Facts about Grand Teton National Park

The path to the creation of Grand Teton National Park was not a smooth one; in fact, it took over 50 years to create and define the borders of the present-day park. In contrast, the same process took only 2 years in the case of Yellowstone.

The formation of the park began as a suggestion around the turn of the 20th century to extend Yellowstone’s borders southward into Jackson Hole for the protection of migrating elk herds. The idea was kicked around for a couple of decades but never quite came to fruition – in 1919, the bill made it all the way to the Senate before it was defeated by a narrow margin.

The local folk, including ranchers and residents of the Jackson Hole area, were primarily against the infusion of government control over what they deemed to be their valley, and worried about the degradation of the region in the name of commercial interests. Horace Albright, the superintendent of Yellowstone at the time, held a meeting with in which he and the local citizenry devised the “Jackson Hole Plan” – the intention of the plan focused on raising enough money to buy land and protect the overall integrity of the area.

In 1929, the United States Congress passed a bill into law that would protect the Teton Range and the lakes at the base of the mountains. It was to be the first version of Grand Teton National Park – yet its borders did not encompass the valley floor, and the increasingly appreciated ecosystems around the town of Jackson Hole itself. It looked as though independently wealthy environmentalists would have to take care of the lower regions.

One such magnate came in the form of John D. Rockefeller, Jr. – who, in conjunction with Albright, began purchasing up land through an anonymous and private purchasing agent. In all, he bought over 35,000 acres around Jackson Hole, with the intention of expanding the park by donating land to the federal government.

Unfortunately, when the locals learned of Rockefeller’s intent they revolted with an onslaught of hostility, and effectively stalled the expansion through debate and public outcry. After 15 years of contention had passed, Rockefeller threatened to relieve himself of the responsibility of land ownership, and President Roosevelt answered the call by creating the 221,000 acre “Jackson Hole National Monument”.

Soon the economic benefits of tourists became evident to the local population, and after World War II opposition to the federal intervention died down considerably. In 1950, Congress merged the park and the monument to create Grand Teton National Park - with the borders we are familiar with today.

A memorial parkway, in the name of John D. Rockefeller, Jr., was established in 1972 to honor his efforts in the formation of the park. The parkway consists of over 23,000 acres that connect the Yellowstone and Grand Teton parks.

Despite a rocky (no pun intended) start, the formation of the park resulted in the ensured protection of the area around Jackson Hole and has created one of the most popular tourist destinations in the country. Visit us and stay in one of our vacation rentals near the mountains. You’ll quickly see what all of the fuss was about.