October in Grand Teton National Park is a good month: highs around 55°F, lows around 25°F. Crowds: moderate — #5 busiest of the park's 12 months. Color and rut linger into early October; snow returns to the high country by month's end. The editorial best window here is July & September. You get about 11h 01m of daylight. To finish Paintbrush Canyon–Cascade Canyon Loop (8h 50m) before dark, leave the trailhead by about 9:46 AM.
Month data reviewed · how we check this
| Verdict | Good A solid visit with a caveat — usually crowds or heat. |
|---|---|
| Temps °F | 55° high / 25° low |
| Crowds | moderate · #5 busiest of the park's 12 months |
| What October is like | Color and rut linger into early October; snow returns to the high country by month's end |
| Best window (whole year) | July & September |
| Peak crowds (whole year) | Jul–Aug |
CROWDS: RELATIVE SEASONALITY FROM NPS VISITATION STATISTICS · TEMPS: APPROXIMATE NOAA NORMALS AT MAIN VISITOR ELEVATION — HIGH COUNTRY RUNS 10–20°F COLDER
DAYLIGHT ON OCTOBER 15 · LOCAL PARK TIME (MDT)COMPUTED FROM THE PARK'S OWN COORDINATES FOR THE 15TH — THE MIDDLE OF THE MONTH STANDS FOR IT, AS IT DOES FOR CLIMATE NORMALS. WITHIN A MONTH THESE TIMES SHIFT BY UP TO AN HOUR
LEAVE THE TRAILHEAD BY — TO FINISH BEFORE DARK ON OCTOBER 15WALKING TIMES ESTIMATED FROM EACH TRAIL'S MEASURED DISTANCE AND ELEVATION GAIN — A PLANNING FIGURE, NOT A PACE. ADD YOUR OWN MARGIN FOR PHOTOS, REST AND CROWDS. WATER AT THE COOL-WEATHER RATE, BECAUSE THIS MONTH AVERAGES 55°F. TRAILS WE HAVE NOT MEASURED ARE LEFT OUT RATHER THAN GUESSED
WHAT OCTOBER ASKS OF YOU HEREGrand Teton National Park in November — Shoulder, highs around 38°F, crowds: very quiet (winter closing in — most of the park quiets down fast).
Our verdict for October is "Good". A solid visit with a caveat — usually crowds or heat. Expect highs around 55°F and lows around 25°F, with crowds at the "moderate" level. Temperatures are approximate NOAA normals at the main visitor elevation; crowd levels follow published NPS visitation statistics.
Across the full 12-month review, the best window is July & September, and the peak-crowd months are Jul–Aug. October itself we rate "Good".
November we rate "Shoulder" against "Good" for October, with highs around 38°F and crowds at the "very quiet" level.
About 11h 01m on October 15: the sun rises around 7:37 AM and sets around 6:38 PM local park time (MDT). Computed from the park's own coordinates, so it is the light you actually get at the trailhead, not the nearest city's.
Paintbrush Canyon–Cascade Canyon Loop takes about 8h 50m of walking, so on October 15 you would need to leave the trailhead by about 9:46 AM to finish before dark — the sun sets around 6:38 PM local park time (MDT). Walking times are estimated from each trail's measured distance and elevation gain, so treat them as a planning figure and add your own margin for photos, rest and crowds.
Get a heads-up before timed-entry and lottery windows open — plus new guides for the parks you care about.
FREE · NO SPAM · UNSUBSCRIBE IN ONE TAP
© 2026 StayNear National Parks · About · Methodology · Privacy · Terms · Affiliate disclosure · Refunds