Potholes Turnout: Driving to Potholes Turnout in Grand Teton National Park ⛰ Wyoming travel blog

Hi there!

 

As it goes in Grand Teton National Park, there are ways to see the Teton mountain range!

And if you want to make a quick and easy stop for pictures of the Teton Range, the Potholes Turnout is one spot that you can go!

 

 

 

Potholes in Grand Teton National Park are depressions in the ground created by glaciers.

 

 

 

Driving the Grand Teton scenic loop drive to Potholes Turnout

 

You will find the Potholes turnout along the 42-mile Grand Teton Scenic Loop Drive.

This is an easy stop to make as you are driving along the scenic loop drive.

You’ll come across it as you’re driving.

The Potholes Turnout parking is located right off the main road. There’s a parking lot for the Potholes Turnout.

 

 

 

Cost to go to Potholes Turnout

Potholes Turnout is within the paid entry area of Grand Teton National Park.

 

 

So in order to go to the Potholes turnout, you need to pay the national park entry fee. In 2021, this was $35 per car for a 7-day pass. (There is no one-day pass.) See current fees.

 

👆 Cost of Grand Teton National Park entry fees in 2021.

 

If you will be visiting at least 3 national parks in one year, then you may want to consider getting the annual national parks pass.

 

 

Potholes Turnout in September

For reference, my drive to the Potholes Turnout was in late September 2021 around 9am.

 

 

More below about a quick stop to see the Teton mountain range from the Potholes Turnout!

 

 

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Now…

Driving to Potholes Turnout

 

The Potholes Turnout is located on the northern side of the Grand Teton Scenic Loop Drive.

 

Explore the map.

 

The quickest way from Jackson WY to Potholes Turnout is around a 40 minute drive with no stops. If you follow google maps, then the route will be driving up the western side of the Grand Teton scenic loop drive. But if you’re making it a round trip from Jackson Hole, then you may consider doing the loop by starting off on the eastern side, and then loop back down on the western side to finish up the loop and to get back to Jackson Hole. (map)

Or, no matter which way you go up, from Potholes Turnout, you can continue on to Yellowstone National Park. You’ll go to the northern side of Grand Teton National Park to get to Yellowstone. (Although if this is going to be your only time driving through Grand Teton National Park, then you will want to decide if you want to drive up the eastern side or the western side of the loop from Jackson to Yellowstone.)

Potholes Turnout to the Yellowstone National Park south entrance is around a 40 minute drive. So you can also make it along the way or a slight detour to the Potholes Turnout if you’re heading to Yellowstone. Your first “real” stop in Yellowstone can be West Thumb which is on the southern side of Yellowstone. See more about driving from Grand Teton to Yellowstone.

 

I started the drive to Potholes Turnout from just outside Bridger-Teton National Forest near the Hatchet Campground. I stayed in a budget room at the Hatchet Resort.

So to get to the Potholes, I entered Grand Teton National Park at the Moran entrance, and this is how the drive is reflected below. If you are driving up from the south (like from Jackson) on the eastern side of the Grand Teton scenic loop drive, then this is how it would go too.

 

 

Driving along from the Moran entrance to Potholes, you’ll pass by Oxbow Bend. This is one of the most popular photo spots in the park.

 

 

Then you’ll continue driving along and come to the Jackson Lake Junction.

You’ll make a turn to continue the scenic loop drive and will start driving on Teton Park Road.

This is the road through Grand Teton National Park that runs along the base of the Teton mountain range.

It’s the road that’s closest to the Tetons.

 

 

You will soon pass the Jackson Lake Dam overlook.

 

 

Then you will pass the turn-off for the road to the Signal Mountain Summit.

 

 

You will continuing driving straight on Teton Park Road, and then you will soon be driving directly towards the Tetons, and you will be driving with amazing views of the mountains!

Before you get to the Potholes turnout, there will be some smaller parking areas along the side of the road if you want to stop to get pictures.

 

 

And then you will soon see the sign for the Potholes turnout and you’ll drive to the Potholes parking lot.

 

 

And then you can go for a walk on the Potholes Trail!

 

 

And once you have taken in the views of the Teton Range from the potholes, you can move on to more of the Grand Teton Scenic Loop Drive!

 

 

Next up you can stop at the Mount Moran Turnout that’s up ahead!

Then there is the Mountain View Turnout.

And then soon after that, you might want to make the turn at the North Jenny Lake Junction to do the Jenny Lake Scenic Drive to see the views from Jenny Lake Overlook!

 

And that’s a bit about stopping at Potholes!

 

Plan more of your trip to Grand Teton and beyond:

• Grand Teton scenic loop drive
• One day in Grand Teton
• Grand Teton to Yellowstone
• How to spend one day in Yellowstone
• Yellowstone to Craters of the Moon
• Day hikes in the Wyoming mountains

 

HAPPY DRIVING TO THE POTHOLES OF THE TETONS!