Grand Teton National Park

Grand Teton National Park
IUCN category II (national park)
The John Moulton Barn and Teton Range
Location	Teton County, Wyoming, USA
Nearest city	Jackson
Area	310,044 acres (125,470 ha)
Established	February 26, 1929
Visitors	2,587,437 (in 2011)
Governing body	National Park Service

Grand Teton National Park is a United States National Park located in northwestern Wyoming. Approximately 310,000 acres (130,000 ha) in size, the park includes the major peaks of the 40-mile (64 km) long Teton Range as well as most of the northern sections of the valley known as Jackson Hole. Only 10 miles (16 km) south of Yellowstone National Park, the two parks are connected by the National Park Service managed John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway. These three protected areas in conjunction with surrounding National Forests constitute the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, which at almost 18,000,000 acres (7,300,000 ha), is one of the largest intact mid-latitude temperate ecosystems in the world.

Human history of the Grand Teton region dates back at least 11,000 years, when the first nomadic hunter-gatherer Paleo-Indians would migrate into the region during warmer months in pursuit of food and supplies. In the early 19th century, the first Caucasian explorers encountered the eastern Shoshone natives. Between 1810 and 1840, the region attracted various fur trading companies which vied for control of the lucrative beaver fur trade. Organized U.S. Government explorations to the region commenced in the 1870s as an offshoot of exploration in Yellowstone and the first permanent white settlers in Jackson Hole arrived in the 1880s. Efforts to preserve the region as a national park commenced in the late 19th century and by 1929, Grand Teton National Park was established, protecting the major peaks of the Teton Range. The valley of Jackson Hole remained in private ownership until conservationists led by John D. Rockefeller, Jr. in the 1930s began purchasing land in Jackson Hole to be added to the existing national park. Against public opinion and with repeated congressional efforts to repeal it, much of Jackson Hole was also set aside for protection as Jackson Hole National Monument in 1943. In 1950 the monument was abolished and most of the monument acreage was added to Grand Teton National Park.

Grand Teton National Park is named for Grand Teton, the tallest mountain in the Teton Range. The naming of the mountains is attributed to early 19th century French speaking trappers—"les trois tetons" (the three breasts) was later anglicized and shortened to Tetons. At 13,775 feet (4,199 m), Grand Teton abruptly rises more than 7,000 feet (2,100 m) above Jackson Hole, almost 850 feet (260 m) higher than Mount Owen, the second highest summit in the range. The park has numerous lakes, including 15-mile (24 km) long Jackson Lake as well as streams of varying length and the uppermost reaches of the Snake River. Though in a state of recession, a dozen small glaciers persist at the higher elevations, nestled near the highest peaks in the range. Some of the rocks found in the park are the oldest found in any U.S. National Park and have been dated at nearly 2.7 billion years.

Being an almost pristine ecosystem, the same species of flora and fauna that have existed since prehistoric times can still be found in Grand Teton. More than 1000 species of vascular plants, dozens of species of mammals, 300 species of birds, more than a dozen fish species and a few species of reptiles and amphibians exist. Due to various changes in the ecosystem, some of which are human-induced, efforts to provide enhanced protection to some subspecies of cutthroat trout and the increasingly threatened Whitebark Pine, have been implemented.

Recreational opportunities abound and the park is a popular destination for mountaineering, hiking, fly fishing and other pursuits. Backcountry camping is available by permit and is closely regulated to prevent overcrowding, while more than 1000 drive-in campsites can be found throughout the park. Grand Teton has several visitor centers which are managed by the National Park Service and concessionaire facilities which operate motels, lodges, gas stations and marinas.

Human history

Paleo-Indians and Native Americans

Evidence of Paleo-Indian presence in what is now Grand Teton National Park indicates that the first humans arrived more than 11,000 years ago. Jackson Hole valley climate at that time is thought to have been more alpine and colder than the semi-arid climate found today, so the first humans were probably migratory hunter–gatherers spending summer months in Jackson Hole and wintering in the valleys west of the Teton Range. Along the shores of Jackson Lake, fire pits, tools and what are believed to have been fishing weights have been discovered. One of the tools is of a type associated with the Clovis culture which is believed to have existed around 11,500 years ago. Some of the tools are made of obsidian which chemical analysis indicates came from sources near present day Teton Pass, south of Grand Teton National Park. Though obsidian was also available north of Jackson Hole, virtually all the obsidian spear points found are from a source to the south, indicating that the main seasonal migratory route for the Paleo-Indian and later cultures was from this direction. Elk, which winter on the National Elk Refuge at the southern end of Jackson Hole and head north into higher altitudes during spring and summer, follow a similar migratory pattern to this day. From 11,000 to about 500 years ago, there is little evidence of change in the migratory patterns amongst the Native American groups in the region and no evidence that indicates any permanent human settlement.

When White American explorers first entered the region in the first decade of the 19th century, they encountered the eastern tribes of the Shoshone people. Most of the Shoshone that lived in the mountain vastness of the greater Yellowstone region continued to be pedestrian while other groups of Shoshone that resided in lower elevations had limited use of horses. The Shoshone that lived in the Jackson Hole region were known within their culture as the "Sheep-eaters" or "Tukudika" as they referred to themselves, since a staple of their diet was the Bighorn Sheep. The Shoshones continued to follow the same migratory pattern as their predecessors and have been documented as having a close spiritual relationship with the Teton Range. A number of stone enclosures on some of the peaks, including on the upper slopes of Grand Teton (known simply as The Enclosure) are believed to have been used by Shoshone during vision quests. The Teton and Yellowstone region Shoshone relocated to the Wind River Indian Reservation after it was established in 1868. The reservation is situated 100 mi (160 km) southeast of Jackson Hole on land that was traditionally a wintering location for the tribe.

Fur trade exploration

The Lewis and Clark Expedition (1804–1806) passed well north of the Grand Teton region. During the expedition's return trip from the Pacific Ocean, expedition member John Colter was given an early discharge so he could join two fur trappers who were heading west in search of beaver pelts. Colter was later hired by Manuel Lisa to lead fur trappers and to explore the region around the Yellowstone River. It is generally believed that during the winter of 1807/08 Colter passed through Jackson Hole and was the first Caucasian to see the Teton Range. Lewis and Clark expedition co-leader William Clark produced a map based on the previous expedition and included the explorations of John Colter in 1807, apparently based on discussions between Clark and Colter when the two met in St. Louis, Missouri in 1810. Another map attributed to William Clark indicates John Colter entered Jackson Hole from the northeast, crossing the Continental Divide at either Togwotee Pass or Union Pass and left the region after crossing Teton Pass, probably following the well established Native American trails. In 1931, the Colter Stone, a carved rock in the shape of a head with the inscription "John Colter" on one side and the year "1808" on the other, was discovered in a field in Tetonia, Idaho, which is west of Teton Pass. The Colter Stone has not been authenticated to have been created by John Colter and may have been the work of later expeditions to the region.

