National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 240 | Grand Teton State of the Park

By Jess Repanshek - September 17th, 2023

Grand Teton National Park is an incredible place, rich in wildlife, mountaineering history, pioneer history, and Native American history. And, rightfully so, it’s one of the busiest parks in the National Park System. In 2021 the park saw nearly 4 million visitors, as the public rushed back out into nature after the worst of the Covid pandemic. Last year it counted 2.8 million visitors.

How many visitors are too many? How has that growing visitation impacted the health of the park, the tasks confronting the National Park Service staff in the park, and your experience as you explore Grand Teton?

We’re going to discuss those topics today with Chip Jenkins, the park superintendent.

0:02 National Parks Traveler introduction
0:12 Episode Intro with Kurt Repanshek
0:42 Sieur De Monts - Nature’s Symphony - The Sounds of Acadia
1:03 The Everglades Foundation
1:14 Great Smoky Mountains Association
1:35 Potrero Group
2:07 Grand Teton State of the Park
16:42 Big Country - Randy Petersen - The Sounds of Yellowstone
16:52 NPT RVing Guide
17:30 Washington’s National Park Fund
18:02 Friends of Acadia
18:28 Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation
18:52 Grand Teton State of the Park Continues
33:44 Blue Mist - Randy Petersen - The Sounds of Shenandoah
33:54 Yosemite Conservancy
34:15 Interior Federal Credit Union
34:39 Grand Teton National Park Foundation
35:10 Grand Teton State of the Park Continues
44:50 Long Pond - Nature’s Symphony - The Sounds of Acadia
45:20 Episode Closing
45:40 Orange Tree Productions
46:13 Splitbeard Productions
46:24 National Parks Traveler footer

Grand Teton National Park

National Parks Traveler Podcast

Comments

Submitted by Joshua Israel on September 17, 2023 - 10:37am.

Kurt, great podcast on Grand Teton Park but I have two questions for you!

1. What is current situation with the Kelly Parcel? Will it be bought out by the park?

2. Are there any design plans to put a fish ladder on Jackson Lake Dam for cutthroat trout migratio?

National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 327 | Plight of the Parks

So much is happening so quickly to the National Park Service. There have been staff reductions, hiring freezes, spending freezes, orders from the Interior Secretary to make sure that visitors find national parks welcoming, no matter what it takes.

June 1st, 2025 Read More

National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 326 | Environmental Partisanship

Is green a red and blue construct? Put another way, is there a political partisan divide over the environment?

That’s a particularly interesting question, no doubt more so in recent years as the country seems to have drifted farther and farther apart because of our political beliefs. To that point, a reader reached out the other day to say our stories shouldn’t be negative on the Trump Administration because the national parks are going to need the help of all of us - Democrats, Republicans, Independents, and everything in-between - to survive.

May 25th, 2025 Read More

National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 325 | Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility

News around public lands these days seems to revolve entirely around the Trump administration. In the case of Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, many of the steps the administration is taking with the operational efficiencies of the National Park Service and other land management agencies certainly are keeping PEER busy.

May 18th, 2025 Read More

National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 324 | North American Bird Declines

True birders are some of the most determined and persistent hobbyists out there. If you want to call bird watching a hobby. For many, it’s more like a passion. Many look forward to “Big Day” competitions, where individuals and teams strive to see how many different bird species they can spot in a 24-hour period.

May 11th, 2025 Read More

National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 323 | Walt Dabney and Public Lands

It’s fair to say that the nation’s public lands, those managed by the National Park Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Forest Service and other federal land-management agencies are at risk under the Trump administration.

There’s no hyperbole in that statement if you pay attention to what the administration already has done in terms of downsizing those agencies’ workforces, and when you listen to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum say he wants to open more public lands to energy development and mining.

May 4th, 2025 Read More

INN Member

The easiest way to explore RV-friendly National Park campgrounds.

The Essential RVing Guide to the National Parks

Here’s the definitive guide to National Park System campgrounds where RVers can park their rigs.

Our app is packed with RVing- specific details on more than 250 campgrounds in more than 70 national parks.

You’ll also find stories about RVing in the parks, tips helpful if you’ve just recently become an RVer, and useful planning suggestions.

The Essential RVing Guide to the National Parks