Welcome back to National Parks and other public lands with T!

Wyoming 2023 Trip➤

In September of 2023, my husband I set out to explore some National Park units in the state of Wyoming. We visited Yellowstone, Grand Teton National Park, The John D. Rockefeller Parkway, and Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area. Just outside of Grand Teton National Park, we visited the National Elk Refuge.

Grand Teton National Park➤

The Tetons are the youngest of all the mountain ranges in the Rocky Mountain chain. Most other mountains in the region are at least 50 million years old but the Tetons are less than 10 million and are still rising. The Jackson Hole valley is of the same age and continues to sink. The tallest peaks tower almost 7,000 feet above the valley floor, already at an elevation of about 6800 feet. With no foothills, the resulting landscape is dramatic and breathtaking.

In the 1920s, John D. Rockefeller Jr. agreed to acquire thousands of acres around Jackson Hole, Wyoming, and then donate this land to the government for a national park. At the urging of Horace Albright, then director of the National Park Service, Rockefeller formed a company called the Snake River Land Company to buy up property around the Snake River in secret. Rockefeller wanted to keep his name out of it to keep the price lower.

Meanwhile, in 1929, President Calvin Coolidge signed the act creating Grand Teton National Park, at half its present size. The park only protected the Teton Range and 6 lakes at the foot of the mountains. Rockefeller encountered resistance from locals when he tried to donate his land to expand the park.

In 1943, Rockefeller told President Franklin Delano Roosevelt he would sell to the highest bidder if the government didn’t use his land for the park. Roosevelt used the Antiquities Act and declared additional land in the valley to be Jackson Hole National Monument. The two units were combined to become the present Grand Teton National Park in 1950.

The National Elk Refuge➤

The National Elk Refuge in Jackson, Wyoming, has been a wildlife sanctuary since 1912, offering crucial winter habitat for thousands of elk migrating from Grand Teton and Yellowstone. Created to address the challenges of harsh winters and human development encroaching on traditional elk wintering grounds, this 24,700-acre refuge plays a vital role in supporting one of the largest elk herds in North America.

Each winter, thousands of elk migrate here from Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks, where supplemental feeding helps them survive the freezing months. This practice not only sustains the herd but also helps minimize conflicts with local ranches and protects nearby farmland from damage. While the elk retreat to higher elevations during summer, we still decided to visit since the refuge was right across the street from our hotel.

We started at the visitor center, where we explored exhibits, watched an educational film, and walked out to the observation blinds overlooking the valley. Even without the elk, the refuge’s vast landscape and variety of wildlife made the visit worthwhile. Later, from Snow King Mountain, we enjoyed a stunning bird’s-eye view of the refuge, appreciating just how much space this area provides for the animals that call it home during the harsher months.

Grand Teton Posts➤

• Snake River Overlook
• Lakeshore Trail
• Jackson Lake
• Oxbow Bend
• Schwabacher Landing
• Jenny Lake
• Teton Wildlife Sunset Tour
• Signal Mountain
• Hidden Falls
• Mormon Row
• National Elk Refuge
• Taggart Lake
• Chapel of the Transfiguration
• Menors Ferry Historic District
• Jackson National Fish Hatchery

---

Location: 675 E Broadway Ave, Jackson, Wyoming
Designation: National Wildlife Refuge
Date designated/established: 1912
Date of my visit: September 30, 2023