Grand Teton National Park hosted 3,493,937 recreation visits between January and September 2021, already surpassing the park’s busiest full year on record with three months to go in 2021. Previously, 2018 had the record for most recreation visits in a year with 3,491,151 visits. Of the past nine months, six have been record setting for visitation.
Some of the largest increases in recreation visits occurred during the shoulder season, including the months of March, April, and May. Summer visitation (June, July, August) also increased with July 2021 recording the busiest month for recreation visits in Grand Teton’s history.
The park has also seen increases in trail use. During the 2021 summer, trail use increased approximately 29%, compared to 2019. Looking back five years ago, since 2017, trail use has increased approximately 49%.
“2021 has been a record setting year for visitation in Grand Teton National Park, but it’s more than just the numbers. We are seeing changing patterns and behavior including more people in the backcountry and more visitors in the ‘shoulder season.’ The park is studying changing visitation to gain a more detailed understanding of existing conditions and learning what issues may threaten a quality visitor experience. We are also learning from other parks, seeing what solutions are being tried and what issues they are solving,” said Grand Teton National Park Superintendent Chip Jenkins. “The visitor experience is a resource, just like moose or clean air, and it’s something we are actively working to preserve and protect.”
Grand Teton park staff continue to analyze data and studies conducted over the summer to better understand changing visitation trends in the park. Studies include visitor-use and experience studies at Colter Bay, Taggart and Lupine Meadows trailheads, which surveyed visitors in these areas to gain a better understanding of visitor demographics, visitor expectations, and more. Additionally, a parkwide visitor mobility study was conducted this summer to identify common visitor travel patterns and flow.
Jeff
HikinginGlacier.com
TetonHikingTrails.com
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com
Ramble On: A History of Hiking
Exploring Glacier National Park
Exploring Grand Teton National Park
Friday, October 22, 2021
Wednesday, October 20, 2021
How National Parks Are Dealing With Crowds
This news feature ran on CNBC last night. It's sad that our national parks have come to this, but I think they're probably doing the right thing here in order to deal with the overcrowding problems in our parks. To think just a few short years ago the National Park System, as well as states like Utah, ran advertising campaigns to attract visitors. No doubt Covid and the closures imposed on travel and recreational activities has driven some of this increase. Will this surge subside after the country and the world gets back to normal?
Jeff
HikinginGlacier.com
TetonHikingTrails.com
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com
Ramble On: A History of Hiking
Exploring Glacier National Park
Exploring Grand Teton National Park
Jeff
HikinginGlacier.com
TetonHikingTrails.com
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com
Ramble On: A History of Hiking
Exploring Glacier National Park
Exploring Grand Teton National Park
Tuesday, October 19, 2021
Highly food conditioned grizzly bear euthanized
For public safety, Grand Teton National Park officials, in coordination with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, euthanized a highly food-conditioned, four-year-old female grizzly bear on Saturday, October 16. This action was taken after the bear received numerous food rewards from unsecured sources, causing it to exhibit increasingly bold behavior. This behavior caused the bear to pose a threat to human safety and therefore it was removed from the population.
Over the course of two years, the grizzly received multiple food rewards and demonstrated escalating conflict behavior. In October of 2020, the bear accessed numerous unsecured attractants at a private residence south of the park. During the fall of 2021, the grizzly received additional food rewards on private lands and caused property damage. The bear eventually became more emboldened in attempts to obtain human food, breaking into bear-resistant dumpsters in Grand Teton National Park.
Once a bear receives a human food reward, it can become food conditioned. Food rewards can include human food, trash, livestock feed, compost, pet food, beehives, etc. Over time, food conditioned bears may become bold or aggressive in their attempts to obtain human food, as was the case with this bear.
Park officials made the decision to capture and remove the animal as per Interagency Grizzly Bear guidelines and per the park bear and wildlife management plan. On October 16, the grizzly bear was captured by Grand Teton park staff and euthanized.
Timeline of conflict behavior
October 5, 2020: Based on GPS collar data, localized at a private residence south of the park.
October 9 – 16, 2020: Based on GPS collar data, localized at a private residence south of the park.
October 21, 2020: Based on GPS collar data, localized at a private residence south of the park.
September 3, 2021: Received food reward of chicken feed on private lands.
September 4, 2021: Received food reward of chicken feed on private lands.
September 12, 2021: Caused property damage on private lands.
September 14, 2021: Caused property damage on private lands.
September 16, 2021: Received food reward of bird and livestock feed on private lands.
September 24, 2021: Received food reward of garbage on private lands.
