National Park Service LogoU.S. Department of the InteriorNational Park ServiceNational Park Service
National Park Service:  U.S. Department of the InteriorNational Park Service Arrowhead
Grand Teton National Park & John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial ParkwayStorm in the Tetons
view map
text size:largestlargernormal
printer friendly
Grand Teton National Park & John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway
Environmental Factors
 
heavy snowload creeps over the roof of the administration building in Moose.

On a sunny day the Tetons seem ageless and constant. Stand by a river during the spring run-off and listen to the clack as one stone tumbles over another. Hike a mountain trail in the summer and see the tops of sub-alpine fir broken by an avalanche the previous winter. Watch the clouds build along the crest as you race a thunderstorm down from Paintbrush Divide on a summer afternoon. Witness the re-growth of grasses, wildflowers, and sapling lodgepole pines following a fire. Soon you begin to realize that the park is constantly changing.

Some of these forces are incredibly powerful and their impact is easily and readily observed. Some, however, work on a time-scale that is imperceptible, but change the landscape in no less dramatic a fashion. Some changes are the result of natural processes and some are the result of human actions. It is certain, however, that change is a constant in the Teton Range.

Related Information

Greater Yellowstone Inventory and Monitoring Network
The Greater Yellowstone Inventory and Monitoring Network (GRYN) is one of 32 NPS inventory and monitoring networks created to provide oversight, planning, and consistency in monitoring the long-term health of the nation’s parks. The parks of the GRYN include Yellowstone National Park, Grand Teton National Park, John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway, and Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area.

lightning storm
Plan a Safe Visit
Learn about wildlife, driving, weather, and recreational safety in the park.
more...
three visitors at the snake river overlook
Trip Planning Guide
Resources for planning your trip to Grand Teton.
more...
View of Mt. Moran turnout with cathedral group in background, photo by Erin Himmel
Things to know before you visit
Trip planning suggestions, lodging, safety information, weather, accessibility, and pet safety.
more...
Close-up of a lodgepole pine cone  

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.

Last Updated: July 25, 2006 at 00:23 EST