Colter Bay Tent Village
4Heads uppark alerts
- Right now
- Nobody has saidNo season, no closure, no bookings to read
- Sites
- 6665 on recreation.gov
The place
the agency’s own description · what’s there · 5 notices
In the agency’s own words
Think of Colter Bay Village as summer camp for the entire family. This lovely area is set on the shores of Jackson Lake, and offers practical amenities like laundry facilities, showers, restaurants and a grocery store, as well as purely-for-fun diversions like a marina, gift shop, visitor center, and horse corrals. Colter Bay has an activity for everyone in the family. Visitors can enjoy hiking, kayaking and canoeing, horseback riding, fishing, swimming and beach-going, lake cruises, and ranger-led programs. Set against the majestic backdrop of the Teton mountains, Colter Bay Village is a must-visit. Keep reading
The vast Colter Bay Tent Village at Colter Bay Village is set amidst towering lodgepole pines just a short, picturesque stroll away from Jackson Lake. The Tent Village includes 66 tent cabins, and is open from mid-May to early-September. As with all campgrounds in the park, the Colter Bay Tent Village is very popular and tends to fill up quickly. Visitors are strongly encouraged to plan and book early. The Colter Bay Marina is closed for the 2026 season.
Recreation
Colter Bay and the surrounding area offers a wide variety of activities for all ages, including marina rentals, horseback riding, world-class guided fishing, and lake cruises. Stop by our activities desk to find the perfect excursion for everyone in your group! Jackson Lake is a popular area for boating. Several islands float just off Colter Bay’s shores, and are home to fish, birds, river otters, beavers and other wildlife. Bring your own boat or rent a canoe, kayak, or motor boat from the Colter Bay Marina. Lake cruises are the perfect excursion for the entire family. Cruise around Jackson Lake and learn about the history, geology, flora and fauna of the area while getting up-close views of the spectacular Tetons, which rise majestically from the water. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner meal cruises offer a delicious opportunity to dine at our private meal site on Elk Island, and a truly unique vantage point for experiencing the park. Jackson Hole has world class fly and lake fishing that you won’t want to miss! Whether you’re learning to cast a fly for the first time, or are an experienced angler looking for the inside scoop on the best secret spots, our expert guides will provide a fishing experience you will not soon forget. No trip to the Old West is complete without a horseback ride. We offer one- and two-hour rides suitable for all experience levels. Take in beautiful Teton vistas while riding among wildflower meadows. Several easy to moderate hiking trails leave from Colter Bay. Hikers can take a leisurely stroll along the lakeshore, make their way to Swan Lake and Heron Pond for incredible birdwatching and wildlife sightings, or head out to Hermitage Point for a more challenging outing. The Colter Bay Visitor Center is home to the David T. Vernon Indian artifacts collection. The exhibit celebrates Indian artwork and educates on the long history of human habitation in Jackson Hole and the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Stop by the visitor center to check-out daily Ranger-led programs including a hike to Swan Lake, a lakeshore stroll, a tipi demonstration, Indian arts and culture, wildlife watches, short presentations on park highlights, and a variety of evening programs.
Facilities
Colter Bay Tent Village offers 66 Tent Cabins. Tent Cabins are a temporary summer cabin with two permanent log walls and two weather-proof canvas walls and roof. Tent Cabins share a common log wall with an adjoining private cabin. The Tent Cabin includes two sets pull-down bunk beds for a total of four beds with padding, an interior potbelly wood burning stove for heat, and lighting. While the bunks are padded, sleeping bags and pillows are not included. Guests are encouraged to bring their own linens, however a limited quantity of sleeping bags, cots, pillows and blankets are available on a first-come basis for a nightly fee. Our tent cabins do not offer electric outlets or private restrooms. Each private cabin includes a picnic table, a fire pit with metal fire grate, a bear-proof food storage locker, and access to nearby water spigots, flush toilets, and laundry and showers are available for an additional fee. Please note the Colter Bay Marina is closed for the 2026 season. ADA Access: The campground loop roads are paved and mostly level, with considerable sloping inclines and declines. Restroom facilities are partially accessible, with accessible showers available at the launderette. Routes to the amphitheater are paved but on a sloping incline/decline. Complimentary WiFi/internet service is available at the restaurants, marina, activities desk, launderette, and stores. Cellular coverage varies, and may be available depending location within the campground and service provider. Firewood and kindling can be purchased at the Tent Village office or the nearby grocery store. Food, ice, camping supplies and more can be purchased at the grocery store and adjacent gift shop. Please note that some facilities and services—including restaurants, activities, and retail operations—may have modifications or limitations. Learn More.