September 25, 2021: Received food reward of garbage on private lands.
September 26, 2021: Received food reward of garbage on private lands.
October 4, 2021: Caused property damage and received food reward of garbage on private lands.
October 5, 2021: Received food reward of garbage on private lands.
October 7, 2021: Received food reward of garbage from bear-resistant trash can in Grand Teton.
October 9, 2021: Received food reward of garbage on private lands.
October 10, 2021: Received food reward of garbage from bear-resistant dumpster in Grand Teton.
You can make a difference in a bear’s life by doing your part to ensure bears never obtain human foods, whether you call the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE) home or are just passing through. Odors attract bears. By storing attractants so bears cannot gain access and securing all trash in a bear-resistant dumpster, you can make sure a bear does not receive human foods. As the grizzly bear population continues to expand in the southern end of the GYE, bears continue to disperse outside of Grand Teton National Park. Residents of local communities are encouraged to secure attractants around their homes. Store all garbage within bear-resistant containers. Secure livestock feed, compost, and beehives. Ensure bird feeders are ten feet up and four feet out from any building. Avoid planting fruit trees. Help your neighbors create a bear-wise community to protect wildlife. It may be cliché; however, more often than not, “a fed bear is a dead bear.”
Jeff
HikinginGlacier.com
TetonHikingTrails.com
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com
Ramble On: A History of Hiking
Exploring Glacier National Park
Exploring Grand Teton National Park
Over the course of two years, the grizzly received multiple food rewards and demonstrated escalating conflict behavior. In October of 2020, the bear accessed numerous unsecured attractants at a private residence south of the park. During the fall of 2021, the grizzly received additional food rewards on private lands and caused property damage. The bear eventually became more emboldened in attempts to obtain human food, breaking into bear-resistant dumpsters in Grand Teton National Park.
Once a bear receives a human food reward, it can become food conditioned. Food rewards can include human food, trash, livestock feed, compost, pet food, beehives, etc. Over time, food conditioned bears may become bold or aggressive in their attempts to obtain human food, as was the case with this bear.
Park officials made the decision to capture and remove the animal as per Interagency Grizzly Bear guidelines and per the park bear and wildlife management plan. On October 16, the grizzly bear was captured by Grand Teton park staff and euthanized.
Timeline of conflict behavior
October 5, 2020: Based on GPS collar data, localized at a private residence south of the park.
October 9 – 16, 2020: Based on GPS collar data, localized at a private residence south of the park.
October 21, 2020: Based on GPS collar data, localized at a private residence south of the park.
September 3, 2021: Received food reward of chicken feed on private lands.
September 4, 2021: Received food reward of chicken feed on private lands.
September 12, 2021: Caused property damage on private lands.
September 14, 2021: Caused property damage on private lands.
September 16, 2021: Received food reward of bird and livestock feed on private lands.
September 24, 2021: Received food reward of garbage on private lands.
September 25, 2021: Received food reward of garbage on private lands.
September 26, 2021: Received food reward of garbage on private lands.
October 4, 2021: Caused property damage and received food reward of garbage on private lands.
October 5, 2021: Received food reward of garbage on private lands.
October 7, 2021: Received food reward of garbage from bear-resistant trash can in Grand Teton.
October 9, 2021: Received food reward of garbage on private lands.
October 10, 2021: Received food reward of garbage from bear-resistant dumpster in Grand Teton.
You can make a difference in a bear’s life by doing your part to ensure bears never obtain human foods, whether you call the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE) home or are just passing through. Odors attract bears. By storing attractants so bears cannot gain access and securing all trash in a bear-resistant dumpster, you can make sure a bear does not receive human foods. As the grizzly bear population continues to expand in the southern end of the GYE, bears continue to disperse outside of Grand Teton National Park. Residents of local communities are encouraged to secure attractants around their homes. Store all garbage within bear-resistant containers. Secure livestock feed, compost, and beehives. Ensure bird feeders are ten feet up and four feet out from any building. Avoid planting fruit trees. Help your neighbors create a bear-wise community to protect wildlife. It may be cliché; however, more often than not, “a fed bear is a dead bear.”
Jeff
HikinginGlacier.com
TetonHikingTrails.com
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com
Ramble On: A History of Hiking
Exploring Glacier National Park
Exploring Grand Teton National Park
Wednesday, October 13, 2021
Going-to-the-Sun Road Closes Early for Season
Due to continued winter weather, the alpine sections of the Going-to-the-Sun Road in Glacier National Park will remain closed for the season. Currently, visitors can drive 15.5 miles from the West Entrance to Avalanche Creek, and 13.5 miles from the St. Mary Entrance to Jackson Glacier Overlook. The Going-to-the-Sun Road typically closes between Avalanche Creek and Jackson Glacier Overlook on or before the third Monday in October, depending on road and weather conditions.
