Grand Teton National Park is an American national park in northwestern Wyoming. At approximately 310,000 acres (1,300 km2), the park includes the major peaks of the 40-mile-long (64 km) Teton Range as well as most of the northern sections of the valley known as Jackson Hole. Grand Teton National Park is only 10 miles (16 km) south of Yellowstone National Park, to which it is connected by the National Park Service–managed John D. Rockefeller Jr. Memorial Parkway. Along with surrounding national forests, these three protected areas constitute the almost 18-million-acre (73,000-square-kilometer) Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, one of the world's largest intact mid-latitude temperate ecosystems.
The Teton Range is a mountain range of the Rocky Mountains in North America. It extends for approximately 40 miles (64 km) in a north–south direction through the U.S. state of Wyoming, east of the Idaho state line. It is south of Yellowstone National Park, and most of the east side of the range is within Grand Teton National Park.
The geology of the Grand Teton area consists of some of the oldest rocks and one of the youngest mountain ranges in North America. The Teton Range, partly located in Grand Teton National Park, started to grow some 9 million years ago. An older feature, Jackson Hole, is a basin that sits aside the range.
Jenny Lake is located in Grand Teton National Park in the U.S. state of Wyoming. The lake was formed approximately 12,000 years ago by glaciers pushing rock debris which carved Cascade Canyon during the last glacial maximum, forming a terminal moraine which now impounds the lake. The lake is estimated to be 256 feet (78 m) deep and encompasses 1,191 acres (482 ha). Jenny Lake is considered to be a major focal point in Grand Teton National Park, with many hiking trails, scenic boat rides, and quick access to the major climbing routes onto the tallest peaks of the Teton Range.
Middle Teton is the third-highest peak in the Teton Range, in the U.S. state of Wyoming. Located within Grand Teton National Park, the peak is immediately southwest of Grand Teton, from which it is separated by a broad high ridge at 11,600 feet (3,540 m), known to local climbers as the Lower Saddle. The Middle Teton Glacier is located on the eastern slopes of the peak.
Teewinot Mountain is the sixth highest peak in the Teton Range, Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming. The name of the mountain is derived from the Shoshoni word meaning "many pinnacles". The peak is northeast of the Grand Teton, and the two are separated from one another by the Teton Glacier and Mount Owen. Teewinot Mountain rises more than 5,500 feet (1,700 m) above Jenny Lake. The 40 miles (64 km) long Teton Range is the youngest mountain chain in the Rocky Mountains, and began their uplift 9 million years ago, during the Miocene. Several periods of glaciation have carved Teewinot Mountain and the other peaks of the range into their current shapes. Broken Falls is one of the tallest cascades in Grand Teton National Park and descends 300 feet (91 m) down the eastern slopes of Teewinot Mountain.
Cascade Canyon is located in Grand Teton National Park, in the U.S. state of Wyoming. The canyon was formed by glaciers which retreated at the end of the last glacial maximum approximately 15,000 years ago. Today, Cascade Canyon has numerous polished glacial erratics, hanging cirques and a U-shape as evidences that demonstrate that glaciers once filled the canyon to a depth of at least 2,000 feet (610 m). Rock debris that was transported out of the canyon by glacial motion formed moraines which now impound the waters of Jenny Lake which is located at the base of the canyon. Cascade Creek now flows where the glaciers once did and the numerous waterfalls, such as the 100-foot (30 m) tall Hidden Falls, found within the gorge are popular destinations with tourists.
Teepe Pillar is located in the Teton Range, Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming, immediately south of Grand Teton. The peak is the seventh highest in the Teton Range. Teepe Pillar is separated from Grand Teton by a col which drops sharply to the east and west. Northeast of and well below the summit, the Teepe Glacier is situated in a cirque. From Jackson Hole, Teepe Pillar is difficult to observe except from the northeast as it is hidden from view by Disappointment Peak.
Buck Mountain is a mountain located in the Teton Range, Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming, immediately southeast of Grand Teton.
Teton Glacier is a mountain glacier located below the north face of Grand Teton in Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming, United States. Its neighbors are Mount Owen to the west and Teewinot Mountain to the north. Teton Glacier is the largest of the twelve named glaciers in the park. In 1971, the glacier was approximately 3,500 ft (1,100 m) long and 1,100 ft (340 m) wide. Between 1967 and 2006, Teton Glacier lost approximately 14 to 20 percent of its surface area, a reduction from 64 to 53 acres.
Teepe Glacier is below the northeast face of Teepe Pillar in Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming, United States. The glacier is immediately southeast of Grand Teton in the heart of the Cathedral Group collection of high peaks in the Teton Range. Between 1967 and 2006, Teepe Glacier lost approximately 60 percent of its surface area, shrinking from 13 to 5 acres.
