A Century in The Making: Conserving the Final Pieces of Grand Teton National Park

Grand Teton National Park is a place of breathtaking beauty. Located in the northwest corner of Wyoming, in the iconic Jackson Hole valley, the park is a marvel of rugged mountain views, abundant wildlife, and world-class recreation.

Today, roughly 3.5 million outdoor enthusiasts visit the park each year, earning it a spot as one of the top 10 most visited national parks in the United States.

The park offers a rich mix of natural wonders. The Teton Range boasts snow-capped mountains, pristine glacial lakes, and a home to one of the most active Grizzly Bear populations — including that of Bear 399, whose inspiring life as the mother of 18 cubs captured the hearts of millions around the world.

To enjoy the park is a gift — and a testament to more than a century of dedicated conservation efforts in the region.

Protecting A Treasured Landscape 

The Jackson Hole valley is known as a central birthplace for the greater conservation movement. In the early 1900s, conservationists held meetings at the Murie Ranch, now a National Historic Landmark, where the family of the same name helped to establish Grand Teton National Park in 1929. Since then, local land trusts and conservation alliances have partnered with the National Park Service to continue protecting one of America’s most beloved natural areas.

Until just last week, only a handful of significant tracts of undeveloped land remained within the park’s over 300,000 acres. Even more remarkably — the lands not yet incorporated comprise only a few hundred acres of some of the highest-value natural lands in the world.

The Conservation Fund has been working to protect threatened land in the Jackson Hole Valley for decades, in partnership with landowners and local conservation groups. Our team has protected many of the highest conservation value private lands benefiting the region’s people and wildlife:

• Since 2001, we’ve partnered with Grand Teton National Park on six acquisition projects, expanding the park by more than 815 acres. These acquisitions enhanced the magic that is Grand Teton National Park — adding unimpaired scenic views, majestic wildlife habitat, and extraordinary recreation opportunities.
• In 2008, we launched a 16-year initiative to preserve tens of thousands of acres of working ranch lands and key wildlife migration routes in the Upper Green River Valley and Jackson Hole. Partnering with the Wyoming Migration Initiative, we conserved the key parcel of land identified as the top threat to the longest ungulate migration in the lower 48 states, including a 242-mile mule deer route.
• In 2009, working with the Wyoming Division of Forestry, we helped bring the Forest Legacy Program to Wyoming, unlocking tens of millions in conservation funding. In 2014, we supported the Jackson Hole Land Trust to conserve 250 acres of forestland, Wyoming’s first project under the initiative. By 2023, we tripled our impact, connecting wildlife migration routes from the national forest through private lands near Munger Mountain, a key sanctuary for elk, deer, bald eagles, and grizzlies. Today, thousands enjoy the area’s scenic views and wildlife each year.  
  

These successes are a reminder to us all that conservation takes time, and each small victory adds to the collective conservation of our treasured landscapes. As we reflect on nearly a century of accomplishments in and around the park, we find ourselves headed into the new year excited and inspired about the good work, people, and partnerships to come.  

Visit our state page to learn more about our work in Wyoming.