A cherished summer getaway at Grand Teton National Park has taken a sudden and serious turn, as health officials scramble to alert hundreds of guests who may have been exposed to rabies in bat-infested cabins at the iconic Jackson Lake Lodge. The discovery, made on July 27, 2025, has triggered a sweeping public health campaign spanning 38 states and seven countries, with authorities urging as many as 500 visitors to seek immediate medical attention. The situation, while under control for current visitors, highlights the invisible dangers that can lurk in even the most picturesque corners of America’s natural wonders.
The trouble began when staff at the Jackson Lake Lodge uncovered extensive bat colonies in the attics above eight guest cabins—specifically, cabins 516, 518, 520, 522, 524, 526, 528, and 530. According to the Associated Press, the bats, believed to be brown bats common to Wyoming, had quietly settled in after the cabins reopened for the summer season in May. These weren’t just a handful of stray animals; both the “little” and “big” brown bat species, which typically form colonies of 30 to 100 individuals, were potentially present in large numbers.
What’s especially unnerving is that bats can bite or scratch sleeping people without waking them, meaning guests may have been exposed to rabies without ever realizing it. Dr. Alexia Harrist, Wyoming State Health Officer, explained to AP, “What we’re really concerned about is people who saw bats in their rooms and people who might have had direct contact with a bat.” She emphasized that even those who didn’t spot a bat, particularly deep sleepers and young children unable to communicate their experiences, could be at risk.
As soon as the infestation was discovered, the Grand Teton Lodge Company acted swiftly, closing the affected cabins permanently as of July 27. There are no plans to reopen these cabins in the foreseeable future. In the meantime, the rest of Jackson Lake Lodge remains open, with officials assuring the public that there is no ongoing danger for current or future guests staying in unaffected accommodations. “The lodge company has done a fantastic job of doing their due diligence of making sure everyone that is coming in for that, and for all other visits this year, are going to be as safe as possible,” said Emily Curren, Wyoming’s public health veterinarian, according to AP.
Despite the prompt action, the scale of the potential exposure is staggering. Health officials estimate that approximately 500 people stayed in the eight cabins during the summer season, based on roughly 250 reservations through late July. These guests hail from 38 states and seven countries, turning a local wildlife incident into an international health concern. State health agencies and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are coordinating an extensive contact tracing effort, working tirelessly to reach every individual who may have been exposed. For those who have not yet been contacted but stayed in one of the specified cabins this year, Dr. Harrist urges, “Tell health officials or a doctor immediately.”
Why such urgency? Rabies is one of the most feared infectious diseases for good reason. Bats are a primary vector for the rabies virus in the United States, and once symptoms—muscle aches, vomiting, itching—begin, the disease is almost always fatal in humans. The only reliable defense is a timely five-shot prophylactic vaccine regimen administered shortly after potential exposure. “The good news is a five-shot prophylactic regimen over a two-week period soon after exposure is highly effective in preventing illness,” Dr. Harrist told AP. But timing is everything; waiting for symptoms to appear is essentially a death sentence.
Notably, none of the few dead bats collected from the cabins and tested at the Wyoming State Veterinary Laboratory in Laramie showed signs of rabies. One bat, unfortunately, was too damaged to be tested. But as Dr. Harrist and Curren both stressed, these tested bats represent only a tiny fraction of the total population that may have been inhabiting the attic spaces. Most bats were simply shooed out through doors and windows, not captured or killed, leaving the true extent of any rabies presence unknown. “That’s a lot of bats that we cannot rule out a risk of rabies being in,” Curren noted. “There’s no way for us to know for certain about every single bat that got into these rooms.”
This uncertainty has led health officials to take a “better safe than sorry” approach. The rabies exposure alert recommends that anyone who saw a bat in their room, deep sleepers who might not have noticed a bat, and all young children who stayed in the cabins receive post-exposure prophylaxis. The five-shot regimen is highly effective, but only if started before symptoms develop. The CDC and state health departments are also advising anyone who stayed in the affected cabins—even if they don’t recall seeing bats—to consult a healthcare provider immediately.
In response to the crisis, Grand Teton National Park has installed devices on the cabins to prevent bats from re-entering while allowing any remaining bats to leave safely. This wildlife-friendly solution addresses human safety without resorting to extermination, a move praised by park spokesperson Emily Davis. According to AP, there are no plans to eradicate the bats, which play a vital role in the local ecosystem by controlling insect populations.
Remarkably, the rest of Jackson Lake Lodge continues to operate as normal, and the facility is set to host the Federal Reserve’s annual economic policy symposium from August 21 to 23, 2025. Health officials have confirmed there are no safety concerns for symposium attendees or other guests staying in unaffected lodge areas. The quick and decisive action by lodge staff and public health officials has contained the problem to the eight closed cabins, ensuring that the broader community and incoming visitors remain safe.
Still, the episode serves as a stark reminder that nature, while beautiful, can harbor hidden risks. The invisible threat posed by bats in the night—especially when it comes to rabies—underscores the importance of vigilance, rapid response, and public health preparedness. As Dr. Harrist and her team continue their outreach, they hope their efforts will prevent a tragedy and turn a potential crisis into a teachable moment about the realities of wildlife and disease prevention.
For now, anyone who stayed in the specified cabins at Jackson Lake Lodge this summer is urged not to wait, not to second-guess, but to seek medical advice immediately. The wild beauty of Grand Teton National Park should be a place for adventure and wonder, not preventable heartbreak.
