Grand Teton National Park's biggest lake is getting too low for some boats

Scenic boat cruises on Grand Teton National Park's largest lake, Jackson Lake, are usually an ideal way to take in the park's scenery. But low water levels have canceled the cruises for the rest of the summer, signaling it'll be a dry summer in western Wyoming.

A website for the boat trips, run by the Grand Teton Lodge Company, stated that scenic cruises and meal cruises are experiencing an "early 2026 season closure." Meal cruises ended on July 13, and scenic cruises ended on July 16. The boat tours cost between $39 and $95 and last for a few hours, teaching visitors about the "local history, geology, and folklore." 

John Plack, a spokesperson for Vail Resorts, declined to answer questions about the tour cancellations. Vail Resorts owns the Grand Teton Lodge Company, the park concessionaire that offers the tours.

The reasons for the early closure are fairly straightforward, though. Vessels over 30 feet in length aren't able to be maneuvered in and out of the lake's boat ramp once the water hits 6,753 feet in elevation. As of July 16, the water's elevation was only about 5 feet above that mark. 

Visitors can still rent smaller boats to explore the lake, including kayaks, canoes and aluminum craft boats, though options are "subject to change based on water levels." The park has encouraged people to come to Jackson Lake's Colter Bay area this summer specifically due to construction and road closures throughout much of the park. 

The boat ride cancellations are emblematic of a looming water shortage in the area. Jackson Lake is a 400-foot deep natural lake that was made deeper and larger by the Jackson Lake Dam, built in 1916 by the Bureau of Reclamation. The dam raised the lake's level by almost 40 feet, helping it act as a reservoir for irrigators in the Upper Snake Basin throughout Idaho, Wyoming, Utah and Nevada. 

It's only July, and the Upper Snake River system is already at only 41% of capacity, though Jackson Lake is still over 70% full, according to Bureau of Reclamation data. 

Low water levels on Jackson Lake have been increasingly impacting boat traffic in the Colter Bay Village Marina for years. The marina, which relies on a boat ramp, has faced notable disruptions in recent summers when the lake no longer covers the ramp. In a typical year, the marina is scheduled to stay open until Sept. 22. In 2021, the marina had to close in August due to historically low water levels, seen only three times in the last 30 years. In 2022, Colter Bay stayed closed for the entire season. The summers of 2023 through 2025 went mostly according to plan.

But this year is already looking dry. Water managers told the Jackson Hole News & Guide in April that the summer could break the record-low water level from 1919 due to a weak winter and meager snowpack in the mountains. 

More National Parks

- A man went over Yosemite's Nevada Fall. A stranger tried to save him.

- Time is running out to visit Olympic National Park's best coastal hike

- Kids were allegedly poisoned in Yellowstone. The park says it isn't responsible.

We love national parks just as much as you do, so we have a newsletter that covers them from top to bottom. Sign up here.

Read this story on sfgate.com