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Every number below comes from the live Grand Teton and Glacier campground pages on this site, which track these recreation.gov campgrounds for cancellations.
Grand Teton is the easier family booking: Colter Bay lists 349 sites on Jackson Lake with a marina next door, and Gros Ventre adds 317 more that its page calls the last campground to fill each day. Glacier counters with Apgar’s 187 sites beside Apgar Village groceries. Across all six campgrounds compared here, exactly one has electric hookups: Colter Bay Loop J, 13 sites. Jenny Lake is tents only at 49 sites and sells out faster than almost any other campground in the park system.
Both parks are grizzly and mountain country, both book through recreation.gov, and both are dry-camping trips almost everywhere. The differences are pool size, water access, and how each park releases its dates. The table uses only numbers from each campground’s own park page.
| Campground | Sites | Hookups | Family angle | The catch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colter Bay (Teton) | 349 | 13 electric (Loop J) | Jackson Lake shore; marina rents boats | Book well ahead for July and August |
| Gros Ventre (Teton) | 317 | 35 electric (Loop D) | Often the last campground to fill each day | Sagebrush flats, not a mountain backdrop |
| Jenny Lake (Teton) | 49 | None, tents only | Boat shuttle to Cascade Canyon trailheads | Sells out faster than almost any site in the system |
| Apgar (Glacier) | 187 | None | Apgar Village groceries and food next door | July/August dates go fast at release |
| Fish Creek (Glacier) | 171 | None | Forested sites near Lake McDonald | Same daily 6-month scramble as Apgar |
| Many Glacier (Glacier) | 104 | None | Swiftcurrent Lake and trailheads out of camp | Grizzly country; among the hardest reservations in the park |
When forgotten supplies would ruin the day. Apgar Campground sits at the south end of Lake McDonald with Apgar Village’s groceries, gift shops, and food right there, plus a visitor center and boat launch nearby. Fish Creek keeps kids happy with 171 forested sites a few miles from the west entrance. Many Glacier is the drama pick: Swiftcurrent Lake, the historic hotel, and trailheads for Grinnell Glacier, but its own page demands food storage exactly as posted because this is serious grizzly country.
When you need margin for error. Between Colter Bay’s 349 sites and Gros Ventre’s 317, Grand Teton offers more than triple Glacier’s bookable inventory, and Gros Ventre’s habit of filling last makes same-week trips realistic. Families who want power for CPAP machines or coolers get it in two places: Loop J at Colter Bay (13 electric) and Loop D at Gros Ventre (35 electric). Jenny Lake remains the trophy pick for tent families who can move fast on release day.
Glacier campgrounds open a new date daily at 10 a.m. Eastern, exactly six months out. Grand Teton books on recreation.gov too, and cancellations post back continuously since campers get refunds minus $10 more than 14 days out. Pick your campground, set a free camp.land alert with your exact dates, and we email you the moment a site reopens instead of making you refresh at midnight.
Colter Bay Campground (Grand Teton National Park) fills up fast — lock in a cabin nearby
Moran and Jackson both have cabins and vacation rentals worth checking if Colter Bay is full.
See cabins & rentals near Colter Bay Campground (Grand Teton National Park) →We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.
Apgar Campground (Glacier National Park) fills up fast — lock in a cabin nearby
West Glacier and Apgar Village have cabins and vacation rentals worth booking as backup.
See cabins & rentals near Apgar Campground (Glacier National Park) →We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.
Want the booking playbook?
Grand Teton is the easier family booking: Colter Bay lists 349 sites on Jackson Lake with a marina next door, and Gros Ventre adds 317 more that its page calls the last campground to fill each day. Glacier counters with Apgar’s 187 sites beside Apgar Village groceries. Across all six campgrounds compared here, exactly one has electric hookups: Colter Bay Loop J, 13 sites. Jenny Lake is tents only at 49 sites and sells out faster than almost any other campground in the park system.
Grand Teton gives water and backup options: Colter Bay sits on Jackson Lake where the village marina rents boats, and Gros Ventre along the river is the reliable second choice when everything else fills. Glacier gives walkable amenities: Apgar Village has groceries, gift shops, and food right beside its largest campground, and Many Glacier puts you in the park’s most dramatic valley near Swiftcurrent Lake.
Glacier: Apgar (187 sites), Fish Creek (171), and Many Glacier (104). Grand Teton: Colter Bay (349), Gros Ventre (317), and Jenny Lake (49, tents only). All six book on recreation.gov. Colter Bay Loop J is the only electric in the compare at 13 sites; everything else is dry camping.
Grand Teton on volume. Gros Ventre is often the last Grand Teton campground to fill each day per its own page, which makes it the safety net for a trip without a reservation months out. Glacier releases new dates daily at 10 a.m. Eastern on a rolling 6-month window and warns that July and August go fast. Set a free cancellation alert either way; both parks post openings back to recreation.gov continuously.