The enigmatic Colter Stone, with the inscription "John Colter", was found in a field in eastern Idaho in 1931

John Colter is widely considered the first mountain man and, like those that came to the Jackson Hole region over the next 30 years, he was there primarily for the profitable fur trapping; the region was rich with the highly sought after pelts of beaver and other fur bearing animals. Between 1810 and 1812, the Astorians are known to have traveled through Jackson Hole and crossed Teton Pass as they headed east in 1812. After 1810, American and British fur trading companies were in competition for control of the North American fur trade, and American sovereignty over the region was not not secured until the signing of the Oregon Treaty in 1846. One party employed by the British North West Company and led by explorer Donald Mackenzie is believed to have entered Jackson Hole from the west in 1818 or 1819. The Tetons, as well as the valley west of the Teton Range known today as Pierre's Hole, may have been named by French speaking Iroquois or French Canadian trappers that were part of Mackenzie's party. Earlier parties had referred to the most prominent peaks of the Teton Range as the Pilot Knobs. The French trappers' "les trois tetons" (the three breasts) was later shortened to the Tetons.

Formed in the mid 1820s, the Rocky Mountain Fur Company partnership included Jedediah Smith, William Sublette and David Edward Jackson or "Davey Jackson". Jackson oversaw the trapping operations in the Teton region between 1826 and 1830. It is believed that Sublette named the valley east of the Teton Range "Jackson's Hole" (later simply Jackson Hole) for Davey Jackson. As the demand for beaver fur declined and the various regions of the American West became depleted of beaver due to over trapping, American fur trading companies folded; however, individual mountain men continued to trap beaver in the region until about 1840. From the mid 1840s until 1860, Jackson Hole and the Teton Range were generally devoid of all but the small populations of Native American tribes that had already been there. Most overland human migration routes such as the Oregon and Mormon Trails crossed over South Pass, well to the south of the Teton Range, and Caucasian influence in the Teton region was minimal until the U.S. Government commenced organized explorations.

Organized exploration and settlement

Main article: Historical buildings and structures of Grand Teton National Park

"The Three Tetons" as seen from west of the Teton Range by members of the Hayden Geological Survey of 1871. One of the earliest photographs of the Teton Range taken by William Henry Jackson in 1872.

The first U.S. Government sponsored expedition to enter Jackson Hole was the 1859–60 Raynolds Expedition. Led by U.S. Army Captain William F. Raynolds and guided by mountain man Jim Bridger, it included naturalist F. V. Hayden, who later led other expeditions to the region. The expedition had been charged with exploring the Yellowstone region, but encountered difficulties crossing mountain passes due to snow. Bridger ended up guiding the expedition south over Union Pass then following the Gros Ventre River drainage to the Snake River and leaving the region over Teton Pass. Organized exploration of the region was halted during the American Civil War but resumed when F. V. Hayden led the well-funded Hayden Geological Survey of 1871. Split into two divisions, the expedition explored Yellowstone under Hayden's leadership while a smaller group under James Stevenson explored the Teton region. Along with Stevenson was photographer William Henry Jackson who took the first photographs of the Teton Range. The Hayden Geological Survey is also credited with providing many of the now familiar place names to some of the mountains and lakes in the region. The explorations by early mountain men and subsequent expeditions failed to identify any sources of economically viable mineral wealth. Nevertheless, small groups of prospectors set up claims and mining operations on several of the creeks and rivers. By 1900 all organized efforts to retrieve minerals had been abandoned. Though the Teton Range was never permanently inhabited, pioneers began settling the Jackson Hole valley to the east of the range in 1884. These earliest homesteaders were mostly single men who endured long winters, short growing seasons and rocky soils which were hard to cultivate. The region was mostly suited for the cultivation of hay and cattle ranching. By 1890 Jackson Hole had an estimated permanent population of 60. Around 1892 Menor's Ferry was built near present day Moose, Wyoming to provide access for wagons to the west side of the Snake River. Ranching increased significantly from 1900 to 1920 but a series of agricultural related economic downturns in the early 1920s left many ranchers destitude. Beginning in the 1920s, the automobile provided faster and easier access to areas of natural beauty and old military roads into Jackson Hole over Teton and Togwotee Passes were improved to accommodate the increased vehicle traffic. In response to the increased tourism, dude ranches were established, some new and some from existing cattle ranches, so urbanized travelers could experience the life of a cattleman.

Establishment of the park

Main article: Establishment of Grand Teton National Park

Grand Teton National Park Dedication in 1929

To the north of Jackson Hole, Yellowstone National Park had been established in 1872, and by the close of the 19th century, conservationists wanted to expand the boundaries of that park to include at least the Teton Range. By 1907, in an effort to regulate water flow for irrigation purposes, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation had constructed a log crib dam at the Snake River outlet of Jackson Lake. This dam failed in 1910 and a new concrete Jackson Lake Dam replaced it by 1911. The dam was further enlarged in 1916, raising lake waters 39 ft (12 m) as part of the Minidoka Project, designed to provide irrigation for agriculture in the state of Idaho. Further dam construction plans for other lakes in the Teton Range alarmed Yellowstone National Park superintendent Horace Albright, who sought to block such efforts. Jackson Hole residents were opposed to an expansion of Yellowstone, but were more in favor of the establishment of a separate National Park which would include the Teton Range and six lakes at the base of the mountains. After congressional approval, President Calvin Coolidge signed the executive order establishing the 96,000-acre (39,000 ha) Grand Teton National Park on February 26, 1929.

