Jenny Lake Trail Restoration Project

Trail conditions in the Grand Tetons have declined dramatically over the past twenty years, and will soon reach a critical state. In an effort to reverse this trend, the Grand Teton National Park Foundation will launch a large-scale restoration program this year that will initially focus on the Jenny Lake Trail. This project will extend from the parking lot, around the lake, and include the spurs that lead to Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point.

The Jenny Lake restoration project will be the park's signature project that honors the National Park Service's 100th anniversary in 2016, and will launch a wider-spread effort that will upgrade Grand Teton's most prominent trails and provide for their long-term care. Jenny Lake is the park's most traveled route, but receives a limited amount of maintenance each year. Massive erosion and denuded soils have created a dangerous experience for visitors that has resulted in many injuries each summer, and a degradation of natural resources.

Here are some of the Jenny Lake Trail restoration highlights:

• Rebuild over 9 miles of trail and create trail sustainability

• Replace 4 aging bridges and replace/create multiple stone retaining walls

• Incorporate numerous interpretive wayside exhibits

• Rehabilitate thousands of square feet of denuded landscape

• Create a sustainable, low-impact viewing area for Hidden Falls

• Redesign the confusing Jenny Lake complex to provide clear access to the sights

The hike into Cascade Canyon from Jenny Lake is truly one of the great hikes in our National Park System. If you would like to help the Grand Teton National Park Foundation, please visit their website by clicking here.


Jeff
Hiking in Glacier.com