A temporary road closure was first implemented on Sunday, October 10 due to inclement weather forecasted. Since that time, several inches of snow have accumulated at Logan Pass and the road remains icy. The National Weather Service forecasts additional snowfall Wednesday October 13 and wind gusts up to 20 mph. As a result, the Going-to-the-Sun Road closure between Avalanche Creek and Jackson Glacier Overlook will continue for the remainder of the season.
Visitors should be aware of road crews prepping for winter operations which include removing guard rails, displays, and signs, and installing snow poles along the road closure. Hiking and biking is permitted on most closed roads in the park as far as the hiker/biker closure signs, however risks include falling ice or rocks, and ice-covered or snowy road conditions. Closure points are determined by changing road crew activity and conditions. Bicycling is not permitted on snow covered roads.
The Many Glacier Entrance is closed at the boundary to all traffic due to construction. To stay up to date with changing road conditions, visit the park's Current Road Status webpage.
Highway 2 construction will continue into November along the southern border of Glacier National Park and visitors can check the Montana Department of Transportation website for updates. Camas Road remains under construction until the beginning of November causing 30-minute delays in both directions during the day.
Most visitor amenities in the park have closed for the season. Two Medicine, Bowman Lake, Kintla Lake, and one section of Apgar (Loop B) campgrounds, are open for primitive camping on a first come, first served basis until October 31, when they will move into winter camping and remain open as winter road conditions permit. St. Mary Campground opens to winter camping on November 1. Visitors may check campground status on our website.
The Apgar Wilderness Permit Office and Aquatic Invasive Species Boat Inspection Station close October 31. No boating in the park is permitted after October 31. Free winter wilderness camping permits are available November 1 – April 30 and can be reserved three to seven days in advance by email or phone (406-888-7857).
The Apgar Visitor Center is open on weekends through October 24, weather permitting, but Wi-Fi, restrooms and potable water remain available at this location year-round.
The park is open year-round and recreational opportunities can be found during all seasons. Learn more about winter operations at Glacier National Park on our Visiting in Winter webpage. For additional visitor inquiries, contact park headquarters at 406-888-7800.
Jeff
HikinginGlacier.com
TetonHikingTrails.com
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com
Ramble On: A History of Hiking
Exploring Glacier National Park
Exploring Grand Teton National Park
A temporary road closure was first implemented on Sunday, October 10 due to inclement weather forecasted. Since that time, several inches of snow have accumulated at Logan Pass and the road remains icy. The National Weather Service forecasts additional snowfall Wednesday October 13 and wind gusts up to 20 mph. As a result, the Going-to-the-Sun Road closure between Avalanche Creek and Jackson Glacier Overlook will continue for the remainder of the season.
Visitors should be aware of road crews prepping for winter operations which include removing guard rails, displays, and signs, and installing snow poles along the road closure. Hiking and biking is permitted on most closed roads in the park as far as the hiker/biker closure signs, however risks include falling ice or rocks, and ice-covered or snowy road conditions. Closure points are determined by changing road crew activity and conditions. Bicycling is not permitted on snow covered roads.
The Many Glacier Entrance is closed at the boundary to all traffic due to construction. To stay up to date with changing road conditions, visit the park's Current Road Status webpage.
Highway 2 construction will continue into November along the southern border of Glacier National Park and visitors can check the Montana Department of Transportation website for updates. Camas Road remains under construction until the beginning of November causing 30-minute delays in both directions during the day.
Most visitor amenities in the park have closed for the season. Two Medicine, Bowman Lake, Kintla Lake, and one section of Apgar (Loop B) campgrounds, are open for primitive camping on a first come, first served basis until October 31, when they will move into winter camping and remain open as winter road conditions permit. St. Mary Campground opens to winter camping on November 1. Visitors may check campground status on our website.
The Apgar Wilderness Permit Office and Aquatic Invasive Species Boat Inspection Station close October 31. No boating in the park is permitted after October 31. Free winter wilderness camping permits are available November 1 – April 30 and can be reserved three to seven days in advance by email or phone (406-888-7857).
The Apgar Visitor Center is open on weekends through October 24, weather permitting, but Wi-Fi, restrooms and potable water remain available at this location year-round.
