Free Entry on National Get Outdoors Day

Date: June 6, 2012
Contact: Public Affairs Office, 307.739.3431

Grand Teton National Park invites visitors to celebrate the arrival of summer and discover the wonders of the natural world during National Get Outdoors Day on Saturday, June 9th. As an added bonus, entrance fees will be waived at Grand Teton and the John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway-along with other national parks across the country-as part of an initiative to encourage people to visit, explore and enjoy America's national park areas. Fees will also be waived on September 29 (National Public Lands Day) and from November 10 through 12 (Veterans Day weekend). Other fees, such as those for camping and boat permits, will remain in effect.

The concept for celebrating the great outdoors began in 1998 when President Bill Clinton proclaimed a week in June as Great Outdoors Week. President Barack Obama issued a similar proclamation urging Americans to spend time in nature as a way to connect future generations with our national legacy of public lands and the importance of conservation. The 2012 National Get Outdoors Day is a perfect time for families and friends to enjoy activities together from hiking and wildlife watching to canoeing, fishing or biking-activities that promote a healthy, active, and energized lifestyle.

To further highlight National Get Outdoors Day and free entry, Grand Teton rangers encourage visitors to join them in family-oriented activities that focus on First Lady Michelle Obama's "Let's Move Outside" initiative: a national campaign to end childhood obesity within a generation. This program is underway in national parks across the United States. Several programs designed to promote physical activity in the great outdoors will take place at Grand Teton on June 9th and throughout the summer. These include:  

• Inspiration Point Hike: Trek to Hidden Falls and a viewpoint above Jenny Lake to learn about Teton geology and the work of glaciers. Meet 8:30 a.m. at the Jenny Lake Visitor Center flagpole for an uphill two-mile hike (moderate difficulty).
• Laurance S. Rockefeller Preserve Hike: Explore the sights, sounds and solitude of the Preserve while strolling along Lake Creek to an overlook at Phelps Lake that affords a dramatic view of the Teton Range. Reservations recommended, call 307.739.3654. Meet at 8:30 a.m. at the LSR Preserve Center's porch for this three-mile hike (easy to moderate difficulty).
• Taggart Lake Hike: Walk to scenic Taggart Lake at the base of the Teton Range and learn about the geology and biologic communities that adorn the landscape Meet 9 a.m. at Taggart Lake trailhead for this three-mile hike (moderate difficulty).
• Swan Lake Hike: Wander through forest and wetland communities while learning about the plants and animals living near Jackson Lake and Colter Bay. Meet 1 p.m. at Colter Bay Visitor Center flagpole for this three-mile hike (easy difficulty).

Participants are advised to bring water, sunscreen, rain gear, insect repellant, binoculars and cameras.

"With colorful wildflowers in bloom and newborn animals making their debuts, this is an ideal time to visit Grand Teton and experience the beauty and fun recreational opportunities that this park and others offer throughout all seasons of the year," said Superintendent Mary Gibson Scott. "I hope that everyone takes advantage of the free entry and visits a national park near them. What better way to celebrate summer's splendor than creating special memories with family and friends in the great outdoors?"