The valley of Jackson Hole remained primarily in private ownership when John D. Rockefeller, Jr. and his wife visited the region in the late 1920s. Horace Albright had hoped to protect the valley of Jackson Hole north of the town of Jackson from commercial exploitation. Rockefeller agreed and in 1927 started buying Jackson Hole properties through a private enterprise known as the Snake River Land Company so they could later be turned over to the National Park Service. In 1930 this plan was revealed to the residents of the region and was met with strong disapproval. Numerous congressional efforts to prevent the expansion of Grand Teton National Park ended up putting the Snake River Land Company's holdings in limbo. By 1942, Rockefeller became increasingly impatient that his purchased property might never be added to Grand Teton National Park, so he wrote the Secretary of the Interior Harold L. Ickes and informed him that he was considering selling the land to another party. Secretary Ickes recommended to President Franklin Roosevelt that the Antiquities Act (which permitted Presidents to set aside land for protection without the approval of Congress) be used to establish a National Monument in Jackson Hole. In 1943 Roosevelt created the 221,000-acre (89,000 ha) Jackson Hole National Monument using the land donated from the Snake River Land Company and adding additional property from Teton National Forest. The monument and park were adjacent to each other and both were administered by the National Park Service, but the monument designation ensured no funding allotment, nor provided a level of resource protection equal to the park. Members of Congress repeatedly attempted to have the new National Monument abolished.

After the end of World War II national public sentiment was in favor of adding the monument to the park, and though there was still much local disagreement, the monument and park were combined in 1950. In recognition of John D. Rockefeller, Jr.'s efforts to establish and then expand Grand Teton National Park, a 24,000-acre (9,700 ha) parcel of land between Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks was added to the National Park Service in 1972. This land and the road from the southern boundary of Grand Teton National Park to West Thumb in Yellowstone National Park was named the John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway. In 2001, the Rockefeller family donated the remnants of its JY Ranch for the establishment of the Laurance S. Rockefeller Preserve, dedicated on June 21, 2008.

Park management

Grand Teton National Park is one of the ten most visited national parks in the U.S., with an average of 2.5 million visitors annually. The park is administered by the National Park Service, an agency of the Department of the Interior. Grand Teton National Park oversees the John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway acreage and the associated scenic highway south of Yellowstone National Park. The park has an average of 100 permanent and 180 seasonal employees. The park also manages 27 concession contracts which provide services such as lodging, restaurants, mountaineering guides, dude ranching, fishing and a boat shuttle on Jenny Lake. Grand Teton National Park works closely with other federal agencies such as the U.S. Forest Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Bureau of Reclamation, and also, in consequence of Jackson Hole Airport's presence in the park, the Federal Aviation Administration. Initial construction of the airstrip north of the town of Jackson was completed in the 1930s. When Jackson Hole National Monument was designated, the airport was inside it. After the monument and park were combined, the Jackson Hole Airport became the only commercial airport within a U.S. National Park. Jackson Hole Airport has some of the strictest noise abatement regulations of any airport in the U.S. As of 2010, 110 privately owned property inholdings, many belonging to the state of Wyoming, are located within Grand Teton National Park. Efforts to purchase or trade these inholdings for other federal lands are ongoing and through partnerships with other entities, 10 million dollars is hoped to be raised to acquire private inholdings by 2016. Some monies are allocated from congress via the Land and Water Conservation Fund, but Grand Teton National Park may not get all the money needed from the fund as it is divided up between four different federal agencies. Efforts to exchange federal land from other areas for inholdings was still in the negotiation phase in 2012.

Geography

Map of Grand Teton National Park

Grand Teton National Park is located in the northwestern region of the U.S. state of Wyoming. To the north the park is bordered by the John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway, which is administered by Grand Teton National Park. The scenic highway with the same name passes from the southern boundary of Grand Teton National Park to West Thumb in Yellowstone National Park. Grand Teton National Park covers approximately 310,000 acres (130,000 ha), while the John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway includes 23,700 acres (9,600 ha). Most of the Jackson Hole valley and virtually all the major mountain peaks of the Teton Range are within the park. The Jedediah Smith Wilderness of Caribou-Targhee National Forest lies along the western boundary and includes the western slopes of the Teton Range. To the northeast and east lie the Teton Wilderness and Gros Ventre Wilderness of Bridger-Teton National Forest. The southeastern border of the park is the location of the National Elk Refuge, where migrating herds of elk from the region spend winters. Privately owned land borders the park to the south and southwest. Grand Teton National Park, along with Yellowstone National Park, surrounding National Forests and related protected areas constitute the 18,000,000-acre (7,300,000 ha) (28,000 sq mi (73,000 km²)) Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. The Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem spans across portions of three states and is one of the largest intact mid-latitude ecosystems remaining on Earth. By road, Grand Teton National Park is 290 mi (470 km) from Salt Lake City, Utah and 550 mi (890 km) from Denver, Colorado.

Teton Range

Main article: Teton Range

Main article: Canyons of the Teton Range

The Teton Range is the youngest mountain range in the Rocky Mountains, and began forming between 6 to 9 million years ago. The Teton Range runs roughly north to south and rises from the floor of Jackson Hole without any foothills along a 40 mi (64 km) long by 7 to 9 mi (11 to 14 km) wide active fault-block mountain front. The range tilts westward, rising abruptly above Jackson Hole valley which lies to the east but more gradually into Teton Valley to the west. A series of earthquakes along the Teton Fault slowly displaced the western side of the fault upward and the eastern side of the fault downward at an average of 1 foot (0.30 m) of displacement every 300–400 years. Most of the displacement of the fault occurred in the last 2 million years. While the fault is believed to experience up to 7.5–earthquake magnitude events since it formed, it has been relatively quiescent during historical periods, with only a few 5.0–magnitude or greater earthquakes known to have occurred since 1850.

Fault-block mountain formation of the Teton Range and Jackson Hole

In addition to 13,775 ft (4,199 m) high Grand Teton, another nine peaks are over 12,000 ft (3,658 m) above sea level. Eight of these peaks between Avalanche and Cascade Canyons make up the often-photographed Cathedral Group. The most prominent peak north of Cascade Canyon is the monolithic Mount Moran (12,605 ft (3,842 m)) which rises 5,728 ft (1,746 m) above Jackson Lake. To the north of Mount Moran, the range eventually merges into the high altitude Yellowstone Plateau. South of the central Cathedral Group the Teton Range tapers off near Teton Pass and blends into the Snake River Range.

West to east trending canyons provide easier access by foot into the heart of the range as no vehicular roads traverse the range except at Teton Pass, which is south of the park. Carved by a combination of glacier activity as well as by numerous streams, the canyons are at their lowest point along the eastern margin of the range at Jackson Hole. Flowing from higher to lower elevations, the glaciers created more than a dozen U-shaped valleys throughout the range. Cascade Canyon is sandwiched between Mount Owen and Teewinot Mountain to the south and Symmetry Spire to the north and is situated immediately west of Jenny Lake. North to south, Webb, Moran, Paintbrush, Cascade, Death and Granite Canyons slice through Teton Range.

Jackson Hole

Main article: Jackson Hole

The Teton Fault near the base of Rockchuck Peak creates a nearly horizontal line above the trees in the foreground.

