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Tetons Range
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The Teton Range is a mountain range of the Rocky Mountains in North America. A north-south range, it is on the Wyoming side of the state's border with Idaho, just south of Yellowstone National Park. The principal summits of the central massif are the Grand Teton at 13,770 ft (4198 m), Mount Owen at 12,928 feet (3,940 m), Teewinot (12,325 ft), the Middle Teton (12,804 ft), and the South Teton (12,514 ft). Other peaks in the range include Mount Moran (12,605 ft), Mount Wister (11,490 ft), Buck Mountain (11,938 ft), Static Peak (11,303 ft), Albright Peak (10,552 ft), Prospector's Mountain (11,241 ft), Rendezvous Mountain (10,450 ft), and Mount Glory (10,086 ft). Most of the range is in Grand Teton National Park. Early French Voyageurs used the name "les Trois Tétons" (the three breasts). It is likely that the Shoshone people once called the whole range Teewinot, meaning "many pinnacles". Grand Teton's name was first recorded as Mount Hayden by the Washburn-Langford-Doane Expedition of 1870. But by 1931, the name Grand Teton Peak was in such common usage that it was recognized by the USGS Board on Geographic Names. Another shift in usage led the Board to shorten the name on maps to Grand Teton in 1970. Between six and nine million years ago, stretching and thinning of the Earth's crust caused movement along the Teton fault. The west block along the fault line was pushed upwards to form the Teton Range, thereby creating the youngest range of the Rocky Mountains. The fault's east block fell downwards to form the valley called Jackson Hole. One reason the Tetons are famous is because of their great elevation above their base. Unlike most mountain ranges, the Tetons lack foothills, or lower peaks which can obscure the view. This is due to the fault zone being at the base of the range on the eastern side, and the range being too young to have had time to erode into soft hills. As such, the Tetons rise sharply, from 5,000 to nearly 7,000 feet above the valley floor. The view is most dramatic as seen from the east; on the west side, they appear as high rolling hills that transition smoothly into flat pasture. Archeological studies established human occupation of Jackson Hole for at least 11,000 years. Knowledge of early people is extremely limited. Data suggests that they used the area from spring to fall, based on seasonal availability of resources. Prehistoric people crossed the passes into Jackson Hole en route to seasonal hunting grounds in the region. In historic times, Indian tribes such as the Shoshoni, Gros Ventre, Flathead and Blackfeet knew the Teton country. Archaeological evidence indicates that early visitors arrived approximately 8,500 years ago, in late spring, traveling in small bands across passes on the north and east sides of the valley, and left before the snow returned. They followed the wild game as those animals went to higher summer pastures. The tribal names of the earliest people remains unknown. The Athapaskan, distant relatives of the Navajo and Apache Indians of Arizona, were the next people to use the valley. However, they occupied the valley less than 200 years, being driven north by other tribes, after about 1600. It was not until the Spanish conquistadors' introduced the horse to North America in about 1700 that Indians became mobile. With the European westward expansion, Indian tribes began shifting their territories and new groups began spending summers in Jackson Hole. The Crows, Blackfeet, Nez Perces (French for pierced nose; even though their noses were not pierced), Gros Ventre (pronounced "GROW VAUNT": French for big belly; even though they did not have big bellies), Shoshonis (or Snakes) and the Bannocks were in this area until the 20th Century. All of these tribes had horses. With horses they no longer needed to follow wild game to the high mountain pastures. Consequently the Teton Valley was no longer an important summer range for those Indians. The splendor of the Teton Mountains first dazzled fur traders. Although evidence is inconclusive, John Colter probably explored the area in 1808. By the 1820's, mountain men followed wildlife and Indian trails through Jackson Hole and trapped beaver in the icy waters of the valley. The term "hole" was coined by fur trappers of the 1820s to describe a high altitude plateau ringed by mountains. Thus, Jackson Hole is the entire valley, 8 to 15 miles wide and 40 miles long. The valley was named for David E. Jackson, a trapper who reputedly spent the winter of 1829 along the shore of Jackson Lake. After the decline of the fur trade in the late 1830s, America forgot Jackson Hole until the military and civilian surveys of the 1860s and 1870s. Members of the Hayden Survey named many of the area's features. The original Grand Teton National Park was established by Congress on February 29, 1929. (45 Stat., 1314). The birth of present-day Grand Teton National Park involved controversy and a struggle that lasted several decades. Animosity toward expanding governmental control and a perceived loss of individual freedoms fueled anti-park sentiments in Jackson Hole that nearly derailed establishment of the park. By contrast, Yellowstone National Park benefited from an expedient and near universal agreement for its creation in 1872. The world's first national park took only two years from idea to reality; however Grand Teton National Park evolved through a burdensome process requiring three separate governmental acts and a series of compromises: The original Grand Teton National Park, set aside by an act of Congress in 1929, included only the Teton Range and eight glacial lakes at the base of the mountains. After purchasing 35,000 acres and holding the land for 15 years, John D. Rockefeller, Jr. became discouraged and impatient with the stalemate surrounding acceptance of his gift. In an historic letter to President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, he wrote that if the federal government did not want the gift of land or could not "arrange to accept it on the general terms long discussed…it will be my thought to make some other disposition of it or to sell it in the market to any satisfactory buyers." This threat persuaded FDR to use his presidential power to proclaim 221,000 acres as the Jackson Hole National Monument on March 15, 1943. Robert Righter believes that Rockefeller threatened to sell in order to provoke governmental action. This bold action by Roosevelt provided a chance to circumvent obstacles created by Congress and the Wyoming delegation. The Jackson Hole National Monument, decreed by Franklin Delano Roosevelt through presidential proclamation in 1943, combined Teton National Forest acreage, other federal properties including Jackson Lake and a generous 35,000-acre donation by John D. Rockefeller, Jr. The Rockefeller lands continued to be privately held until December 16, 1949 when impasse for addition to the National Park was resolved. On September 14, 1950, the original 1929 Park and the 1943 National Monument (including Rockefeller's donation) were united into a "New" Grand Teton National Park, creating present-day boundaries. 400 Grand Teton National Park was established to protect the area's spectacular scenic values, as characterized by the geologic features of the Teton Range and Jackson Hole, and the native plant and animal life. The park was enlarged to its present size by Congress on September 14, 1950, (Public Law 81-787, 64 Stat. 849) to include a portion of the lands within Jackson Hole National Monument. The national monument had been established by Presidential Proclamation (No. 2578, 57 Stat. 731) on March 15, 1943. Early pioneers and environmentalists wanted to expand Yellowstone to include some the beautiful primitive areas surrounding its borders. Most of these ideas were defeated as extensions of Yellowstone. But the area south of Yellowstone, today known as Grand Teton National Park was established as a part of the original idea to expand Yellowstone. Also, thanks to John D. Rockefeller, the lands between Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks was purchased and given to the United States to help preserve this vast western wilderness.

