Mountain View Turnout is one of the lesser known wedding/elopement ceremony locations in Grand Teton National Park. This is likely due to its further distance from Jackson and the fact that it doesn’t have the traditional Grand Teton view. With the information gathered below we’ll help you decide if Mountain View Turnout is the right location for you and your partner’s ceremony.
Location
Mountain View Turnout is about a 40 minute drive from Jackson. This makes it one of the further ceremony locations in relation to Jackson, and it’s definitely a little bit out of the way. Its location makes it a little difficult to quickly hop over to other prominent photo and video locations within the park for bridal shots. Some of the other ceremony locations like Schwabacher Landing and Mormon Row provide closer proximity to both Jackson and the rest of the park. Despite this, Mountain View Turnout can still be a good option and you’ll need to just take this into account.
Mountain View Turnout Cost
Eloping or having a micro-wedding at Mountain View Turnout isn’t cost-free, but it’s certainly much cheaper than traditional venues in the area! In order to have your special day take place at Mountain View Turnout you’ll need to pay a $200 permit fee through the National Park Service. There is an application process involved in reserving your date at the location, and you can find a lot more details on the National Park Service permit website. The permit application process can be a little intimidating at first glance but if you book with us to capture your day we are able to walk you through the entire process.
Along with the cost of the permit you’ll have the other usual costs of an elopement/wedding (travel, vendors, dress, etc.), but you’ll be saving many thousands of dollars by not booking a traditional venue. Some of the venues in the Jackson Hole area can run upwards of $20,000 so $200 doesn’t seem so bad in comparison if you ask us!
There is only one wedding or elopement allowed at Mountain View Turnout per day so if you decide you want to use this location then make sure you apply for the permit ASAP. It doesn’t book up as quickly as some of the other ceremony locations in the park, but it’s still helpful to try and book it for your day far in advance.
Best Time of the Year for Mountain View Turnout
The road used to access Mountain View Turnout is closed in the winter time, so the best time to utilize the spot for your ceremony is Mid-May through Mid-October. The closer you are to the middle of the summer, the better the weather and the lower your chances of having snow on the ground. With that said, our favorite time of the year by far for weddings and elopements in Jackson Hole is Mid-September through Mid-October.
The fall colors in the Jackson Hole area are pretty unreal, and if you time your wedding or elopement day just right with the peak colors (the exact timing varies year by year), you could be in for some epic colors in your photos. The air is also nice and crisp here in the fall and the lighting is absolutely sublime for photo and video.
The fall is also one of the most popular times for couples to get married in Jackson Hole, so if you’re planning on having your big day in the fall we definitely recommend trying to reserve things further in advance. That’s not to say it isn’t possible to still make it happen with little lead time, but most of the popular ceremony locations and venues book up far in advance.
Pro’s and Con’s of Mountain View Turnout
Pro’s:
- Great panoramic mountain backdrop
- Fits into budgets spectacularly
- Small and intimate ceremony with your closet friends and family or just you and your partner
Con’s:
- A little bit of a further drive from Jackson
- The ceremony location is right near the parking lot so it’s difficult to have a lot of privacy
- Doesn’t offer the typical Grand Teton view
- Access is closed in the winter
With this one, we’re gonna have to say that the con’s slightly outweigh the pro’s due to how busy this turnout can get with tourists going through the park. That’s not to say that it isn’t a valid option, but we think that other spots like Schwabacher Landing (in the morning), Mormon Row, and the Wedding Tree offer more privacy, a better view, and closer proximity to town. We would say that Mountain View Turnout is a great backup option or fallback option if all of the other locations happen to be fully booked for your desired date.
Summary
| Location | 40 minute drive north of Jackson |
| Pricing | $200+ |
| Highlights | Good view of the side of the Teton Range |
[…] Mountain View Turnout […]
[…] Mountain View Turnout […]
[…] Mountain View Turnout […]
[…] Mountain View Turnout […]