Visitor Experience Initiative
The Foundation aims to enhance experiences for the park’s millions of annual visitors by funding programs that increase safety, improve access, and create opportunities so people enjoy their time spent in Grand Teton National Park. As millions of people continue to explore this incredible place every year, federal budgets have not kept pace and the park often struggles to keep up. It is now more important than ever to provide additional support to renew heavily used areas and increase safety for Grand Teton’s visitors.
Winter GroomingBack To Top
Grand Teton transforms during winter into a tranquil, sparkling wonderland. The Foundation funds bi-weekly grooming of the 14-mile stretch between Bradley-Taggart trailhead and Signal Mountain on the Teton Park Road. Regular grooming allows visitors to easily explore on Nordic skis, snowshoes, or foot to experience this special season in Grand Teton National Park.
Teton TrailsBack To Top
Glade Creek and Webb Canyon Trails
The northern Tetons are wild, with only a few trails providing access to the vast country on the west side of Jackson Lake. In 2016, the largest wildfire in park history wiped out much of the trail infrastructure that existed in the area—particularly on the Glade Creek and Webb Canyon trails. Anything made of wood—bridges, drain structures, small retaining walls, and more were completely destroyed. Trees that burned left large holes in the ground where roots smoldered, creating dangerous voids. Thousands of trees fell across paths and now tall snags threaten to do the same, making some areas impassable. In 2018, the Foundation will support work to repair the damage to these important trails, some of the few that provide access to the wildest and most remote parts of Grand Teton National Park.
Avalanche ForecastingBack To Top
Grand Teton National Park provides access to some of the best terrain in North America. The popularity of backcountry skiing and riding continues to increase in the Tetons—there are more and more users venturing into technical avalanche terrain each year.
In fall of 2018, the Foundation purchased two weather stations (wind and snow) that were placed in the Surprise Lake area of Grand Teton National Park. Data from these sensors supports the Bridger-Teton Avalanche Center’s daily forecast and provides skiers and riders with more information before entering the park’s backcountry.
The Foundation is also supporting a meteorological technician who assesses the snowpack and makes professional-level observations throughout Grand Teton National Park. The technician collaborates with Bridger-Teton Avalanche Center to create the daily forecast.
Be sure to visit http://jhavalanche.org/ for the most up-to-date information regarding avalanche conditions in the Teton Range.
