Grand Tetons -- Atherton Creek CG vs Upper Teton View CG

Haven't been to Upper Teton View but based on comments here I'll have to try it next time we visit Grand Teton.

Like you, we usually stay at Gros Ventre, which I checked and it opens May 5th this year.

We have been to Atherton Creek several times and like the campground, which is right next to slide lake. We used our inflatable canoe on the lake a few years back, which was a fun afternoon. Nice scenery around the campground but not much of a view of the Tetons as only the tops of a few peaks are visible. Downside for us is that the good pavement on Gros Ventre Road ends at the national park boundary and the pavement for the next several miles to Atherton Creek is full of potholes and badly done patches. Makes for slow going. Once past Atherton Creek the road turns to gravel but a couple miles in brings you to Red Valley, which is worth all the rough road.

I can't comment on Upper Teton View, but we really liked Atherton. The road to the campground is not paved, but it is in pretty good shape, as I recall. The campground was actually well-located -- easy to "commute" to different parts of the Tetons, except for all the buffalo on the roads -- watch out at night!

Here is a blog post where we talk about the campground a little bit -- scroll down past the Yellowstone stuff:

Tetons

That post also has some tips on some nice hikes. Not sure when the snow melts off the trails, though.