The park is open year-round and recreational opportunities can be found during all seasons. Learn more about winter operations at Glacier National Park on our Visiting in Winter webpage. For additional visitor inquiries, contact park headquarters at 406-888-7800.
Jeff
HikinginGlacier.com
TetonHikingTrails.com
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com
Ramble On: A History of Hiking
Exploring Glacier National Park
Exploring Grand Teton National Park
Tuesday, October 12, 2021
Wildlife officers remove tire that was around a bull elk’s neck for over two years
An elk with a tire around its neck for at least the last two years was finally freed of the obstacle Saturday evening when Colorado Parks and Wildlife officers were able to tranquilize the bull and remove the tire. Wildlife officers Dawson Swanson and Scott Murdoch had to cut the antlers off the bull elk in order to remove the tire. That occurred Saturday around 8 p.m., roughly one mile south of Pine Junction on private property off of County Road 126.
Wildlife officers aged the bull as a four-and-a-half year-old weighing over 600 pounds and had five points on each of its antler beams.
“It was tight removing it,” Murdoch said of pulling the tire off the bull’s neck, even after cutting its antlers off. “It was not easy for sure, we had to move it just right to get it off because we weren’t able to cut the steel in the bead of the tire. Fortunately, the bull’s neck still had a little room to move. We would have preferred to cut the tire and leave the antlers for his rutting activity, but the situation was dynamic and we had to just get the tire off in any way possible.”
Once the tire was off, wildlife officers Swanson and Murdoch were surprised to see the condition of its neck after having that tire on it for over two years.
“The hair was rubbed off a little bit, there was one small open wound maybe the size of a nickel or quarter, but other than that it looked really good,” Murdoch said of the bull’s neck. “I was actually quite shocked to see how good it looked.”
It was the fourth attempt wildlife officers had made in the last week to try to tranquilize this bull. Saturday evening, officer Swanson was in a neighborhood looking for this elk that was reported in the area earlier in the day. He found it in a group of elk and maneuvered into a location where he thought it was going to cross. Swanson was able to successfully tranquilize the bull. Murdoch arrived to aid in the removal operation before the two set him free, many pounds lighter.
Swanson and Murdoch estimated that the bull elk dropped roughly 35 pounds between the removal of the tire, his antlers and the debris that was inside the tire.
“The tire was full of wet pine needles and dirt,” Murdoch said. “So the pine needles, dirt and other debris basically filled the entire bottom half of the tire. There was probably 10 pounds of debris in the tire.”
This bull elk has spent the past couple of years traveling back and forth between Park and Jefferson Counties. He would disappear for long periods of time, particularly in the winter, and was acting as expected from a wild animal, not wanting to be around human presence. That is much different than some of the resident elk people often see in towns such as Evergreen or Estes Park.
At the end of May and into June 2021, four attempts were made to catch up with this bull in the Pleasant Park area of Conifer. Sightings of him picked back up in September and early October near the town of Pine. Murdoch felt the rut (breeding season) played a helpful role in catching up with the bull.
“In the winter we weren’t getting any reports of him,” Murdoch said. “In the springtime, we would get an occasional report or see him in a little bachelor herd. The rut definitely made him more visible. There was a bigger bull in the group he was with on Saturday, but he is getting to be a decent size bull.”
The first time wildlife officers became aware of this elk with a tire around its neck was in July 2019. While conducting a population survey for Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep and mountain goats in the Mount Evans Wilderness, wildlife officer Jared Lamb saw the bull through a spotting scope. At the time the bull appeared to be a younger one, likely two years old. “Being up in the wilderness, we didn’t really expect to be able to get our hands on the elk just because of the proximity or the distance away from civilization,” Murdoch said. “It is harder to get the further they are back in there and usually the further these elk are away from people, the wilder they act. That certainly played true the last couple of years, this elk was difficult to find, and harder to get close to.”
Since the original sighting by wildlife officer Lamb, a handful of other sightings came in over the following year. A trail camera near Conifer picked up the bull with the tire twice in 2020, first on June 5 and later on July 12. A separate trail camera also captured it on Aug. 12, 2020.
The saga of this bull elk highlights the need for residents to live responsibly with wildlife in mind. That includes keeping your property free of obstacles that wildlife can get tangled in or injured by. Wildlife officers have seen deer, elk, moose, bears and other wildlife become entangled in a number of man-made obstacles that include swing sets, hammocks, clothing lines, decorative or holiday lighting, furniture, tomato cages, chicken feeders, laundry baskets, soccer goals or volleyball nets, and yes, tires.
