Grand Teton National Park

Judge Restores ESA Protection for Wolves in Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem-Updated

A federal judge has restored Endangered Species Act protection for wolves in the greater Yellowstone ecosystem, rejecting the Interior Department's contention that the species is well on its way to recovery.

Black Bears in Denali, Grand Teton National Parks Killed

Black bears in Denali and Grand Teton national parks recently were killed, one because it was acting aggressively, another because it obviously had come to associate humans with food.

Do You Care About Energy Exploration Near Our National Parks?

As energy prices creep steadily higher, there's a growing segment of America that believes short-term relief can literally be tapped from fossil-fuel resources in the Western states. But many of those resources are found on public lands that buffer national parks, national wildlife refuges, and wilderness areas, and their development could have dire consequences for those landscapes.

Wolf Killed Illegally Near Grand Teton National Park, $3,000 Reward Offered

A gray wolf has been illegally shot and killed just outside Grand Teton National Park. Wyoming wildlife officials have posted a $3,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the poacher.

National Park Search and Rescue: Should the Rescued Help Pay the Bills?

A two-week search for a missing hiker in Yosemite National Park. A search for a missing snowshoer on Mount Rainier. Recovery of bodies from climbing accidents in Grand Teton National Park. A week-long, and unsuccessful, search for a missing 8-year-old at Crater Lake National Park. Each year, thousands of search-and-rescue missions cost the National Park Service millions of dollars. And each year the agency eats the costs.

Where Are the Best Sunrises in the National Park System?

Where do you find the best view of sunrise in the National Park System? Would it be on Cadillac Mountain in Acadia National Park, or, perhaps more logically, at Sunrise in Mount Rainier National Park?

Groups Sue To Overturn Removal of Greater Yellowstone Wolves from Endangered Species List

Has Yellowstone National Park's wolf recovery program, now more than a decade old, succeeded? The federal government thinks so, as evidenced by the removal of greater Yellowstone wolves from the Endangered Species List. But a coalition of conservation group differs, and has filed a lawsuit to overturn the delisting.

Bear #399, And Other Grizzlies, Are On the Prowl In Grand Teton National Park

Mountain snows slowly are beginning to melt, the aspen are beginning to unfurl their leaves, and the bears are rummaging about. All the more reason to pay attention to not just your surroundings in the national parks, but your cleanliness in terms of food.

Bear-Proof Food Canisters Mandatory for Most Backcountry Travel in Grand Teton National Park

Beginning this Saturday, if you're planning a backcountry trek into Grand Teton National Park you more than likely will be required to store your food in a bear-proof plastic canister.

Keeping Track of Grand Teton National Park's Bighorn Sheep

Tick off a list of Grand Teton National Park's wildlife and bison, elk, moose and bears come immediately to mind. Bighorn sheep? Not so quickly, but they're there.

Park History: Grand Teton National Park

Grand Teton National Park not only is one of America’s most photogenic national parks but, oddly enough, it's one of our most controversial.

Bush Administration Plan to Remove Wolf Protections Draws Criticism

If a wolf turns up in Rocky Mountain National Park, it will be protected by the Endangered Species Act. But plans by the Bush administration to remove ESA protection from Yellowstone's wolves could make it incredibly hard for the predators to migrate down to Colorado.

Venturing Into the Backcountry of the National Park System

Now, even though the snow continues to pile up in various parts of the country, is the time to begin planning your backcountry escape into the national park system.

A Grand Teton National Park Holiday Ornament

Former Park Service Director Mainella: Interior Department Called Yellowstone Snowmobile Decisions

Former National Park Service Director Fran Mainella says her bosses in the Interior Department in effect tied her hands on the question of recreational snowmobiling in Yellowstone National Park. And now she says science should have the final say in whether snowmobiling continues to be allowed in the park.

Park Service Issues Record of Decision On Snowmobiling in Yellowstone, Grand Teton National Parks

A day later than planned, National Park Service officials today signed off on their record of decision to continue snowmobile use in Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks. The ROD was called a "shocking stewardship decision" by the Coalition of National Park Service Retirees.

Yellowstone Snowmobile Decision Missing Record of Decision

Despite months and months of work and planning, National Park Service officials have failed to get a Record of Decision on snowmobiling in Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks signed off on on schedule. But that doesn't mean the upcoming winter season is in limbo. Indeed, a greater threat at this point is lack of snow.

EPA's Perplexing Position On Snowmobiles in Yellowstone National Park

Perplexing. That's my initial reaction to the Environmental Protection Agency's response to the snowmobile decision out of Yellowstone National Park. In five short paragraphs the EPA officials went from seemingly complimenting the decision to saying park planners failed to fully address their concerns.

The Yellowstone Precedent

As the latest decision on permitting snowmobiles in Yellowstone National Park draws to conclusion, the question of the impact that decision will have comes up. To those closely following the issue, the National Park Service's stance could have devastating effects across not just the park system, but over all public lands.

Rockefeller Family Turns Over More than 1,100 Acres to Grand Teton National Park

After negotiating a paperwork gauntlet, a tract of more than 1,100 acres has been transferred by the Rockefeller family to Grand Teton National Park.

Mountain Bikers Encouraged to Seek Access to Rocky Mountain National Parks

The International Mountain Bicycling Association has a friend in the National Park Service's Intermountain regional director, Michael Snyder. In a recent memo to park superintendents in his region, Mr. Snyder says IMBA can provide "some great partnership ... that you may want to take advantage of."

Director Bomar: Let Science, Not Politics, Decide the Yellowstone Snowmobile Issue

The pledge by Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne and National Park Service Director Mary Bomar to let science prevail in national park management decisions is nearing its defining test. If science is not supported in Yellowstone, where else in the park system will it have the final say?

NPS Director Bomar Not Inclined to Overturn Yellowstone's Snowmobile Backing

The fate of the snowmobile issue in Yellowstone National Park likely will turn on how the science conducted the past three winters in the park is interpreted. National Park Service Director Mary Bomar sides with those who say science indicates snowmobiles can be used in the park without harming the resource.

NPS' Washington Headquarters Supports Snowmobiles in Yellowstone

The decision by Yellowstone National Park officials that up to 540 snowmobiles a day should be allowed in the park come winter is supported by the National Park Service's Washington headquarters, which more than likely means another round of court battles is in the offing.

Fall's Brightest Colors Descending on National Parks

With Fall officially under way, it won't be too long before the season's most spectacular colors are daubed, stroked, and splashed across the national park system. The good news is that you haven't missed the peak yet. The bad news is that if you don't already have a room reservation, you probably won't find a vacancy in any of the well-known fall foliage parks.

Grand Teton's Snake River

Swift, powerful strokes carry the osprey and its meal away from the river. Winging through the trees that line the Snake River, the raptor carries a fat, protein-rich fish -- a trout, maybe a sucker -- that its talons moments ago had plucked from the swirling river. Somewhere the bird will find a roost where it can enjoy ...