Jackson Hole is a 55 mi (89 km) long by 6 to 13 mi (9.7 to 20.9 km) wide graben valley with an average elevation of 6,800 ft (2,100 m), its lowest point is near the southern park boundary at 6,350 ft (1,940 m). The valley sits east of the Teton Range and is vertically displaced downward 30,000 ft (9,100 m) from corresponding rock layers in it, making the Teton Fault and its parallel twin on the east side of the valley normal faults with the Jackson Hole block being the hanging wall and the Teton Mountain block being the footwall. Grand Teton National Park contains the major part of both blocks. A great deal of erosion of the range and sediment filling the graben, however, yields a topographic relief of only up to 7,700 ft (2,300 m). Jackson Hole is comparatively flat, with only a modest increase in altitude south to north, however a few isolated buttes such as Blacktail Butte and hills including Signal Mountain dot the valley floor. In addition to a few outcroppings, the Snake River has eroded terraces into the valley floor. Southeast of Jackson Lake, glacial depressions known as kettles are numerous. The kettles were formed when ice situated under gravel outwash from ice sheets melted as the glaciers retreated.

Lakes and rivers

Main article: Snake River

Oxbow Bend on the Snake River

Most of the lakes in Grand Teton National Park were formed by glaciers and the largest of these lakes are located at the base of the Teton Range. In the northern section of the park lies Jackson Lake, the largest lake in the park at 15 mi (24 km) in length, 5 mi (8.0 km) wide and 438 ft (134 m) deep. Though Jackson Lake is natural, the Jackson Lake Dam was constructed at its outlet before the creation of the park and the lake level was raised almost 40 ft (12 m) consequently. East of the Jackson Lake Lodge lies Emma Matilda and Two Ocean Lakes. South of Jackson Lake, Leigh, Jenny, Bradley, Taggart and Phelps Lakes can be found near the entrances to the canyons which lead into the Teton Range. Within the Teton Range, smaller lakes are sometimes found in high altitude cirques, and there are more than 100 scattered throughout the high country. Lake Solitude, located at an elevation of 9,035 ft (2,754 m), is in a cirque at the head of the North Fork of Cascade Canyon. Other high altitude lakes can be found at over 10,000 ft (3,000 m) in elevation and a few, such as Icefloe Lake, remain ice clogged for much of the year.

The Snake River flows north to south through the park, entering Jackson Lake near the boundary of Grand Teton National Park and John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway. The Snake River then flows through the spillways of the Jackson Lake Dam and from there southward through Jackson Hole, exiting the park just west of the Jackson Hole Airport. The largest lakes in the park all drain either directly or by tributary streams into the Snake River. Major tributaries which flow into the Snake River include Pacific Creek and Buffalo Fork near Moran and the Gros Ventre River at the southern border of the park. Through the comparatively level Jackson Hole valley, the Snake River descends an average of 19 ft (5.8 m) per mile (1.6 km), while other streams descending from the mountains to the east and west have higher gradients due to increased slope. The Snake River creates braids and channels in sections where the gradients are lower and in steeper sections, erodes and undercuts the cobble stone terraces once deposited by glaciers.

Glaciation

Middle Teton Glacier on the northeast slopes of Middle Teton has numerous crevasses

The major peaks of the Teton Range were carved into their current shapes by long vanished glaciers. Commencing 250,000–150,000 years ago, the Tetons went through several periods of glaciation with some areas of Jackson Hole covered by glaciers 2,000 ft (610 m) thick. This heavy glaciation is unrelated to the uplift of the range itself and is instead part of a period of global cooling known as the Ice Age. Beginning with the Buffalo Glaciation and followed by the Bull Lake and then the Pinedale glaciation, which ended roughly 15,000 years ago, the landscape was greatly impacted by glacial activity. During the Pinedale glaciation, the landscape visible today was created as glaciers from the Yellowstone Plateau flowed south and formed Jackson Lake, while smaller glaciers descending from the Teton Range pushed rock moraines out from the canyons and left behind smaller lakes near the base of the mountains. The peaks themselves were carved into horns and arêtes and the canyons were transformed from water eroded V-shapes to glacier carved U-shaped valleys. Approximately a dozen glaciers currently exist in the park, but they are not ancient as they were all reestablished sometime between 1400 and 1850 AD during the Little Ice Age. Of these more recent glaciers, the largest is Teton Glacier, which sits below the northeast face of Grand Teton. 3,500 ft (1,100 m) long and 1,100 ft (340 m) wide, the Teton Glacier is sheltered by the tallest summits in the range. Teton Glacier is the best studied glacier in the range, and researchers concluded in 2005 that the glacier could disappear in 30 to 75 years. West of the Cathedral Group near Hurricane Pass, Schoolroom Glacier is tiny but has well defined terminal and lateral moraines, a small proglacial lake and other typical glacier features in close proximity to each other.

Geology

Main article: Geology of the Grand Teton area

The geologic feature known as the Black Dike is a diabase intrusion into older gneiss and is visible on the east face of Middle Teton as a dark line bisecting the peak

Grand Teton National Park has some of the most ancient rocks found in any U.S. National Park. The oldest rocks dated so far are 2,680 ± 12 million years old, though even older rocks are believed to exist in the park. Formed during the Archean Eon (4 to 2.5 billion years ago), these metamorphic rocks include gneiss, schist and amphibolites. Metamorphic rocks are the most common types found in the northern and southern sections of the Teton Range. 2,545 million years ago, the metamorphic rocks were intruded by igneous granitic rocks, which are now visible in the central Tetons including Grand Teton and the nearby peaks. The light colored granites of the central Teton Range contrast with the darker metamorphic gneiss found on the flanks of Mount Moran to the north. Magma intrusions of diabase rocks 765 million years ago left dikes which can seen on the east face of Mount Moran and Middle Teton. Granite and pegmatite intrusions also worked their way into fissures in the older gneiss. Precambrian rocks in Jackson Hole are buried deep under comparatively recent Tertiary volcanic and sedimentary deposits, as well as Pleistocene glacial deposits.