Paintbrush Canyon is located in Grand Teton National Park, in the U. S. state of Wyoming. The canyon was formed by glaciers which retreated at the end of the last glacial maximum approximately 15,000 years ago. The canyon lies between Rockchuck Peak and Mount Saint John to the south and Mount Woodring to the north. Leigh Lake is at the base of the canyon to the east and the alpine Holly Lake is located mid canyon. Popular with hikers, the canyon is part of a popular circuit hike of 19.2 miles (30.9 km) which is rated as very strenuous and includes a total elevation change of 3,845 feet (1,172 m) due to the ascent to Paintbrush Divide 10,720 feet (3,270 m). Views from Paintbrush Divide include Lake Solitude and of Mount Moran to the north and the Cathedral Group including Grand Teton to the south. An ice axe may be necessary for hikes in the early summer. The Paintbrush Canyon Trail is part of the Teton Crest Trail, which spans the southern section of the Teton Range from Teton Pass along Wyoming Highway 22 to String Lake, a total distance of 39 miles (63 km).
The canyons of the Teton Range lie almost entirely within Grand Teton National Park in the U.S. state of Wyoming. Ranging from 9 miles (14 km) to less than 1 mile (1.6 km) in length and up to 6,000 feet (1,800 m) deep, the canyons were carved primarily by glaciers over the past 250,000 years. The canyons in the Teton Range descend in altitude generally west to east and many have lakes at their outlets. The lakes were created by terminal moraines left behind by the now retreated glaciers. A few of the canyons have small glaciers that were created mostly during the Little Ice Age (1550-1850). Fast retreating Schoolroom Glacier is a tiny glacier located at the head of the South Cascade Canyon. Most of the canyons have streams from which rain and snowmelt flow towards Jackson Hole valley, and due to the sometimes rapid altitude descent, waterfalls are common. The canyons offer the easiest hiking access into the Teton Range.
Waterfalls Canyon is located in Grand Teton National Park, in the U. S. state of Wyoming. The canyon was formed by glaciers which retreated at the end of the last glacial maximum approximately 15,000 years ago, leaving behind a U-shaped valley. Waterfalls Canyon is south of Ranger Peak and north of Eagles Rest Peak and the entrance to the canyon is along the western shore of Jackson Lake, directly across the lake from the Colter Bay Village. There are several cascades in the canyon, including Wilderness Falls and Columbine Cascade, which descend from an unnamed lake below Ranger Peak.
Snowshoe Canyon is located in Grand Teton National Park, in the U. S. state of Wyoming. The canyon was formed by glaciers which retreated at the end of the last glacial maximum approximately 15,000 years ago, leaving behind a U-shaped valley. Snowshoe Canyon splits into an upper and lower canyon. The source of the upper canyon is near Talus Lake while the south canyon is situated between Rolling Thunder Mountain to the north and Raynolds, Traverse and Bivouac Peaks to the south. Near the fork of north and south Snowshoe Canyon lies Dudley Lake. The canyon terminus is at Moran Bay on the southwest side of Jackson Lake, below Eagles Rest Peak.
The Teton Crest Trail is a 40-mile (64 km) long hiking trail in the U.S. state of Wyoming that extends from Phillips Pass, on the border of Bridger Teton and Caribou-Targhee National Forests, to String Lake in Grand Teton National Park. Backpacker Magazine calls the Trail one of the "Best Hikes Ever," with "mesmerizing and constant views of jagged peaks."
The Garnet Canyon Trail is a 4.8-mile (7.7 km) long hiking trail in Grand Teton National Park in the U.S. state of Wyoming. The trailhead is at the Lupine Meadows parking area and climbs steeply more than 2,500 feet (760 m) in just under 5 miles (8.0 km) into Garnet Canyon. At the 2-mile (3.2 km) point, the trail forks from the Amphitheater Lake Trail and heads south and then west into Garnet Canyon. Garnet Canyon is the most popular approach route for climbers attempting to summit not only Grand Teton but also Middle Teton, South Teton, Teepe Pillar and Disappointment Peak. Though the trail becomes unmaintained once it enters boulder fields at approximately the 9,500-foot (2,900 m) elevation point, climbers continue on to other destinations such as the Lower Saddle, a high altitude mountain pass situated between Middle and Grand Teton. The altitude gain from the Lupine Meadows trailhead to the Lower Saddle is nearly 5,000 feet (1,500 m).
The Cascade Canyon Trail is a 13.6-mile (21.9 km) round-trip long hiking trail in Grand Teton National Park in the U.S. state of Wyoming.
The following articles relate to the history, geography, geology, flora, fauna, structures and recreation in Grand Teton National Park.
There are 44 named and countless unnamed lakes in Grand Teton National Park. The largest of these is Jackson Lake, a natural glacial lake that has been enlarged with the construction of the Jackson Lake Dam. The lakes range in size as well as ease of access. In addition to mountain tarns, there are several large peidmont lakes. Nearly all the lakes are glacial in origin, formed by glacial action that carved out the valleys and left moraine behind that acted as dams to lock in water.