Tetons Range

Click Image To See Full Size

The Teton Range is a mountain range of the Rocky Mountains in North America. A north-south range, it is on the Wyoming side of the state's border with Idaho, just south of Yellowstone National Park. The principal summits of the central massif are the Grand Teton at 13,770 ft (4198 m), Mount Owen at 12,928 feet (3,940 m), Teewinot (12,325 ft), the Middle Teton (12,804 ft), and the South Teton (12,514 ft). Other peaks in the range include Mount Moran (12,605 ft), Mount Wister (11,490 ft), Buck Mountain (11,938 ft), Static Peak (11,303 ft), Albright Peak (10,552 ft), Prospector's Mountain (11,241 ft), Rendezvous Mountain (10,450 ft), and Mount Glory (10,086 ft). Most of the range is in Grand Teton National Park. Early French Voyageurs used the name "les Trois Tétons" (the three breasts). It is likely that the Shoshone people once called the whole range Teewinot, meaning "many pinnacles".

   Grand Teton's name was first recorded as Mount Hayden by the Washburn-Langford-Doane Expedition of 1870. But by 1931, the name Grand Teton Peak was in such common usage that it was recognized by the USGS Board on Geographic Names. Another shift in usage led the Board to shorten the name on maps to Grand Teton in 1970.