By the close of the Precambrian the region was intermittently submerged under shallow seas and for 500 million years various types of sedimentary rocks were formed. During the Paleozoic (542 to 251 million years ago) sandstone, shale, limestone and dolomite were deposited. Though most of these sedimentary rocks have since eroded away from the central Teton Range, they are still evident on the northern, southern and western flanks of the range. One notable exception is the sandstone Flathead Formation which continues to cap Mount Moran. Sedimentary layering of rocks in Alaska Basin, which is on the western border of Grand Teton National Park, chronicles a 120 million year period of sedimentary deposition. Fossils found in the sedimentary rocks in the park include algae, brachiopods and trilobites. Sedimentary deposition continued during the Mesozoic (250–65 million years ago) and the coal seams found in the sedimentary rock strata indicate the region was densely forested during that era. Numerous coal seams of 5 to 10 ft (1.5 to 3.0 m) in thickness are interspersed with siltstone, claystone and other sedimentary rocks. During the late Cretaceous, a volcanic arc west of the region deposited fine grained ash which later formed into bentonite, an important mineral resource.

From the end of the Mesozoic to present, the region went through a series of uplifts and erosional sequences. A mountain-building episode known as the Laramide orogeny started to uplift western North America 65 million years ago and eventually formed the ancestral Rocky Mountains. This cycle of uplift and erosion left behind one of the most complete non-marine Cenozoic rock sequences found in North America. Conglomerate rocks composed of quartzite and interspersed with mudstone and sandstones were deposited during erosion from a now vanished mountain range which existed to the northwest of the current Teton Range. These deposits also have trace quantities of gold and mercury. During the Eocene and Oligocene, volcanic eruptions from the ancestral Absaroka Range buried the region under various volcanic deposits. Sedimentary basins developed in the region due to drop faulting, creating an ancestral Jackson Hole and by the Pliocene (10 million years ago), an ancestral Jackson Lake known as Teewinot Lake. During the Quaternary, landslides, erosion and glacial activity deposited soils and rock debris throughout the Snake River valley of Jackson Hole and left behind terminal moraines which impound the current lakes. The most recent example of rapid alteration to the landscape occurred in 1925 just east of the park, when the Gros Ventre landslide was triggered by spring melt from a heavy snowpack as well as heavy rain.

Ecology

Flora

Low Larkspur is one of over a hundred flower species found in the park

Grand Teton National Park and the surrounding region host over 1000 species of vascular plants. With an altitude variance of over 7,000 ft (2,100 m), the park has a number of different ecological zones including alpine tundra, the Rocky Mountains subalpine zone where Spruce-fir forests are dominate, and the valley floor, where a mixed conifer and deciduous forest zone occupies regions with better soils intermixed with sagebrush plains atop alluvial deposits. Additionally, wetlands near some lakes and in the valley floor adjacent to rivers and streams cover large expanses, especially along the Snake River near Oxbow Bend near Moran and Willow Flats near the Jackson Lake Lodge. Altitude, available soils, wildfire incidence, avalanches and human activities have a direct impact on the types of plant species in an immediate area. Where these various niches overlap is known as an ecotone.

The range of altitude in Grand Teton National Park impacts the types of plant species found at various elevations. In the alpine zone above the tree line, which in Grand Teton National Park is at approximately 10,000 ft (3,000 m), tundra conditions prevail. In this treeless region, hundreds of species of grass, wildflower, moss and lichen are found. In the subalpine region from the treeline to the base of the mountains, Whitebark Pine, Limber Pine, Subalpine fir, and Engelmann Spruce are dominate. In the valley floor, Lodgepole Pine is most common but Rocky Mountain Douglas-fir, and Blue Spruce inhabit drier areas, while aspen, cottonwood, alder, and willow are more commonly found around lakes, streams and wetlands. However, the tablelands above the Snake River channel are mostly sagebrush plains and in terms of acreage is the most widespread habitat in the park. The sagebrush plains or flats have 100 species of grasses and wildflowers. Slightly more elevated sections of the plains of the northern sections of Jackson Hole form forest islands with one such obvious example being Timbered Island. In this ecotone, forested islands surrounded by sagebrush expanses provide shelter for various animal species during the day and nearby grasses for night time foraging.

The purple colored cones of the Whitebark Pine protect seeds that are an important food source to a number of species

While the flora of Grand Teton National Park is considered to be generally healthy, the Whitebark Pine, and to a lesser degree the Lodgepole Pine, are considered at risk. In the case of the Whitebark Pine, an invasive species of fungus known as White Pine Blister Rust, weakens the Whitebark Pine, making it more susceptible to destruction from endemic mountain pine beetles. Whitebark Pines generally thrive at elevations above 8,000 ft (2,400 m) and produce large seeds that are high in fat content and an important food source for various species such as the grizzly bear, red squirrel and the Clark's Nutcracker. The species is considered to be a keystone and a foundation species; keystone in that its "ecological role (is) disproportionately large relative to its abundance" and foundation in that it has an paramount role that "defines ecosystem structure, function, and process". Whitebark Pine has generally had a lower incidence of blister rust infection throughout the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem than in other regions such as Glacier National Park and the Cascade Range. The incidence of blister rust on Whitebark Pines in Yellowstone National Park is slightly lower than in Grand Teton. Though blister rust is not in itself the cause of increased mortality, its weakening effect on trees allows native pine beetles to more easily infest the trees, increasing mortality. While general practice in National Parks is to allow nature to take its course, the alarming trend of increased disease and mortality of the vital Whitebark Pine trees has sparked a collaborative effort amongst various government entities to intervene to protect the species.

Fauna

See also: Mammals of Grand Teton National Park

Sixty-one species of mammals have been recorded in Grand Teton National Park. This includes the wolves which had been extirpated from the region by the mid 1900s, but migrations into the Grand Teton National Park after the reintroduction of the species into adjacent Yellowstone National Park, ensured virtually every indigenous mammal species now exists in the park. Additionally, though not native to the immediate region, the mountain goat is considered an accidental species because it has only been reported once or twice. Of the larger mammals the most commonly found are the elk, which exist in the thousands. Their migration route between the National Elk Refuge and Yellowstone National Park is through Grand Teton, so while easily seen anytime of the year, they are most numerous in the spring and fall. Other ungulates include bison and pronghorn, which is the fastest land mammal in the western hemisphere, and are commonly found throughout Jackson Hole as are moose, which tend to stay near waterways and wetlands. Between 100–125 bighorn sheep generally dwell in the alpine and rocky zones of the peaks. Male bighorns can weigh up to 300 pounds (140 kg) including horns they never shed that weigh as much as 40 pounds (18 kg); yet their concave hoofs and tremendous strength help provide sure footing over rocky terrain.

Moose near Leigh Lake

In addition to gray wolves, another 17 species of carnivores reside within Grand Teton National Park including both grizzlies and the more commonly seen American black bear. Relatively common sightings of coyote, river otter, marten and badger and occasional sightings of mountain lion, lynx and wolverine are reported annually. Other mammal species include yellow-bellied marmot, least chipmunk, muskrat, beaver, uinta ground squirrel, pika, snowshoe hare, porcupine, and six species of bats.

