A Highlight Near Jackson Hole

     In the past couple years, I've camped at quite a few random locations that I've found on freecampsites.net. The most beautiful one I've come across so far is along Granite Creek Road in Bridger-Teton National Forest between Jackson and Pinedale, Wyoming. This nine mile long road boasts multiple attractions that make it a lovely and cheap destination. About an hour from Grand Teton National Park and Jackson Hole, it's an ideal spot to camp if visiting the park.

Camping Out

     I camped here the week after Labor Day, so my experience may differ a bit from what visitors might experience during the middle of summer. Online, many people mentioned that the dirt road was a perpetual cloud of dust due to a relatively high amount of traffic back and forth. This wasn't my experience at all though. Also mentioned online, the road had apparently been washed out at some point and wasn't easily passable for many vehicles. Again, this wasn't my experience. The road must have been fixed up since then. The majority of the road was no problem for my two-wheel drive Equinox.
     Along Granite Creek Road, there are numerous dispersed camping spots, albeit mostly used by RVs and trailers. We stayed in a tent, though, with no issues. Many of the sites are near the creek and have splendid mountain views. Coming through at around 6:30pm, we had no problem snatching up a breathtaking spot. Only a handful of other people were in the camping areas. Probably the biggest obstacle about finding a spot was the abundance of cows wandering around. We had to work around a few cow piles in the site we picked. I was afraid they might walk right to the tent!
     If dispersed camping isn't for you, there's actually a campground near the end of the road for a fee. It has pretty nice sites as well, but is really only worth the fee if you have a fear of using the bathroom outside.

Granite Hot Springs

     The coolest feature of this area is it's hot spring. The pool is only open from 10am to 6pm at this time of year unfortunately. We weren't able to go in the evening, but we showed up at the pool promptly at 10am the next morning. It was more developed than I had expected. There's an $8 fee for adults and $5 for kids, but well worth it. The spring feeds hot water into the pool, so closer to
the spring is hotter and farther away is cooler. Closest to the spring is just short of hot tub temperatures, with the rest of the pool being around the temperature of bath water. It was a lovely soak on a chilly morning. Arriving right at opening time, only a couple other people were at the pool. We heard talk of a small spring in the creek, but did not follow up on what we heard. If you visit, perhaps ask the attendant about any other springs in the area.

Limitless Attractions

     Did I mention there is a waterfall along this road? Some trails as well? trail information.
Granite Creek Falls lies near the road close to the pool. Trails start at a few different points, so watch for signage and review 

     If traveling through the Grand Teton area, Granite Creek is a perfect boondocking area to hang out in. During the day, relax at the pool, take in the views, or check out the trails. At night, enjoy nothing but the sound of the creek and a view of the Milky Way overhead.




More information about the springs
More information about the road