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Bears are active in Grand Teton
Black and grizzly bears are roaming throughout the park--near roads, trails and in backcountry areas. Hikers and backcountry users are advised to travel in groups of three or more, make noise and carry bear spray. Visitors must stay 100 yards from bears. More »
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Area closure in the area around Baxter's Pinnacle
An area closure is in effect around Baxter's Pinnacle to protect nesting peregrine falcons. This closure precludes any climbs of Baxter's Pinnacle and usage of the walk-off gully. This closure will be in effect through 8-15-2013. More »
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Area Closure in effect in the Elk Ranch area
A temporary area closure is in effect in the Elk Ranch Area to protect wildlife during the denning and young-rearing period. Follow the link for a map of the closed area. More »
Museums for the Parks - Countdown: 18 Days
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August 07, 2012
In 1924, when John D. Rockefeller, Jr. and his sons toured Mesa Verde, Yellowstone, and Glacier National Parks, the National Park Service was only eight years old. Much had been accomplished - improved roads, better accommodations, a growing group of loyal and educated Park Rangers - but the interpretive program planned by NPS Director Stephen Mather was only just developing.
After Rockefeller and his sons received a personal tour of Mesa Verde National Park by Superintendent Jesse Nusbaum, Rockefeller wanted to support interpretive and educational programs throughout the National Parks. In addition to funding a museum at Mesa Verde, Rockefeller funded other museums in the new National Park System through the Laura Spelman Rockefeller Memorial, a foundation established by John D. Rockefeller, Sr. in memory of his wife. In 1923 the Laura Spelman Rockefeller Memorial gave the American Association of Museums funding to oversee the building of a new Yosemite museum, designed by Herbert Maier. In addition, grants from the Laura Spelman Rockefeller Memorial also funded the Yavapai Observation Station on the south rim of the Grand Canyon.
In 1928 the Rockefeller Memorial contributed $118,000 for four museums in Yellowstone National Park at Old Faithful, Fishing Bridge, Norris Geyser Basin, and Madison. These museums became landmarks of the National Park Service 'rustic style' and served as models for other hundreds of buildings under the auspices of the National Park Service. Equally important, the buildings served as some of the first "trailside museums," where visitors could receive orientation to an area through the National Park Service's interpretive programs. For both architectural and educational reasons, these buildings play an important role in the history of the National Park Service.
-DL Sources: (1) Newhall, Nancy. "A Contribution to the Heritage of Every American." New York: Alfred Knopf Publishing. 1957. (2) Architecture in the Parks: A National Historic Landmark Theme Study http://www.nps.gov/history/history/online_books/harrison/harrisont.htm |
Did You Know?
Did you know that lodgepole pine trees grow on glacial moraines in Jackson Hole? Glacial moraines are ridges of rocky debris left behind as Ice Age glaciers melted. The soil on these ridges retains moisture and is more hospitable to trees than the cobbly, porous soil on the outwash plain.