Over 300 species of birds have been sighted in the park including the Calliope Hummingbird, which is the smallest bird species in North America as well as the Trumpeter Swan, which is the largest waterfowl and is commonly seen in the Oxbow Bend area of the Snake River. Both Bald and Golden Eagles and other birds of prey such as the Osprey, Red-tailed Hawk, Kestral and even occasional sightings of Peregrine Falcon have been reported. Of the 14 species of owls reported, the most common is the Great Horned Owl, though the Boreal Owl and Great Grey Owl are also seen occasionally. In addition to Trumpeter Swans, another 30 species of waterfowl have been recorded including Blue-winged Teal, Common Merganser, American Wigeon and the colorful but reclusive Harlequin Duck which is occasionally spotted in Cascade Canyon. A dozen species of woodpeckers have been reported, as have a similar number of species of warblers, plovers and gulls. The vocal and gregarious Black-billed Magpie frequents campgrounds while the Steller's Jay and Clark's Nutcracker are more commonly found in the backcountry. The sage covered plains of Jackson Hole are favored areas for Sage Grouse, Brewer's Sparrow and Sage Thrashers, while the wetlands are frequented by Great Blue Heron, American White Pelican, Sandhill Crane and on rare occasions it's endangered relative, the Whooping Crane.

Snake River fine-spotted cutthroat trout has tiny black spots over most of its body

The Snake River fine-spotted cutthroat trout (or Snake River Cutthroat Trout) is the only native trout species in Grand Teton National Park. It is also the only subspecies of cutthroat trout that is exclusively native to large streams and rivers. Various researchers have not been able to identify any genetic differences between the Snake River fine-spotted cutthroat trout and the Yellowstone cutthroat trout, though in terms of appearances the Snake River subspecies has much smaller spots which cover a greater portion of the body and the two subspecies inhabit different ecological niches. The Snake River fine-spotted cutthroat trout was identified by some researchers as a separate subspecies by the mid 1990s, and is managed as a distinct subspecies by the state of Wyoming, but is not yet recognized as such by the neighboring states of Idaho and Montana. Snake River fine-spotted cutthroat trout is found only in the Snake River and tributaries below the Jackson Lake dam to the Palisades Reservoir in Idaho. Other species of trout such as the rainbow trout and lake trout were all introduced and today a total of five trout species inhabit park waters. Native species of fish also include the mountain whitefish, longnose dace, mountain sucker and nonnative species include the Utah chub and arctic grayling.

Grand Teton National Park has four species of reptiles such as the wandering garter snake and the less commonly seen valley garter snake and rubber boa, and one lizard species, the sagebrush lizard, that was only first reported in 1992. None of the species are poisonous. Though the park is located at high altitudes and has a cold climate that is generally inhospitable to most amphibian species, six species have been documented including the Columbia Spotted Frog, Boreal Chorus Frog, Tiger Salamander and the increasingly rare Boreal Toad and Northern Leopard Frog. A sixth amphibian species, the bullfrog, was introduced. An estimated 10,000 insect species probably frequent the park, they pollinate plants, provide a food source for birds, fish, mammals and other animals, and help in the decomposition of wood. In one example of the importance of insects to the ecosystem, swarms of Army Cutworm Moths die in huge numbers after mating and provide a high fat and protein diet for bears and other predators. One study concluded that when this moth species is most available, bears consume 40,000 moths per day which is roughly 20,000 kcal/day.

Grand Teton National Park is the only U.S. National Park that allows hunting of an animal; in this instance the animal is the elk. This provision was incorporated into law when the Jackson Hole National Monument and the Grand Teton National Park were combined in 1950. While some National Parks in Alaska permit subsistence hunting by indigenous natives and a few other National Park Service managed areas allow hunting under highly regulated circumstances, this is an otherwise unique policy. The annual elk hunt in Grand Teton is a highly regulated enterprise and only permitted in areas east of the Snake River, while north of Moran, Wyoming, the hunt is permitted east U.S. Route 89. Proponents of continuing the elk hunt claim that the elk herd would become overpopulated, leading to vegetation degradation from overgrazing elk herds. Opponents cite that there has been an increase of predators in Grand Teton National Park such as the wolf and grizzly, rendering the annual hunt unnecessary and potentially more dangerous, since both of these predators are becoming accustomed to feeding on elk carcasses and remains left behind from the hunt.

Fire ecology

A forest fire near Beaver Creek

The role of wildfire is an important one for plant and animal species diversity. Many tree species have evolved to mainly germinate after a wildfire. Regions of the park that have experienced wildfire in historical times have a higher incidence of species diversity after reestablishment than those regions that have not been influenced by fire. Though the Yellowstone fires of 1988 had minimal impact on Grand Teton National Park, studies conducted before and reaffirmed after that event concluded than the suppression of natural wildfires during the middle part of the 20th century adversely impacted plant species diversity and natural regeneration of plant communities. One study conducted 15 years before the 1988 Yellowstone National Park fires concluded that human suppression of wildfire had adversely impacted Aspen tree groves and other forest types. The majority of conifer species in Grand Teton National Park are heavily dependent on wildfire and this is particularly true of the Lodgepole Pine. Though extremely hot canopy or crown fires tend to kill Lodgepole Pine seeds, lower severity surface fires usually result in a higher post wildfire regeneration of this species. In accordance with a better understanding of the role wildfire plays in the environment, the National Park Service and other land management agencies have developed Fire Management Plans which provide a strategy for wildfire management and are expected to best enhance the natural ecosytem.

Climate

Grand Teton National Park has a semi-arid climate with the wettest months between November and January, mostly in the form of snow. The park averages 450 inches (1,100 cm) of snow in the mountains and 191 inches (490 cm) in the valley annually. In January, the daily temperature range averages between 26 °F (−3 °C) during the day to 1 °F (−17 °C) at night. During the month of July, the daily temperature range is 80 °F (27 °C) and 41 °F (5 °C). The record high is 93 °F (34 °C) and the record low is −66 °F (−54 °C). Temperatures above the valley in the mountains during the summer average 1 degree cooler for every 1,000 ft (300 m) of altitude gained, so high altitude passes may remain snow covered until mid-July. Thunderstorms are common during the summer, especially over the mountains, however no tornados have ever been reported within the park. The F4 Teton-Yellowstone tornado was a high altitude tornado which touched down northeast of the park on the border of the Teton Wilderness of Bridger-Teton National Forest and Yellowstone National Park.

