Where to Stay Near Grand Teton National Park (That isn’t inside the Park and isn’t Jackson)

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If you’re looking for a quiet place to stay during peak time at Grand Teton National Park, then the Hatchet Resort near Moran, Wyoming, may be just what you’re looking for!

One of the trickiest parts of planning a spring or summer visit to one of America’s national parks is lodging and dining. During the pandemic, we planned a road trip from Missouri to places out west, much like other travelers who didn’t want to risk flying or cruising. It turned out to be an amazing trip, so I thought I’d share one of places we stayed and why it turned out to be a great choice while we explored Grand Teton National Park.

Planning the Trip

We began planning this trip about a year out. The first thing we booked for our road trip was lodging at Old Faithful Inn at Yellowstone. The crazy thing to realize about Old Faithful Inn is that we were nearly too late to score the reservation! We happened to find two nights, and one of those nights was my birthday. It was a sign. So, we booked the room in the old section of Old Faithful Inn and built the trip around that reservation. You may not have to plan a year out if you’re going to visit in an off-time, but if you’d heading out in the summer, you’ll want to see if you can get a reservation.

Our stay at Old Faithful Inn was magical; click here to read about that adventure.

As we researched for the trip, we realized that if you’re going to visit Yellowstone National Park, you really should plan some time at Grand Teton National Park. I know. More adventure. Twist my arm.

Besides our two nights at the Hatchet Resort, we also added on two nights in Dubois, Wyoming. We added these two nights after we’d booked at the Hatchet Resort, and by the time we knew we wanted more time in the area, the Hatchet Resort didn’t have availability for our dates. Dubois is an adorable town, and it was a fun place to stay; it’s just about an hour from the Grand Teton National Park entrance. We drove it those two days, but it’s nicer to be closer. I’ll write more about that soon!

I’ll embed a Google Map here so you can see the places I just referred to.

Examining Our Options

If you’re like us, you may be wondering where to stay for the Grand Tetons part of your trip. You can certainly stay inside the park. We love staying in national parks, but we also knew that the parks were busy during this time, and dining inside the parks was limited. Since we were already staying a couple of nights at Old Faithful Inn, we thought maybe some days outside of the park prior to that stay would be nice.

Don’t get me wrong; we toured Jackson Lake Lodge, and I totally want to stay there. Here is the view from the main lobby. Our visit was clouded by forest-fire smoke, but still gorgeous.

Here is a look at the lobby itself.

Colter Bay Village also captured my imagination; it’s adorable.

You can also camp here, and there are several shops with supplies, gifts, and snacks.

I also would love to stay in the Jenny Lake Cabins. Someday!

Also, Jackson, Wyoming is a popular place to stay.

We checked this town out one afternoon, and the place was hopping!

It was fun to shop around the square, and there are a lot of restaurants, but from what we could tell, the restaurants were busy even during the off-time of the afternoon. If you’re looking for a lot of people and a nightlife atmosphere, then Jackson will probably fit your needs during the peak season.

If you’re looking for something a little quieter without hour-long waits for food, well, I have a different suggestion–the Hatchet Resort.

The Hatchet Resort

For the two nights we stayed there, we’d return right before dark and head to the restaurant for dinner. The restaurant wasn’t packed, and we had a peaceful meal both nights, even if we did order the same thing. It’s also worth noting that you can purchase gas here. This place is definitely one to consider for your trip to Grand Teton National Park.

The Hatchet Resort: The Room

The rooms are roadside motel style, but the décor is rustic cabin, perfect for a trip like this.

We were able to park right outside the room each night.

Since we needed two beds, we opted for the standard room with two queen beds. There are several room types, but this one seemed to fit our needs the best.

The room had a desk area with a coffee maker.

The bathroom is nice with a tiled shower. There isn’t a tub, though.

There’s a TV on the wall. And to the left, you can see a small area for hanging clothes. It’s worth noting that the room had a box fan; Jeff likes to bring his own, but the room already had one.

The benches at the ends of the beds were also a nice touch. It’s a cozy little room.

The Hatchet Resort: The Hatchet Grill and Whetstone

We had dinner here both nights of our stay. The Grill is right next to the Whetstone, but when we were there, they were only serving guests in the Whetstone, and kids were welcome.

It wasn’t anything fancy, but the food was good and the waits were non-existent. After exploring the busy park all day, this was the perfect solution to “what’s for dinner.”

We started off with drinks. I believe Jeff had the Teton Amber.

I tried the Huckleberry Rum Punch. I mean, I had to. It’s huckleberry. Yum!

The menu is pretty American, which fits perfectly near a national park.

Jeff and I went for the hamburgers, and Kristin was glad they had her staple of life–chicken strips.

I had the Hatchet Burger as it was on the menu, cooked medium. Jeff had the same, minus the veggies.

Kristin said her chicken strips were perfect.

Sadly, we didn’t have room for dessert. Judging from what we did see and eat, this is a cool place to eat and hang out.

You could even watch the sun go down as you sat around a fire pit just outside this window, the perfect way to end a perfect day.

If you’re wondering where to stay for your Grand Tetons adventure, consider The Hatchet Resort. We loved our peaceful stay at this small resort, and we loved that there weren’t people everywhere; it was a nice break from the crowds during the peak summer season, and we knew we could always get a meal here when other places in the park seemed ridiculously busy. Keep this one on your list!