Natural Features
The Colter Bay Tent Village is situated in a lodgepole pine forest within walking distance of Jackson Lake and numerous trails. From the lakeshore, visitors will have views across Jackson Lake to Mount Moran and the northern end of the Teton Range. Colter Bay is home to black and grizzly bears, moose, deer, elk and other large animals, as well as marmots, foxes, bald eagles, and more. Bears are often seen on trails and in the developed areas. Being prepared for an animal encounter can help ensure your safety as well as that of the wildlife that call this special place home. Contact Info This location has limited staffing. Please call (877) 444-6777 for general information.
Nearby Attractions
Visitors can take a self-guided tour of Grand Teton via the 43-mile Scenic Loop Drive, offering an opportunity to photograph the famous landscape and local wildlife. Make sure you stop at the historic Jackson Lake Lodge for its famous huckleberry milkshakes and spectacular Teton views through 60-foot tall wall-to-wall windows. While you’re there, book a scenic raft trip or park bus tour. Then, head about 30 miles south to the town of Jackson, where you can visit the National Museum of Wildlife Art just outside of town, walk under the famous giant elk antler archway in town center, attend the Jackson Hole Rodeo, browse local shops, and dine at one of the many restaurants. In the opposite direction, Yellowstone National Park is within easy reach by car, and has a great diversity of activities for everyone to enjoy.
Charges & Cancellations
Changing Reservations: There is no change fee if a visitor extends or shortens a reservation, as long as the change includes dates from the original reservation. Additionally, there is no change fee if the visitor wants to switch sites that are the same price with the same reservation dates in the same facility. If a visitor wants to switch dates that are entirely outside of the original reservation dates, there is a $10 change fee. If a reservation is made that includes dates beyond the maximum booking window, that reservation cannot be changed until 18 days have passed from the original booking date. Once a reservation date has begun, visitors cannot change a reservation using the online system or through the Call Center. Onsite staff will assist with changes or cancellations. Cancellations: Visitors may cancel their reservation prior to arrival both on-line and through the call center. A $10 service fee will be withheld from any refund for a cancellation. A visitor who cancels a reservation the day before or on the day of arrival will pay a $10.00 service fee AND forfeit the first night's approved rate including tax and applicable add-on. Cancellations for a one-night reservation will forfeit the entire amount paid and will not be subject to an additional service fee. Visitors who cancel a group overnight facility reservation less than 14 days prior to arrival date will pay a $10 service fee AND forfeit the first night’s rate. No-Shows: A no-show visitor is one who does not arrive at a campground and does not cancel the reservation by check-out time on the day after the scheduled arrival date. Staff will hold a campsite until check-out time on the day following the arrival date. No-shows are assessed $20.00 service fee and forfeit the first night's rate, taxes and applicable add-on for a campsite. Early Departures: Visitors are requested to notify staff at the facility if they depart early to allow others to use the site. If the visitor chooses to depart early, they may forfeit the approved rate and applicable tax and applicable add-on for the day of departure. If a visitor departs prior to the scheduled check-out date, they may be eligible for a partial refund. Visitors may notify the Recreation.gov call center to request a refund of remaining unused nights. If a visitor requests a refund for an early departure after the facility check-out time (11 am) has passed, the visitor will not be refunded for that night and is eligible for a refund on any additional nights that will not be used. Refunds: Visitors may submit a refund request through their Recreation.gov profile within 7 days of the end date of their reservation. Visitors may also initiate a refund request through the call center at any time after their reservation has ended. Refunds for debit or credit card payments will be issued as a credit to the original bank or credit card used to pay. For check or cash purchases, Recreation.gov will mail a Treasury check for refunds of cash, check, or money order payments to the address associated with the reservation. Treasury check refunds may take up to 6-8 weeks to arrive. In the event of an emergency closure, the Recreation.gov team or facility manager will refund all fees and will attempt to notify you using the contact information within the Recreation.gov visitor profile.
