ParkwolfGet the app
Catholic Bay Picnic Area in Grand Teton National Park

Picnic area · Grand Teton National Park

Catholic Bay Picnic Area

A lakeside picnic break with a short path down to Jackson Lake.

Photo: National Park Service
Type
Picnic area
Nearest trail
0.6 mi
Audio stories
6 nearby
  • Picnic tables
  • Restrooms
DirectionsMap

Hear the audio tour

Chapel of the Sacred Heart and Catholic Bay

Overview

About Catholic Bay Picnic Area

Why stop

  • A short path connects the picnic tables with Jackson Lake’s shore.

Heads up

  • Best for a picnic or chapel visit; there’s little to do beyond those stops and the lake view.

Map

Where it is

Loading the Grand Teton map
Full map
Picnic areaCatholic Bay Picnic Area43.84587, -110.60067
Keep this map with you offline in the Parkwolf app

Plan your stop

Before you go

2 active Grand Teton alerts

  • ClosureJackson Lake boat ramps closed; Signal launch riskMentions Jackson Lake, referenced in this guideColter Bay and Leeks boat ramps are closed; Signal Mountain Boat Ramp is open, but water is below the ramp edge and loose cobbles make launching risky.Official details
  • ClosureConstruction closures and delaysConstruction is causing current road and area closures and delays across Grand Teton; use the signed Taggart Trail detour. - Moose-Wilson Road is closed between Moose and Laurance S.Official details
Grand Teton alerts
A park ranger sits on a dash-mounted phone, talking, as Parkwolf’s Tour Guide plays “Army Cutworm Moths: A Grizzly Bear Buffet” on Grand Loop Road below Dunraven Pass in Yellowstone
Parkwolf Tour GuideThe highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.

Grand Teton Tour Guide

Your drive to Catholic Bay Picnic Area, narrated.

Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Grand Teton National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.

See the Grand Teton audio tour

Recorded for this place

Chapel of the Sacred Heart and Catholic Bay
0:00 / 0:33
“The Chapel of the Sacred Heart is ahead on Catholic Bay, a short stop for log architecture and time beside Jackson Lake. If it’s open, look for the log pews and the round stained-glass window behind the altar.”

Plays as you drive up to Catholic Bay Picnic Area in the Parkwolf Grand Teton Tour Guide.

More stories near here in the app

  • The Signal in Signal Mountain
  • Signal Mountain Lodge: Lunch or Time on the Lake
  • Scratches Left by Ice
  • Jackson Lake Dam: A Natural Lake Raised Higher
  • 118 audio storiesacross Grand Teton’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
  • Wildlife heatmapsfor Grizzly Bear, Brown Bear, Gray Wolf, and 13 more
  • Works offlinemaps, 70 trails, 121 places, and audio download before you lose signal
  • CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
★★★★★
“…We have been driving around with the audio tour and it has been informational and spot on. The whole family has been impressed. We used it for Yellowstone and Grand Teton.”
KWaz1122App Store review
Download Parkwolf on the App StoreGet Parkwolf on Google Play

4.7 from 8,600+ ratings

Guide

More about Catholic Bay Picnic Area

A picnic above Jackson LakeBeside the Chapel of the Sacred Heart, this picnic area sits in the trees above Jackson Lake.

Beside the Chapel of the Sacred Heart, this picnic area sits in the trees above Jackson Lake. It makes a good meal stop if you want lake views without a long walk; the short path to the shore gives you a reason to leave the tables, too.

Take the path to the shoreA short path leads from the picnic area down to Jackson Lake.

A short path leads from the picnic area down to Jackson Lake. Stay by the tables for a view through the trees, or follow the path to spend time at the water’s edge.

Chapel and practical detailsThe adjacent Chapel of the Sacred Heart is a historic Catholic chapel, and visitors are welcome.

The adjacent Chapel of the Sacred Heart is a historic Catholic chapel, and visitors are welcome. Catholic Bay takes its name from the chapel on the south side of the bay. Picnic tables, a vault toilet, trash and recycling are available. Wildlife are present, so dispose of food waste carefully, pick up small litter around your table and don’t leave scented items unattended.

picniclakeshorechapelwildlife

Wildlife

Wildlife in Grand Teton

All Grand Teton wildlife maps
Grizzly Bear172 sightingsGrizzly BearMost seen around 7 PMSighting mapBrown Bear195 sightingsBrown BearMost seen around 6 AMSighting mapGray Wolf32 sightingsGray WolfMost seen around 7 PMSighting mapMoose1,816 sightingsMooseMost seen around 7 AMSighting mapBison614 sightingsBisonMost seen around 6 AMSighting mapElk738 sightingsElkMost seen around 7 PMSighting map

Sighting maps show where each species has been reported across Grand Teton. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.

Keep exploring

Near Catholic Bay Picnic Area

See it all on the map

Trails nearby

ModerateSignal Mountain Trail6.8 mi · 4 hr · 0.6 mi awayA steady forest climb earns Jackson Lake and Teton views.EasyLunch Tree Hill Trail0.5 mi · 30 min · 2.5 mi awayA quick climb for Willow Flats and a wide Teton view.EasyWillow Flats Trail4.4 mi · 2 hr · 2.6 mi awayEasy old-road walking through willows with the Tetons ahead.ModerateGrand View Point Trail5.8 mi · 3.5 hr · 2.6 mi awayThree lake views make the long lodge approach worth the climb.EasyChristian Pond Loop3.5 mi · 2 hr · 2.6 mi awayA gentle loop from the lodge through marsh, willows, and sagebrush.EasyChristian Pond Overlook Trail1 mi · 45 min · 2.7 mi awayA short moraine climb for a bird’s-eye pond view.EasySwan Lake Trail1.9 mi · 1.5 hr · 4.1 mi awayA short lake walk through meadow and pines to lily-pad shallows.EasyHeron Pond Trail2.9 mi · 1.5 hr · 4.3 mi awayLily pads frame a quiet pond beneath the Teton skyline.

More stops nearby

Sight · 0.1 mi awayChapel of the Sacred HeartA log chapel and a quiet break by Jackson Lake.Lodging · 0.5 mi awaySignal Mountain LodgeOnly the Lakefront Retreats are advertised with lake and Teton views.Restaurant · 0.6 mi awayThe Trapper GrillBreakfast, lunch or dinner with Jackson Lake in view.Store · 0.6 mi awaySignal Mountain General StoreFuel, ice and campsite basics when you're deep in the park.Sight · 0.6 mi awaySignal Mountain MarinaBoat rentals put Jackson Lake and Mount Moran in reach.Campground · 0.7 mi awaySignal Mountain CampgroundPine-shaded camping, lake walks, and select Mount Moran views.Sight · 1 mi awayJackson Lake Dam OverlookLake above, Snake River below: one dam, two quick views.Sight · 1.3 mi awayJackson Point OverlookClear days bring four ranges and glacial kettles into view.

Parkwolf’s Grand Teton ranking

Top sights in Grand Teton

All 121 places
  1. 1Grand TetonSight
  2. 2Schwabacher LandingSight
  3. 3Oxbow Bend TurnoutSight
  4. 4Mormon Row Historic DistrictSight
  5. 5Snake River OverlookSight
  6. 6Hidden FallsSight

Take Parkwolf to Grand Teton.

The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.

4.7 from 8,600+ ratings

Download Parkwolf on the App StoreGet Parkwolf on Google Play