A larger parking area, improved restroom facilities, and trail improvements are being proposed for the Taggart Lake area at Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming.
As envisioned, the $14.6 million project would be funded in part through about $10.5 million in charitable dollars raised by the Grand Teton National Park Foundation.
The picturesque Taggert Lake area is one of the more popular destinations in the park, with the lake surrounded by dense forest and in the afternoon shadow of the Teton Range. That popularity, which continues year-round with hikers, skiers, and snowshoers, has led to illegal parking and strained the restroom facilities.
"For example, unpublished Park data documented numerous instances of fecal matter and toilet paper near Taggart Lake in 2022," notes the final environmental assessment (EA) prepared for the project. "Roadside parking on Teton Park Road potentially impacts scenic driving and the ability for visitors to park and transition to the trailhead."
Under the Park Service's preferred alternative, the project would "redesign the Taggart Lake Trailhead parking lot and trailhead, relocate roadside parking, improve accessibility and visitor experience on the Taggart Lake Trail, implement a pilot backcountry toilet, and improve the Cottonwood Creek Picnic Area."
The work plan calls for the parking area to be expanded to about 4 paved acres. "Portions of the existing Taggart Lake Trailhead parking lot and trails that do not overlap with the new parking lot configuration would be demolished and restored. All temporary disturbances, estimated at up to about six acres, would be restored with native vegetation following construction," the EA said.
You can find a copy of the EA, which is open for public comment through September 23, at this site. You also can leave your comments at that site.
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