If you’ve ever checked out lodging prices inside of Grand Teton National Park, you might’ve seen the Colter Bay tent cabins and be tempted to book one because of the cheap price. At only $80/night, who wouldn’t be lured into this cheap lodging opportunity in peak summer tourist season? Well, my sister and I sure were! So what’s it like to stay in the Colter Bay tent cabins in Grand Teton National Park? Let’s review the Colter Bay Tent Cabins!

My sister and I stayed two nights in the Colter Bay Tent Cabins in Grand Teton National Park. This was as close to roughing it as I have ever done (I do not tent camp!). If you are thinking of staying in the Colter Bay tent cabins, you must manage your expectations and expect rustic accommodations – this isn’t glamping; it’s camping, except that someone else set up your tent and you don’t need to take it down.

How Much Does it Cost to Stay in the Colter Bay Tent Cabins?

As of 2024, it’s $79/night + taxes to stay in the Colter Bay tent cabins in Grand Teton National Park. However, there are a few hidden costs of staying here, as showers are $5/person, you’ll have to buy firewood if you want to stay warm inside or cook something over a campfire, and if you don’t bring all your own stuff, you’ll need to rent linens.

Colter Bay Tent Cabins Check-In Process

Checking into the tent cabins was easy, however, we did get confused and went to the cabin check in office. Many people staying in the tent cabins also make this mistake, as when you first drive into the cabin/tent cabin area in Colter Bay, the first office you come upon is the cabin check in office. No big deal though; the tent cabin office is just down the road.

I’ve stayed in the actual “roof over your head” Colter Bay log cabins too! Check out my review here!

Check in was quick and easy. At the check in office, you can also purchase firewood, as well as rent linens and pillows if you need them. The tent cabins have no keys or locks; the campground host will simply check you in and you will go to your tent cabin site, and walk right in.

Colter Bay Tent Cabins Review

The first thing you need to know about staying in the Colter Bay tent cabins is that there is no electricity in the tent cabins. Well, I take that back – I should say, there is no electric outlets available to guests to use inside the tent cabins. The Colter Bay tent cabins do have one (albeit very dim!) light – but don’t think that you can unplug it and plug in your own device – it’s configured in a way that you can’t fuck with it, so don’t even try. See the photo below for the one hanging light – that’s all you get!

The bunk beds are all pull-down style, looking straight out of a maximum security prison. Not that I would know.

Each cabin has four bunks; two bottom, two top. There is no ladder for the top bunk and it’s quite high, so if you have four people in your party, better hope two people in your party are agile and able-bodied enough to hoist themselves up on the bunks! Additionally, if you have small children, I’d think twice about letting them sleep on the top bunk – there is no railing to prevent a small child from falling off the bed onto the cement floor. It was just my sister and I so we each took a bottom bunk.

Each cabin has a wood burning stove. It looked cutesty and cozy but we didn’t use it. However, if you stay here in the shoulder season (May/early June or mid September/October), it could get extremely cold in here.

Each bunk has a thin mattress pad, but it’s pretty uncomfortable. In addition to our sleeping bags, we used these sleeping pads from REI – they’re not cheap but they sure let you get a good night’s sleep when you stay in cabins like these!

Pets are allowed in the tent cabins but cannot be left unattended.

Outside each tent cabin is a large picnic table, a bear box for food storage, and a fire ring.

There is no sound-proofing in these tent cabins – remember, two sides to each tent cabin are corrugated metal, and the other side is just a canvas draped over some poles. So you better hope you have quiet neighbors! We didn’t have any issues with noise during our stay.

Colter Bay Showers and Bathrooms

There are a few bathrooms in the tent cabin area. Luckily, we were assigned to a tent site with the bathroom right behind us. The bathroom has several toilet stalls, mirrors, and electronic plug ins. Many people were using these plug ins to charge up their phones. Additionally, there was a spot to wash your camp dishes right outside the bathroom building.

As for showers, you will need to take a short drive (or walk, I suppose, but we thought it was too far) to the Colter Bay Village and pay $5 to take a shower. If you’re traveling as a family, this cost can really add up! The showers are located in the same building as the laundry, next to the gift shop/general store. Showers are open from 7am-9pm, which we thought was inconvenient, as in the morning, we needed to be up much earlier than 7am for a hike, and in the evening, we had make it back in time before ‘last call.’ When you stay in Grand Teton National Park in the summer, the days are long (sunset can be after 9:30pm!), so we didn’t like cutting our sightseeing short just to get back in time before the showers closed.