This elk would have gotten the tire around its antlers either when it was very young, before it had antlers, or during the winter when it shed its antlers. It could have been a big stack of tires that the elk stuck its head in, wildlife officers have also seen it where people feed animals who come in and put their heads in things that they then walk away with.
Jeff
HikinginGlacier.com
TetonHikingTrails.com
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com
Ramble On: A History of Hiking
Exploring Glacier National Park
Exploring Grand Teton National Park
Wildlife officers aged the bull as a four-and-a-half year-old weighing over 600 pounds and had five points on each of its antler beams.
“It was tight removing it,” Murdoch said of pulling the tire off the bull’s neck, even after cutting its antlers off. “It was not easy for sure, we had to move it just right to get it off because we weren’t able to cut the steel in the bead of the tire. Fortunately, the bull’s neck still had a little room to move. We would have preferred to cut the tire and leave the antlers for his rutting activity, but the situation was dynamic and we had to just get the tire off in any way possible.”
Once the tire was off, wildlife officers Swanson and Murdoch were surprised to see the condition of its neck after having that tire on it for over two years.
“The hair was rubbed off a little bit, there was one small open wound maybe the size of a nickel or quarter, but other than that it looked really good,” Murdoch said of the bull’s neck. “I was actually quite shocked to see how good it looked.”
It was the fourth attempt wildlife officers had made in the last week to try to tranquilize this bull. Saturday evening, officer Swanson was in a neighborhood looking for this elk that was reported in the area earlier in the day. He found it in a group of elk and maneuvered into a location where he thought it was going to cross. Swanson was able to successfully tranquilize the bull. Murdoch arrived to aid in the removal operation before the two set him free, many pounds lighter.
Swanson and Murdoch estimated that the bull elk dropped roughly 35 pounds between the removal of the tire, his antlers and the debris that was inside the tire.
“The tire was full of wet pine needles and dirt,” Murdoch said. “So the pine needles, dirt and other debris basically filled the entire bottom half of the tire. There was probably 10 pounds of debris in the tire.”
This bull elk has spent the past couple of years traveling back and forth between Park and Jefferson Counties. He would disappear for long periods of time, particularly in the winter, and was acting as expected from a wild animal, not wanting to be around human presence. That is much different than some of the resident elk people often see in towns such as Evergreen or Estes Park.
At the end of May and into June 2021, four attempts were made to catch up with this bull in the Pleasant Park area of Conifer. Sightings of him picked back up in September and early October near the town of Pine. Murdoch felt the rut (breeding season) played a helpful role in catching up with the bull.
“In the winter we weren’t getting any reports of him,” Murdoch said. “In the springtime, we would get an occasional report or see him in a little bachelor herd. The rut definitely made him more visible. There was a bigger bull in the group he was with on Saturday, but he is getting to be a decent size bull.”
The first time wildlife officers became aware of this elk with a tire around its neck was in July 2019. While conducting a population survey for Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep and mountain goats in the Mount Evans Wilderness, wildlife officer Jared Lamb saw the bull through a spotting scope. At the time the bull appeared to be a younger one, likely two years old. “Being up in the wilderness, we didn’t really expect to be able to get our hands on the elk just because of the proximity or the distance away from civilization,” Murdoch said. “It is harder to get the further they are back in there and usually the further these elk are away from people, the wilder they act. That certainly played true the last couple of years, this elk was difficult to find, and harder to get close to.”
Since the original sighting by wildlife officer Lamb, a handful of other sightings came in over the following year. A trail camera near Conifer picked up the bull with the tire twice in 2020, first on June 5 and later on July 12. A separate trail camera also captured it on Aug. 12, 2020.
The saga of this bull elk highlights the need for residents to live responsibly with wildlife in mind. That includes keeping your property free of obstacles that wildlife can get tangled in or injured by. Wildlife officers have seen deer, elk, moose, bears and other wildlife become entangled in a number of man-made obstacles that include swing sets, hammocks, clothing lines, decorative or holiday lighting, furniture, tomato cages, chicken feeders, laundry baskets, soccer goals or volleyball nets, and yes, tires.
This elk would have gotten the tire around its antlers either when it was very young, before it had antlers, or during the winter when it shed its antlers. It could have been a big stack of tires that the elk stuck its head in, wildlife officers have also seen it where people feed animals who come in and put their heads in things that they then walk away with.
Jeff
HikinginGlacier.com
TetonHikingTrails.com
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com
Ramble On: A History of Hiking
Exploring Glacier National Park
Exploring Grand Teton National Park
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