What the agency tells you
Parking for one vehicle is available at each cabin, however, oversized vehicles are not permitted. Parking for oversized vehicles is available within a 5-10 minute walk.
Check-in is after 2 PM. If you arrive in the evening after the office closes, your site information will be available on your tent cabin door. Check-out is 11 AM.
Quiet hours are 10pm - 6am.
Everything else this campground posts · 2
Camping accommodations are pet-friendly. Please review Campground & National Park Pet Regulations.
Wildlife activity is prevalent in the park. Please be familiar with the required food storage and wildlife safety guidelines.
Tents and rigs
- Sites
- 66 · 65 cabin
- Hookups
- None
- Accessible sites
- None listed
- Pets
- Allowed
- Campfires
- Allowed, barring fire bans
Facilities
- Toilets
- Flush Toilets - seasonal
- Showers
- Yes, the record doesn’t say what kind
- SHOWERS on 66 of 66 campsite records
- Drinking water
- Yes
- Bear boxes
- Yes
- Firewood
- Sold here
- Camp host
- On site
- recreation.gov lists “Host”
Around the campground
- On the water
- Lake, River, Beach, Coast, Meadow
- Amphitheater
- Birding
- Boating
- Canoeing
- Fishing
- Hiking
- Horseback riding
- Ranger programs
- Kayaking
- Motor Boat
- Non-Motorized Boating
- Paddling
- Picnicking
- Stargazing
- Cell signal · Cell signal · Park Service says
- Spotty
- Fall color · reported 13 days ago, 15 km away
- Past peak
No reading yet, book on recreation.gov
recreation.gov lists 65 of the 66 campsites the agency files here. The rest aren’t on its booking system, so a reservation won’t get you one.
No availability snapshot inside the last 36 hours, so this page draws nothing rather than ageing a reading into fiction.
Watch for a cancellation
Full? Watch it.
One email when a night opens, plus More Than Just Parks dispatches. Unsubscribe any time.
We read recreation.gov once an hour, at 40 minutes past, and write the first time a site in your window is free for the nights you asked for.
Scanners that check every few minutes exist, and most of them charge. This one is free, it reads the same calendar, and it won’t always be first.
Tell me when the season opens
Watch for the season to open
One email when the season goes on sale, plus More Than Just Parks dispatches. Unsubscribe any time.
We check once an hour, at 40 minutes past, and write the first time the agency has that season on sale.
Scanners that check every few minutes exist, and most of them charge. This one is free, it reads the same calendar, and it won’t always be first.
We make nothing when you book. The link goes straight to the government.
Every line of the receipt · 15
What you actually pay
“Additionally, there is no change fee if the visitor wants to switch sites that are the same price with the same reservation dates in the same facility. - If a visitor wants to switch dates that are entirely outside of the original reservation dates, there is a $10 change fee. - If a reservation is made that includes…” · this campground’s own no-show terms
Who keeps the booking fee
The agency’s own policy text says the reservation fee and the cancellation processing fee are “retained by the reservation service contractor”, and that a campground concessionaire will decline to refund them because “they did not receive these fees”. Recreation.gov is run under contract by Booz Allen Hamilton. What share of your booking fee the contractor keeps isn’t published in any federal dataset we can read, so we print no number for it. Our reporting on the contract →
How we know this receipt · 6
rules read Oct 1, 2026 · rates Sep 10, 2026 · How we know all this
The sites
66 sites · which ones have room · the site map
The sites, ranked
from 65 mapped sitesAll 66 sites
Toilet distances are OpenStreetMap’s, measured for 66 of the 66 sites listed. A site with no reading is unknown, never far.
The price is derived by CAMPANAC, not published per site: the per-night rate this campground publishes for each site’s own site type. 65 of the 66 sites listed carry one, and a site whose type has no published rate sits out of the price rather than being called free.
