Colter Bay Village?
This area of Grand Teton National Park was incredible for the number of amenities that were within easy walking distance.
There are several other places in the park with accommodations (Jenny Lake, Jackson Lake, and Flagg Ranch), but none of them have the wide variety that Colter Bay does.
This rock was in front of our cabin; just on the other side of those trees is the main area in Colter Bay Village
Colter Bay has everything you’ll need for a longer stay, including a launderette, grocery store, and general store.
In the general store, you can get your typical souvenirs like shirts and mugs, but there’s also a huge camping and hiking section. You can get hiking packs, oxygen bottles for altitude sickness, dehydrated hiking meals, sunglasses, and lots more.
We stocked up on snacks at the grocery store, topping off from our Albertson’s run back in Jackson, Wyoming.
Pricing is uneven in this store, with some items (like our favorite Dot’s Pretzels) being only a dollar more than back home and some items (like Ziploc bags) being nearly double what they usually are.
Next to the grocery store and general store is an activities booth, where you can sign up for Snake River float trips (a highly recommended activity on my 2 days in Grand Teton itinerary).
There are 2 restaurants in Colter Bay Village: The Ranch House, which serves up hearty meals 3 times a day, and the Cafe Court Pizzeria.
These are located in the same building across from the parking lot for the boat ramp.
At the end of Colter Bay Village road, you’ll find the visitors center and the trailheads to several great hiking trails. One of these is the Lakeshore Trail, which we ranked among the best easy hikes in Grand Teton National Park.
Check to see what ranger programs are on while you’re visiting. These are free, informative, and interesting.
Explore more at Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks!
Colter Bay Cabins at Grand Teton FAQs
How rustic are the Colter Bay cabins?
While they’re not a 5-start hotel, the Colter Bay cabins were extremely cozy with plenty of amenities.
We’ve also stayed in the Roosevelt Cabins in Yellowstone not too far away, and the Colter Bay cabins had more amenities, ensuite bathrooms, and more modern insulation.
You’ll find electricity, heaters, and a full bathroom.
Do the cabins have heating and/or air conditioning?
The Colter Bay cabins do not have air conditioning but they do have heating.
During our visit, the outside temperatures varied wildly—from around 80 during a few of the days down to around freezing one night.
The interior of the cabin stayed comfortable on all but the coolest of nights, which is when we used the heater.
Each cabin also has an electric ceiling fan to keep the air moving.
Where is the closest place to purchase groceries?
If you’re staying at the cabins for more than a day, you’ll likely want to stock up on drinks and snacks.
There isn’t a refrigerator in the room, but we had a cooler that worked just fine.
There is a small grocery store within walking distance of the cabin area that has basics like bread, milk, fruit, soft drinks, Ziploc bags, and the like. There’s also a fresh deli bar inside the store for chicken salad, pastas, and the like.
The prices here are much higher than you’re paying outside of the park, but the convenience can’t be beat.
The closest normal grocery store is back in Jackson, Wyoming: you’ll find both an Albertson’s and a Whole Foods there. Both of those stores are about a 45 minute drive from the cabins.
Do the cabins have wifi?
Yes, some of the cabins have Wifi.
When we checked in, the front desk clerk mentioned that our section of cabins (200-215) had great wifi, thanks to their proximity to the front desk cabin and other Colter Bay amenities.
Your luck will vary with the rest of the cabins as we found driving around that there are several dead spots further back in the cabin area.
What is the check-in process?
Check-in was very easy at the Colter Bay Cabins.
We arrived in this area of Grand Teton National Park about an hour before the official check-in, but wanted to see if our cabin was available.
They were, so we were able to unload our suitcases before heading back out to hike and get dinner.
The check-in area is in the large log cabin-type building as soon as you turn into the cabin area. It is staffed 24 hours a day.
