If you're heading to Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming later this month, and determined to visit the Jenny Lake area, you might want to avoid arriving October 19-21 due to a planned area closure there.

The temporary closure is scheduled for several trails and walkways to ensure public safety during construction activities involving helicopter transport of heavy material to the Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point areas on the west side of Jenny Lake as well as the paved walking paths on the east shore of the lake. Check the park's website for updates, though, as the closure has been postponed once already and could be postponed again.

For safety during the staging and hauling of several loads of rock and construction materials, trails leading from the Jenny Lake east shore boat dock area and the Moose Ponds trailhead to Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point will be closed to all public access. There will also be intermittent closures of the walking paths in the vicinity of the Jenny Lake Visitor Center. Lake access from the public boat launch will not be allowed.

Beyond the planned trail closures, all visitor services in the Jenny Lake area, including the visitor center, are closed for the season.

Areas not affected by this temporary public closure include: the Teton Park Road; Jenny Lake scenic loop road; access to Cascade Canyon via the Horse Trail; access to Jenny Lake via the String Lake parking lot and trailhead; and access to the Lupine Meadows trailhead.

This rehabilitation and construction work is part of the Jenny Lake Renewal project. Work on the backcountry trail system on the west shore of Jenny Lake will continue next summer, while work on the front country visitor area on the east shore of the lake is beginning this fall and will continue next summer. The project is funded through a public-private partnership initiative with the Grand Teton National Park Foundation.