The upcoming President's Day weekend means free entry to Grand Teton National Park. Entrance fees will be waived from Saturday, February 14 through Monday, February 16 at nearly 400 national park units across the country. This will also be a perfect weekend to experience and enjoy a variety of winter activities throughout the park and capture the photogenic Tetons or wintering wildlife on camera. Entry fees for a private vehicle to Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks normally costs $25 for seven days.
Weekend visitors to Grand Teton can engage in winter activities from auto-touring, wildlife viewing or photography to cross-country skiing, skate skiing and snowshoeing across the snow-covered landscape. A popular winter trail-that spans 15 miles of the unplowed Teton Park Road from Taggart Lake parking area to Signal Mountain Lodge-is open, and machine groomed each Friday and most Mondays, when weather and park staffing allows.
In addition to skiing, photography and wildlife watching, ranger-led snowshoe hikes take place each Tuesday, Friday and Saturday day at 1:30 p.m. from the Taggart Lake parking area. The two-hour guided walks offer an opportunity to learn about snow science and winter ecology. Reservations are required and can be made at 307.739.3399. Previous experience is not necessary, and snowshoes are available for use during the hike for a suggested donation of $5/person. The Grand Teton Association collects these donations to help maintain the historic wooden snowshoes used for this ranger-led activity.
For complete information about winter activities in Grand Teton National Park or the John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway, go to. Visitors can also obtain winter season information visiting online at www.nps.gov/grte, by stopping at the Jackson Hole and Greater Yellowstone Visitor Center on North Cache Street in Jackson, or by calling the park's information line at 307.739.3399, between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday-Saturday.
In addition to waiving entrance fees during this upcoming holiday, Grand Teton will also offer free admission on five other days throughout 2015. The fee-free dates for the calendar year include:
* April 18-19 (National Park Week opening weekend)
* August 25 (National Park Service's 99th anniversary)
* September 26 (National Public Lands Day)
* November 11 (Veterans Day)
Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service