Measured shade is NLCD Tree Canopy Cover 2024 (USDA Forest Service / MRLC) read at the site’s own coordinate, 27% canopy or more, and only for the sites the agency gave no Shade value. It never changes the agency’s own shaded count beside it.
| Tent Village | 1 | cabin nonelectric | 51 ft | 1,537 ft | 1,468 ft | $101 |
| Tent Village | 10 | cabin nonelectric | 52 ft | 1,572 ft | 1,526 ft | $101 |
| Tent Village | 101 | cabin nonelectric | 51 ft | 1,452 ft | 1,490 ft | $101 |
| Tent Village | 102 | cabin nonelectric | 51 ft | 1,454 ft | 1,512 ft | $101 |
| Tent Village | 103 | cabin nonelectric | 51 ft | 1,415 ft | 1,532 ft | $101 |
| Tent Village | 104 | cabin nonelectric | 51 ft | 1,416 ft | 1,558 ft | $101 |
| Tent Village | 105 | cabin nonelectric | 51 ft | 1,342 ft | 1,602 ft | $101 |
| Tent Village | 106 | cabin nonelectric | 51 ft | 1,339 ft | 1,629 ft | $101 |
| Tent Village | 107 | cabin nonelectric | 51 ft | 1,371 ft | 1,568 ft | $101 |
| Tent Village | 108 | cabin nonelectric | 51 ft | 1,318 ft | 1,663 ft | $101 |
| Tent Village | 11 | cabin nonelectric | 53 ft | 1,368 ft | 1,682 ft | $101 |
| Tent Village | 110 | type not stated | 1,254 ft | 1,697 ft | ||
| Tent Village | 112 | cabin nonelectric | 105 ft | 1,231 ft | 1,730 ft | $101 |
| Tent Village | 114 | cabin nonelectric | 55 ft | 1,202 ft | 1,737 ft | $101 |
| Tent Village | 116 | cabin nonelectric | 55 ft | 1,221 ft | 1,714 ft | $101 |
| Tent Village | 118 | cabin nonelectric | 55 ft | 1,195 ft | 1,739 ft | $101 |
| Tent Village | 12 | cabin nonelectric | 52 ft | 1,521 ft | 1,560 ft | $101 |
| Tent Village | 120 | cabin nonelectric | 55 ft | 1,246 ft | 1,689 ft | $101 |
| Tent Village | 122 | cabin nonelectric | 45 ft | 1,218 ft | 1,722 ft | $101 |
| Tent Village | 124 | cabin nonelectric | 45 ft | 1,261 ft | 1,681 ft | $101 |
| Tent Village | 126 | cabin nonelectric | 51 ft | 1,296 ft | 1,661 ft | $101 |
| Tent Village | 128 | cabin nonelectric | 51 ft | 1,323 ft | 1,645 ft | $101 |
| Tent Village | 130 | cabin nonelectric | 58 ft | 1,400 ft | 1,571 ft | $101 |
| Tent Village | 132 | cabin nonelectric | 58 ft | 1,386 ft | 1,602 ft | $101 |
| Tent Village | 134 | cabin nonelectric | 52 ft | 1,466 ft | 1,517 ft | $101 |
| Tent Village | 136 | cabin nonelectric | 52 ft | 1,473 ft | 1,495 ft | $101 |
| Tent Village | 138 | cabin nonelectric | 52 ft | 1,573 ft | 1,398 ft | $101 |
| Tent Village | 139 | cabin nonelectric | 56 ft | 1,447 ft | 1,501 ft | $101 |
| Tent Village | 14 | cabin nonelectric | 53 ft | 1,503 ft | 1,612 ft | $101 |
| Tent Village | 140 | cabin nonelectric | 52 ft | 1,564 ft | 1,394 ft | $101 |
| Tent Village | 141 | cabin nonelectric | 50 ft | 1,460 ft | 1,480 ft | $101 |
| Tent Village | 142 | cabin nonelectric | 52 ft | 1,604 ft | 1,343 ft | $101 |
| Tent Village | 143 | cabin nonelectric | 50 ft | 1,480 ft | 1,455 ft | $101 |
| Tent Village | 144 | cabin nonelectric | 40 ft | 1,594 ft | 1,345 ft | $101 |
| Tent Village | 145 | cabin nonelectric | 53 ft | 1,515 ft | 1,420 ft | $101 |
| Tent Village | 146 | cabin nonelectric | 40 ft | 1,630 ft | 1,307 ft | $101 |
| Tent Village | 148 | cabin nonelectric | 53 ft | 1,616 ft | 1,318 ft | $101 |
| Tent Village | 150 | cabin nonelectric | 53 ft | 1,650 ft | 1,285 ft | $101 |
| Tent Village | 152 | cabin nonelectric | 53 ft | 1,635 ft | 1,306 ft | $101 |