We did have to wait in line for a shower each evening, although the wait was never too long. The showers were clean and the water was hot – there’s not much else to say….*shrug*

The fire ring has a grill where you can cook over the open flame – we made brats. We also enjoyed s’mores, of course.

What to bring when staying in the Colter Bay Tent Cabins

In order to have a comfortable stay in these tent cabins, you’ll need to bring camping gear. If you’re arriving to Grand Teton National Park via plane, and not able to schlep all this shit in your baggage, linens are available to rent from the check-in office but I can’t speak on the quality as we brought our own.

• Linens: At a minimum, each person will need a sleeping bag, pillow and a towel. I also like to have an extra pillow and blanket, as it gets cold here at night, even in the middle of summer.
• A lantern or some portable battery-operated light. Remember, there is no electricity in these cabins! The one light provided is very dim. Plus, if you need to use the bathroom in the middle of the night, you’ll want a light to navigate your journey through the woods.
• Portable battery charger for your phone.
• Food prep & camp kitchen gear. There are restaurants in the Colter Bay Village or at Jackson Lake Lodge, but I’m always underwhelmed by food service in the National Parks and the offerings here didn’t look impressive. Plus, it’s always very pricey.
• Sleeping pad: Optional, but trust me, the mats on the cots are prison-style – thin and uncomfortable. If you’ve stayed in the KOA camping cabins, these mats are like 1/4 of the thickness of those mats.
• Optional: If you really hate the idea of these prison bunks (and I don’t blame you!) – and have extra room in your vehicle and means of blowing it up, bringing an airbed isn’t a bad idea.

Other tips for staying in the Colter Bay Tent Cabins

• Keep the door closed! Remember, this is essentially a tent and if you leave your door open, you open up your sleeping quarters to bugs and critters.
• Before your stay, make sure all of your electronic devices you’ll need are fully charged. We stayed in a hotel prior to our stay in Colter Bay, and we made sure our camera batteries were all at 100% before we checked out.
• Despite what the website says, there is no WiFi signal. You can get a 4G verizon signal but because everyone at the campground is trying to use it at the same time, you won’t have service during most daylight/evening hours. I could easily use my 4G in late evening hours (after 11pm) and early morning (prior to 6:30am). If you really need WiFi, you can go down to the Colter Bay Village area and use it there.
• If you are setting out on a hike early the next morning, get all your gear lined up and ready to go the night before. The one light in the cabin isn’t nearly enough light to root through your bags in the early morning darkness and find shit. Even if you bring lanterns and flashlights, it’s a pain in the ass! Do it while you have daylight.
• There is a free ice machine at the cabin check in office

Colter Bay Cabin Review – Final Thoughts

The Colter Bay tent cabins aren’t for everyone. If you’re expecting a glamping aesthetic, this isn’t it; you won’t get an inspirational, instagrammable experience – this is roughing it. Would I stay here again? For a night or two, sure – for the area, the nightly rate is a steal – but I definitely prefer the Colter Bay cabins or a hotel room in Jackson. But if you want to stretch your budget without having to set up/take down a tent, this is a good option.

Pros

• It’s an affordable place to stay inside the park if you’re not a tent camper
• If you’re traveling last minute, it’s easy to score a reservation – we booked our tent cabin for two nights just a week before we arrived. If nothing is available, keep checking the website.
• Yes, it’s roughing it but my sister and I still had a good time.
• Tent cabins are quite large
• Other campers were quiet and respectful.

Cons

• Tent canvas isn’t flush to the ground, leaving potential for critters to come in
• No locks on the tent cabin doors. Gotta trust your fellow campers
• Shower cost can add up. At $5 a pop, this can become very pricey for a family staying here multiple nights. Shower hours can also be inconvenient.
• Consider the hidden costs – showers, firewood to stay warm (especially if staying in the shoulder season!),
• No electricity in the cabins
• Even with the light provided, it’s very dim and dark inside the tent cabin.
• Tent cabins are not close to the lake or Colter Bay Village for showers/shopping.
• Could get very, very cold inside the cabin – we lucked out and didn’t need to use the wood stove

Have you stayed in the Colter Bay cabins? I’d love to hear your thoughts! Or if you have a question for me, drop a note below!