Air and water quality

Grand Teton National Park is more than 100 mi (160 km) air distance from any major urban or industrial area, and localized human activities have generally had a very low environmental impact on the surrounding region. However, levels of ammonium and nitrogen have been trending slightly upwards due to deposition from rain and snow and is believed to originate from regional agricultural activities. Additionally, there has also been a slight increase in mercury and pesticides that have been detected in snow and some alpine lakes. Ozone and haze may be impacting overall visibility levels. Grand Teton National Park, in partnership with other agencies, erected the first air quality monitoring station in the park in 2011. The station is designed to check for various pollutants as well as ozone levels and weather.

A study released in 2005 which had researched the water quality of Jackson, Jenny and Taggart Lakes indicated that all three of these lakes had virtually pristine water quality. Of the three lakes, only on Taggart Lake are motorized boats prohibited, yet little difference in water quality was detected on the three lakes studied. In a study published in 2002, the Snake River was found to have better overall water quality than other river systems located in Wyoming, and is considered to have experienced virtually no anthropogenic caused water quality impacts.

Recreation

Mountaineering

Perhaps the earliest form of recreation done in the Teton region was mountaineering. During the last 25 years of the 19th century, the peaks of the Tetons beckoned explorers looking for adventure as well as those seeking the opportunity to claim first ascents of the jagged peaks. However, Caucasian explorers probably weren't the first to climb many of the peaks and the earliest first ascent of even the formidable Grand Teton itself may have been achieved long before written history could document it. Native American relics remain including The Enclosure, an obviously man–made structure that is located about 530 ft (160 m) below the summit of Grand Teton at a point near the Upper Saddle (13,160 ft (4,010 m)). Nathaniel P. Langford and James Stevenson, both members of the Hayden Geological Survey of 1871, found The Enclosure during their early attempt to summit Grand Teton in 1872. Stevenson believed the granite slaps of The Enclosure had been set upright in a circular pattern for ceremonial purposes such as an altar. Langford and Stevenson are believed to have only climbed to the location of The Enclosure, even though some believe they made the first ascent to the summit. The first ascent of Grand Teton that is substantiated was made by William O. Owen, Frank Petersen, John Shive and Franklin Spencer Spalding on August 11, 1898. Owen had made several previous attempts on the peak and after publishing several accounts of this first ascent, discredited any claim that Langford and Stevenson had ever reached beyond The Enclosure in 1872. The disagreement over which party first reached the top of Grand Teton may be the greatest controversy in the history of American mountaineering. After 1898 no other ascents of Grand Teton were recorded until 1923. By the mid 1930s, more than a dozen different climbing routes had been established on Grand Teton including the northeast ridge in 1931 by Glenn Exum. Glenn Exum teamed up with another noted climber named Paul Petzoldt to found the Exum Mountain Guides in 1931. Of the other major peaks on the Teton Range, all were climbed by the late 1930s including Mount Moran in 1922 and a successful summit of Mount Owen in 1930 by Fritiof Fryxell and others after numerous previous attempts had failed. Both Middle and South Teton were first climbed on the same day, August 29, 1923, by a group of climbers led by Albert R. Ellingwood.

By the mid 1930s, new routes on the peaks were explored as safety equipment and skills improved and eventually climbs rated at above 5.9 on the Yosemite Decimal System difficulty scale were established on Grand Teton. The classic climb following the route first followed by Owen known as the Owen-Spalding Route is rated at 5.4 due a combination of concerns beyond the gradient alone. Other peaks such as Mount Moran and Mount Owen are both considered more difficult to climb overall than Grand Teton even though they are lower in elevation. By the 1980s, rock climbing had become a popular activity in the park. Extremely difficult cliffs were explored including some in Cascade and Death Canyons and by 2000, more than 800 different climbing routes had been established on the various peaks. Climbers do not need a permit to climb and are not required to register, but are encouraged to do so voluntarily. The Exum Mountain Guides, which are considered one of the finest mountaineering guide services in the U.S., as well as the Jackson Hole Mountain Guides, offer instruction and climbing escorts for a fee. Any climb requiring an overnight stay in the backcountry does require a free permit.

Camping and hiking

See also: List of hiking trails in Grand Teton National Park

Hiker crosses snowfield enroute to Paintbrush Divide

Grand Teton National Park has five front country vehicular access campgrounds including the Colter Bay and Gros Ventre campgrounds which can accommodate large recreational vehicles and each have 350 campsites. Lizard Creek and Signal Mountain campgrounds do not permit vehicles over 30 ft (9.1 m) and have 60 and 86 campsites respectively. The smaller Jenny Lake campground has only 49 sites, all reserved solely for tent camping and vehicles are limited to 14 ft (4.3 m). Additionally, full hookup for recreational vehicles can be found at the concessionaire managed 112 campsites at Colter Bay and another 100 at Flagg Ranch in the John D. Rockefeller Memorial Parkway. Though all front country campgrounds are only open from late spring to late fall, primitive winter camping is permitted at Colter Bay near the visitor center.

Additional camping can be found outside the park and are managed by private entities or by the U.S. Forest Service. Any campsite accessible only on foot or by horseback is considered backcountry camping and is available by permit but camping is allowed in most of these backcountry zones year round. The National Park Service has a combination of specific sites and zones to accommodate backcountry camping with a set carrying capacity of overnight stays per zone to protect the resources from overcrowding. One third of these backcountry camping areas can be reserved well in advance of the upcoming summer season while the rest are on a first come first served basis. Open fires are not permitted in the backcountry and all food must be stored in a Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee approved bear-resistant container. As of 2012, only four brands of bear-resistant containers had been approved for use in the Grand Teton National Park backcountry. Additionally, hikers may use an approved bear spray to elude aggressive bears.

There are 200 mi (320 km) of hiking trails in Grand Teton National Park ranging in difficulty rated from easy to strenuous. The easiest hiking trails are located in the valley, where the altitude changes are generally minimal. In the vicinity of Colter Bay Village, the Hermitage Point Trail is 9.4 mi (15.1 km) long and considered easy. Several other trails link Hermitage Point with Emma Matilda Lake and Two Ocean Lake Trails, also considered to be relatively easy hikes in the Jackson Lake Lodge area. Other easy hikes include the Valley Trail which runs from Trapper Lake in the north to the south park boundary near Teton Village and the Jenny Lake Trail which circles the lake. Ranging from moderate to strenuous in difficulty, trails leading into the canyons are rated based on distance and more importantly on the amount of elevation change. The greatest elevation change is found on the Paintbrush Canyon, Alaska Basin and Garnet Canyon Trails, where elevation increases of over 4,000 ft (1,200 m) are typical. Hikers should be prepared to share some trails with horses as they and pack animals are permitted on almost all trails in the park. However, there are only five designated backcountry camping locations for pack animals and these campsites are far from the high mountain passes. Bicycles are limited to vehicle roadways only and the park has widened some roads to provide a safer biking experience.