| Tent Village | 154 | cabin nonelectric | 46 ft | 1,629 ft | 1,321 ft | $101 |
| Tent Village | 156 | cabin nonelectric | 46 ft | 1,634 ft | 1,327 ft | $101 |
| Tent Village | 16 | cabin nonelectric | 53 ft | 1,553 ft | 1,587 ft | $101 |
| Tent Village | 18 | cabin nonelectric | 53 ft | 1,518 ft | 1,648 ft | $101 |
| Tent Village | 2 | cabin nonelectric | 51 ft | 1,666 ft | 1,375 ft | $101 |
| Tent Village | 20 | cabin nonelectric | 53 ft | 1,565 ft | 1,632 ft | $101 |
| Tent Village | 22 | cabin nonelectric | 54 ft | 1,527 ft | 1,688 ft | $101 |
| Tent Village | 24 | cabin nonelectric | 53 ft | 1,575 ft | 1,676 ft | $101 |
| Tent Village | 25 | cabin nonelectric | 51 ft | 1,375 ft | 1,754 ft | $101 |
| Tent Village | 26 | cabin nonelectric | 49 ft | 1,554 ft | 1,727 ft | $101 |
| Tent Village | 27 | cabin nonelectric | 51 ft | 1,426 ft | 1,714 ft | $101 |
| Tent Village | 28 | cabin nonelectric | 49 ft | 1,602 ft | 1,706 ft | $101 |
| Tent Village | 29 | cabin nonelectric | 52 ft | 1,381 ft | 1,799 ft | $101 |
| Tent Village | 3 | cabin nonelectric | 51 ft | 1,487 ft | 1,518 ft | $101 |
| Tent Village | 30 | cabin nonelectric | 49 ft | 1,619 ft | 1,735 ft | $101 |
| Tent Village | 31 | cabin nonelectric | 44 ft | 1,432 ft | 1,765 ft | $101 |
| Tent Village | 32 | cabin nonelectric | 52 ft | 1,579 ft | 1,785 ft | $101 |
| Tent Village | 33 | cabin nonelectric | 44 ft | 1,420 ft | 1,805 ft | $101 |
| Tent Village | 35 | cabin nonelectric | 54 ft | 1,468 ft | 1,794 ft | $101 |
| Tent Village | 37 | cabin nonelectric | 30 ft | 1,479 ft | 1,849 ft | $101 |
| Tent Village | 39 | cabin nonelectric | 30 ft | 1,501 ft | 1,854 ft | $101 |
| Tent Village | 4 | cabin nonelectric | 51 ft | 1,615 ft | 1,419 ft | $101 |
| Tent Village | 5 | cabin nonelectric | 51 ft | 1,478 ft | 1,559 ft | $101 |
| Tent Village | 6 | cabin nonelectric | 54 ft | 1,557 ft | 1,495 ft | $101 |
| Tent Village | 7 | cabin nonelectric | 46 ft | 1,428 ft | 1,603 ft | $101 |
| Tent Village | 8 | cabin nonelectric | 54 ft | 1,608 ft | 1,462 ft | $101 |
| Tent Village | 9 | cabin nonelectric | 46 ft | 1,420 ft | 1,632 ft | $101 |
25 of 66 listed
Getting there
the map and the coordinate · the phone number
Where it is
The weather
the next four days · the thirty-year normal
Next four days, and the thirty-year normal
Forecast
NWS forecast for Kelly, WY
Typical weather
Typical October night 25°F, day 51°F.
Coldest month of the year: typical January night 1°F, below freezing. Bring a bag rated colder than that, and expect ice in the water bottle.
Daily high and lowDays with 0.10 in or more
A normal is the 1991-2020 average for the month, not a forecast: about half of all Julys are colder than the July line. The seven-day forecast above answers the other question.
The land, and who answers for it
what threatens it · who answers for it
What threatens this place
You’re camping on ground somebody wants. We track the threats and the comment deadlines.
Who answers for this land
Colter Bay Tent Village is in Wyoming’s at-large congressional district. Its representative, Harriet Hageman (R), votes on the laws that decide what happens to this land. Public-lands grade so far: F. See every public-lands vote →
How we know
every fact on this page, and where it came from
“…marina, activities desk, launderette, and stores. Cellular coverage varies, and may be available depending location within the…”