Named after the explorer John Colter who passed through the Jackson Lake area in 1807-08, Colter Bay is a small body of water located on the eastern side of the much larger Jackson Lake in Grand Teton National Park. Colter Bay provides a sheltered harbor on Jackson Lake. On the shore of the bay is Colter Bay Village, consisting of a visitor center, marina, and tent and log cabin lodging.

The development of Colter Bay Village was the result of the National Park Service Mission 66 Program started in the 1950s with the goal of modifying and expanding visitor services at national parks by 1966, which was the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the National Park Service. One of the features of Colter Bay Village is the original homestead cabins from Jackson Hole and Jackson Lake that the park service relocated during the Mission 66 Program. The Colter Bay Visitor Center also housed the David T. Vernon Indian Arts Museum starting in 1972, but it was removed in 2011 for conservation purposes. Colter Bay remains a popular destination to visitors of Grand Teton National Park due to its views of the Teton Range, visitor center, outdoor trails, access to Jackson Lake, and lodging facilities.

Researched, written, and narrated by University of West Florida Public History Student Sean Baker.