Boating and fishing

Boats anchored at the Colter Bay Marina

Grand Teton has numerous boating opportunities on the valley lakes. Several concessionaries provide boat rentals and guided sightseeing tours and fishing trips for a fee. Motorized boats are only permitted on Jackson and Jenny Lakes. While there is no maximum horsepower limit on Jackson Lake (though there is a noise restriction), Jenny Lake is restricted to 10 horsepower. Only non-motorized boats are permitted on Bearpaw, Bradley, Emma Matilda, Leigh, Phelps, String, Taggart and Two Ocean Lakes. There are four designated boat launches located on Jackson Lake and one on Jenny Lake. Additionally, sailboats, windsurfers and water skiing are only allowed on Jackson Lake and no jet skis are permitted on any of the parks waterways. All boats are required to comply with various safety regulations including personal flotation devices for each passenger. Only non-motorized watercraft are permitted on the Snake River and guided trips are also available. All other waterways in the park are off limits to boating, and this includes all alpine lakes and tributary streams of the Snake River.

In 2010, Grand Teton National Park also started requiring all boats to display an Aquatic Invasive Species decal issued by the Wyoming Game and Fish Department or a Yellowstone National Park boat permit. In an effort to keep the park waterways free of various invasive species such as the Zebra mussel and whirling disease, boaters are expected to abide by certain regulations including displaying a self certification of compliance on the dashboard of any vehicle attached to an empty boat trailer.

A Wyoming state fishing license is required to fish all waterways in Grand Teton National Park. The license can be purchased at several places within the park and the permits are sold for yearly or one day access. The creel limit for trout is restricted to six per day, including no more than three cutthroat trout with none longer than 12 in (300 mm), while the maximum length of other trout species may not exceed 20 in (510 mm), except those taken from Jackson Lake, where the maximum allowable length is 24 in (610 mm). There are also restrictions as to the seasonal accessibility to certain areas as well as the types of bait and fishing tackle permitted.

Winter activities

Middle Teton and Grand Teton in the winter

Visitors are allowed to snowshoe and do cross-country skiing and are not restricted to trails. The Teton Park Road between the Taggart Lake trailhead to Signal Mountain Campground is closed to vehicular traffic during the winter and this section of the road is groomed for skiing and showshoeing traffic. The park service offers guided snowshoe tours daily from the main headquarters located in Moose, Wyoming. Overnight camping is allowed in the winter in the backcountry with a permit and visitors should inquire about avalanche dangers.

The only location in Grand Teton National Park where snowmobiles are permitted is on Jackson Lake. The National Park Service requires that all snowmobiles use "Best Available Technology" (BAT) and lists various models of snowmobiles that are permitted, all of which are deemed to provide the least amount of air pollution and maximize noise abatement. All snowmobiles must be less than 10 years old and have odometer readings of less than 6,000 mi (9,700 km). Additionally, snowmobile use is for the purposes of accessing ice fishing locations only. Snowmobile access was permitted between Moran Junction and Flagg Ranch adjacent to the John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway so that travelers using the Continental Divide Snowmobile Trail could traverse between Bridger-Teton National Forest and Yellowstone National Park. However in 2009, winter use planners closed this since unguided snowmobile access into Yellowstone National Park was also discontinued.

Tourism

Visitor centers

Craig Thomas Discovery & Visitor Center in Moose, Wyoming

The Craig Thomas Discovery and Visitor Center adjacent to the park headquarters at Moose, Wyoming, is open year round. Opened in 2007 to replace an old and inadequate visitor center, the Craig Thomas facility was built with a combination of federal grants and private donations. Fund raising efforts for an adjoining 154 seat auditorium were nearing completion as of 2011. To the north at Colter Bay Village on Jackson Lake, the Colter Bay Visitor Center & Indian Arts Museum is open from the beginning of May to the early October. The Colter Bay Visitor Center & Indian Arts Museum has housed the David T. Vernon Indian Arts Exhibit, which included a number of historically significant Native American flutes. The David T. Vernon Indian Arts Collection was removed from the facility at the close of the season in 2011 as plans are made to possibly build a new facility.

The Colter Bay Visitor Center was built in 1956 and the David T. Vernon collection has been housed in the facility since 1972. The facility at Colter Bay no longer meets the standards for the proper care and display of the Indian arts collection, but once an appropriate facility is constructed, the exhibits will be returned to the park.

South of Moose on the Moose–Wilson Road, the Laurance S. Rockefeller Preserve Center is located on land that was privately owned by Laurance S. Rockefeller and is situated on Phelps Lake. Donated to Grand Teton National Park and opened to the public in 2008, the property was once part of the JY Ranch, the first dude ranch in Jackson Hole. At Jenny Lake, the Jenny Lake Visitor Center is open from mid–May to mid–September. This visitor center is within the Jenny Lake Ranger Station Historic District and is the same structure photographer Harrison Crandall had constructed as an art studio in the 1920s.

Accommodations

Signal Mountain Lodge

Under license agreement through the National Park Service, various concessionaire entities manage lodging facilities inside the park. The largest such facility is the Jackson Lake Lodge which is managed by the Grand Teton Lodge Company. Located near Jackson Lake Dam, the Jackson Lake Lodge has a total of 385 rooms, meeting facilities, a retail shop and a restaurant. The Grand Teton Lodge Company also manages the Jenny Lake Lodge which consists of exclusive cabins and a restaurant. At Colter Bay Village they oversee numerous tourism related facilities including cabins, a restaurant, a grocery store, a laundry and a marina. South of Jackson Lake Dam the Signal Mountain Lodge is managed by Forever Resorts and provides cabins, a marina, a gas station and a restaurant. The American Alpine Club offers basic hostel dormitory style accommodations primarily reserved for mountain climbers at the Grand Teton Climber's Ranch. Adjacent to the Snake River in Moose, Wyoming, Dornans is an inholding on private land which has year round cabin accommodations and related facilities. Lodging is also available at the Triangle X Ranch, another private inholding in the park and the last remaining dude ranch within park boundaries.

External links

• Grand Teton National Park Official Website
• Grand Teton Association
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