   Between six and nine million years ago, stretching and thinning of the Earth's crust caused movement along the Teton fault. The west block along the fault line was pushed upwards to form the Teton Range, thereby creating the youngest range of the Rocky Mountains. The fault's east block fell downwards to form the valley called Jackson Hole. One reason the Tetons are famous is because of their great elevation above their base. Unlike most mountain ranges, the Tetons lack foothills, or lower peaks which can obscure the view. This is due to the fault zone being at the base of the range on the eastern side, and the range being too young to have had time to erode into soft hills. As such, the Tetons rise sharply, from 5,000 to nearly 7,000 feet above the valley floor. The view is most dramatic as seen from the east; on the west side, they appear as high rolling hills that transition smoothly into flat pasture.
   Archeological studies established human occupation of Jackson Hole for at least 11,000 years. Knowledge of early people is extremely limited. Data suggests that they used the area from spring to fall, based on seasonal availability of resources. Prehistoric people crossed the passes into Jackson Hole en route to seasonal hunting grounds in the region. In historic times, Indian tribes such as the Shoshoni, Gros Ventre, Flathead and Blackfeet knew the Teton country.
   Archaeological evidence indicates that early visitors arrived approximately 8,500 years ago, in late spring, traveling in small bands across passes on the north and east sides of the valley, and left before the snow returned. They followed the wild game as those animals went to higher summer pastures. The tribal names of the earliest people remains unknown.
   The Athapaskan, distant relatives of the Navajo and Apache Indians of Arizona, were the next people to use the valley. However, they occupied the valley less than 200 years, being driven north by other tribes, after about 1600.
   It was not until the Spanish conquistadors' introduced the horse to North America in about 1700 that Indians became mobile. With the European westward expansion, Indian tribes began shifting their territories and new groups began spending summers in Jackson Hole. The Crows, Blackfeet, Nez Perces (French for pierced nose; even though their noses were not pierced), Gros Ventre (pronounced "GROW VAUNT": French for big belly; even though they did not have big bellies), Shoshonis (or Snakes) and the Bannocks were in this area until the 20th Century. All of these tribes had horses. With horses they no longer needed to follow wild game to the high mountain pastures. Consequently the Teton Valley was no longer an important summer range for those Indians.

   The splendor of the Teton Mountains first dazzled fur traders. Although evidence is inconclusive, John Colter probably explored the area in 1808. By the 1820's, mountain men followed wildlife and Indian trails through Jackson Hole and trapped beaver in the icy waters of the valley.
   The term "hole" was coined by fur trappers of the 1820s to describe a high altitude plateau ringed by mountains. Thus, Jackson Hole is the entire valley, 8 to 15 miles wide and 40 miles long. The valley was named for David E. Jackson, a trapper who reputedly spent the winter of 1829 along the shore of Jackson Lake.
   After the decline of the fur trade in the late 1830s, America forgot Jackson Hole until the military and civilian surveys of the 1860s and 1870s. Members of the Hayden Survey named many of the area's features.

   The original Grand Teton National Park was established by Congress on February 29, 1929. (45 Stat., 1314).
   The birth of present-day Grand Teton National Park involved controversy and a struggle that lasted several decades. Animosity toward expanding governmental control and a perceived loss of individual freedoms fueled anti-park sentiments in Jackson Hole that nearly derailed establishment of the park. By contrast, Yellowstone National Park benefited from an expedient and near universal agreement for its creation in 1872. The world's first national park took only two years from idea to reality; however Grand Teton National Park evolved through a burdensome process requiring three separate governmental acts and a series of compromises:
   The original Grand Teton National Park, set aside by an act of Congress in 1929, included only the Teton Range and eight glacial lakes at the base of the mountains.
   After purchasing 35,000 acres and holding the land for 15 years, John D. Rockefeller, Jr. became discouraged and impatient with the stalemate surrounding acceptance of his gift. In an historic letter to President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, he wrote that if the federal government did not want the gift of land or could not "arrange to accept it on the general terms long discussed…it will be my thought to make some other disposition of it or to sell it in the market to any satisfactory buyers." This threat persuaded FDR to use his presidential power to proclaim 221,000 acres as the Jackson Hole National Monument on March 15, 1943. Robert Righter believes that Rockefeller threatened to sell in order to provoke governmental action. This bold action by Roosevelt provided a chance to circumvent obstacles created by Congress and the Wyoming delegation.
   The Jackson Hole National Monument, decreed by Franklin Delano Roosevelt through presidential proclamation in 1943, combined Teton National Forest acreage, other federal properties including Jackson Lake and a generous 35,000-acre donation by John D. Rockefeller, Jr. The Rockefeller lands continued to be privately held until December 16, 1949 when impasse for addition to the National Park was resolved. On September 14, 1950, the original 1929 Park and the 1943 National Monument (including Rockefeller's donation) were united into a "New" Grand Teton National Park, creating present-day boundaries.
400    Grand Teton National Park was established to protect the area's spectacular scenic values, as characterized by the geologic features of the Teton Range and Jackson Hole, and the native plant and animal life.
   The park was enlarged to its present size by Congress on September 14, 1950, (Public Law 81-787, 64 Stat. 849) to include a portion of the lands within Jackson Hole National Monument. The national monument had been established by Presidential Proclamation (No. 2578, 57 Stat. 731) on March 15, 1943.
   Early pioneers and environmentalists wanted to expand Yellowstone to include some the beautiful primitive areas surrounding its borders. Most of these ideas were defeated as extensions of Yellowstone. But the area south of Yellowstone, today known as Grand Teton National Park was established as a part of the original idea to expand Yellowstone. Also, thanks to John D. Rockefeller, the lands between Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks was purchased and given to the United States to help preserve this vast western wilderness.