HOME - EVENTS - PROJECTS - PARTNERS - WAYS TO GIVE- NEWS - ABOUT US - CONTACT US

November eNewsletter Features

Bear Box Holiday Gift -- This year, give a bear box to help protect bears in Grand Teton

Wildlife Whereabouts -- November wildlife updates from park senior biologist Steve Cain

Black Friday, Cyber Monday...#GivingTuesday -- a cool new movement!

In the Spotlight -- A thank you to our corporate sponsors

Winter Activity in Grand Teton -- Our favorite ways to experience Grand Teton this winter
Interior Secretary Sally Jewell Visits Grand Teton -- Watch the video version!

Fall Foliage Photo Contest -- Check out the winning fall foliage photo submissions

WILDLIFE WHEREABOUTS

November is a month with hugely varying snow conditions in Grand Teton and the surrounding Greater Yellowstone area, depending on the year. These conditions have a significant effect on wildlife behavior and distribution. More specifically:

Most black bears have entered dens for the winter, even in low snow years
Most grizzly bears will enter dens during November during average snow years
Regardless of snow conditions, the bighorn sheep rutting period begins.
All hibernating small mammals that were active in October, such as chipmunks, are now hibernating.
Rough-legged hawks return from Arctic nesting grounds for the winter. Migrations of trumpeter and tundra swans bring higher numbers of swans to the valley.
Most deer and elk will migrate from summering areas to wintering areas, but timing and migration rates will be influenced by snow.
Most pronghorn will leave the Jackson Hole valley, bound for winter ranges south of Pinedale in the Green River Basin.
Adult bald eagles with nesting territories in the park remain year-round and will prey on a higher number of waterfowl, as fish become less available under ice.
Long-tailed weasels and snowshoe hares will turn from their brown summer coats to winter's white pelage (coat).
Beaver activity will be strongly influenced by ice conditions as they continue to stash willow and other cuttings under the ice for a long winter's food supply.

Photo by Ryan Sheets (http://sheetsstudios.com/)

Learn about the Foundation-funded Wildlife and Natural Resource Initiative and the crucial research of black and grizzly bears, wolves, and cougars it enables.

Thank You for your Support!

More companies continue to understand the positive impact national parks have on our country and our population. We would like to thank our corporate partners who generously support projects that benefit the environment, protect wildlife, and reconnect youth to the outdoors, to name a few. These corporate donors provide cash and in-kind gifts that make our work in Grand Teton more sustainable and highly visible.

Thanks so Much for All you Do!

The second annual #GivingTuesday will take place on December 3, 2013 -- celebrate with us!

GivingTuesday is a new online movement to create a national day of giving following Thanksgiving, Black Friday, and Cyber Monday. The day is a way for global charities, families, businesses, community centers, and students to come together to celebrate and support non-profit organizations and to encourage philanthropy during the holiday season.

On December 3rd, if you'd like to support our work in Grand Teton as part of the #GivingTuesday movement, visit our online giving page HERE.

You can also get more information by visiting our profile page on the
#GivingTuesday website HERE.

Grand Teton is ready for winter:
what changes have occurred?

Grand Teton National Park has closed certain roads and key wildlife habitat areas to travelers for the winter season.

The Teton Park road from Taggart Lake to Signal Mountain and the Moose-Wilson road from Granite Canyon to Death Canyon will be closed until May 1.
The corridor along the Snake River from Antelope Flats to Moran Junction, a key winter habitat for wildlife in the park, will be closed to visitors from December 15 until April 1.
In addition, Static Peak, Prospectors Mountain, and Mount Hunt are closed to backcountry skiers December 1 until April 1 due to the Big Horn Sheep populations that frequent the area in the winter.
The Craig Thomas Discovery & Visitor Center will remain closed until April 7.

Despite these closures, there are still lots of places to explore and great

ways to enjoy the park during the winter season. Check out our top suggestions for ways to experience Grand Teton this winter.

Ranger-guided Snowshoe Walks: This winter, join a park naturalist on a 2 hour guided snowshoe walk from the Taggart Lake trailhead to learn about snow science and winter ecology in Grand Teton National Park. Tours run Tuesday, Friday and Saturday at 1:30 starting late December through mid-March. Snowshoes are available at a rental fee of $5. Call (307) 739-3399 starting December 1 to make reservations.

Cross-country Skiing & Snowshoeing: Through April 30, the Teton Park Road from Taggart Lake to Signal Mountain, a distance of 14 miles, will be groomed intermittently for cross-country touring and snowshoeing. Other great places to cross-country tour and snowshoe are the Moose-Wilson Road, Taggart Lake, Phelps Lake, Coulter Bay, Flagg Ranch and Huckleberry Hot Springs. Check out this site for more information: http://www.nps.gov/grte/planyourvisit/xcski.htm.

Winter Camping: While park campgrounds are closed during the winter, basic winter camping is allowed on the snow covering the parking lot adjacent to the Colter Bay Visitor Center December 1 to April 15 ($5, restrooms available). If you are interested in winter backcountry camping, you must obtain a backcountry permit, (307) 739-3309.

Snowmobiling: In Grand Teton National Park, snowmobile use is limited to select models on Jackson Lake to provide ice fishing access. In the JDR Memorial Parkway, the Grassy Lake Road is open to all snowmobiles. Neither of these locations requires guides. For more information, visit: http://www.nps.gov/grte/planyourvisit/upload/snowmobile.pdf.

The Murie Ranch: This National Historic Landmark in Grand Teton National Park was home to the conservation-minded Murie family starting in 1945. The Murie Center, located at the Murie Ranch, is open Monday through Friday, 9 am to 5 pm, and offers tours of the ranch's historic structures. Call ahead to set up a tour: (307) 739-2246. The property also contains several historic trails created by the Muries that are open to cross-country skiing and snowshoeing all winter. For more information, visit www.muriecenter.org.

Mormon Row: The Mormon Row district on Antelope Flats Road is open to visitors during the winter. A visit to these historic structures during the winter provides a unique perspective on the harsh living conditions early homesteaders faced in Jackson Hole.

Jackson Hole and Greater Yellowstone Visitor Center: Open 9 am to 5 pm all winter, this visitor center offers interactive museum displays and dioramas highlighting the local flora, fauna, and geology of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Here, you can observe elk on the National Elk Refuge from the wildlife observation deck equipped with spotting scopes. Visit http://www.fs.fed.us/jhgyvc/ for more information.

For additional winter information in Grand Teton, visit http://www.nps.gov/grte/parknews/upload/Winter_Guide_14.pdf.

Interior Secretary Celebrates Partnerships

and Encourages Youth

After announcing the Inspiring Journeys campaign and praising public-private partnerships, an emotional Sally Jewell appealed to the audience to "get more young people out here because that's going to be our future." While in the Tetons, Jewell attended the graduation ceremony for NPS Academy, a Foundation-funded internship program for diverse college students. She had an opportunity to talk with students and encourage them to continue their work in national parks and assured them that youth programs are among the Department of the Interior's highest priorities.

"It [the Tetons] gets into your blood, but if we don't give these young people a chance to get it into their blood, they not going to be in Congress advocating for the Tetons or for our great public lands."

Secretary Jewell Announces $16 Million Project at Jenny Lake

Fall Foliage Photo Contest Winners!

This fall, we asked our Facebook followers to track down their best fall foliage shots of Grand Teton National Park and submit them to our photo contest. We received many great fall photos and have chosen two winning shots. Congratulations Frankie Waters and John T. Bingaman on your fantastic photos!