Sight · Grand Teton National Park
A glacial kettle tucked into sagebrush flats.
Overview
Map
Plan your stop
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Grand Teton Tour Guide
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 tourRecorded for this area
Mount Moran Turnout: The Painter’s Namesake“Mount Moran Turnout is coming up, a quick roadside stop for a straight-on look at the mountain’s east face.”
Plays on the road 0.7 mi from Potholes Turnout in the Parkwolf Grand Teton Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
“…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.”
Guide
Potholes Turnout is a roadside pullout along Teton Park Road, where a stand of conifers grows in a depression amid the sagebrush flats. It makes a worthwhile short pause if small geology stops interest you; the hollow can be subtle, and some visitors find the mountain view the stronger part of the stop. The site is listed as wheelchair accessible and has an interpretive wayside, though the access note does not describe the route or surface.
The depression is a glacial kettle. A block of ice broke from a retreating glacier, was buried in sediment washed across the valley floor, then melted and left a hollow. The hollow can trap moisture and dust, giving conifers a foothold in otherwise exposed sagebrush. Water may collect there, while spring runoff and wind can carry more sediment into it.
Visitors often mention the Teton and valley views, while the pothole itself is easy to miss. Look for the stand of trees around the depression rather than expecting a deep crater. For a photo that identifies the stop, frame the wayside sign and conifers with the Teton peaks behind them.
Wildlife
172 sightingsGrizzly BearMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
195 sightingsBrown BearMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
32 sightingsGray WolfMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
1,816 sightingsMooseMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
614 sightingsBisonMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
738 sightingsElkMost seen around 7 PMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Grand Teton. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
Keep exploring
ModerateSignal Mountain Trail6.8 mi · 4 hr · 2.7 mi awayA steady forest climb earns Jackson Lake and Teton views.
EasyCunningham Cabin Historic Trail0.2 mi · 15 min · 4 mi awayA short cabin walk for Jackson Hole history and Teton views.
Sight · 0.7 mi awayMount Moran TurnoutMoran’s dark stripe is a magma-filled crack nearly a billion years old.
Campground · 2.5 mi awaySignal Mountain CampgroundPine-shaded camping, lake walks, and select Mount Moran views.
Store · 2.6 mi awaySignal Mountain General StoreFuel, ice and campsite basics when you're deep in the park.
Sight · 2.7 mi awaySpalding Bay Boat Launch and Camp AreaSmall-boat access with two permit-only campsites beside Jackson Lake.
Restaurant · 2.7 mi awayThe Trapper GrillBreakfast, lunch or dinner with Jackson Lake in view.
Sight · 2.7 mi awaySignal Mountain MarinaBoat rentals put Jackson Lake and Mount Moran in reach.
Lodging · 2.7 mi awaySignal Mountain LodgeOnly the Lakefront Retreats are advertised with lake and Teton views.
Sight · 3 mi awayChapel of the Sacred HeartA log chapel and a quiet break by Jackson Lake.Parkwolf’s Grand Teton ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
