S n a k e

R i v e r Murie Ranch

Jackson Hole

Airport

BRIDGER-TETON

NATIONAL FOREST

White Grass

Ranch Sawmill Ponds

Parking

POKER FLATS

KL

26

89

M

P191

Windy Point

Turnout

Sleeping

Indian Turnout

Albright

View Turnout

Granite Canyon

Trailhead

Granite Entrance

Death Canyon

Trailhead

Moose

Entrance

Craig Thomas 

Discovery and 

Visitor Center

Laurance S.

Rockefeller

Preserve

Center

Timberline Lake

Phelps

Lake

Teton Park Road

Gros Ventre Road

Dea th Can yon

Open Canyon

Valley Trail

Moose-Wilson Road

Moose-Wilson Road

Produced by Denver Service Center Planning Division November 2013

Moose-Wilson Corridor

Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming

National Park Service/U.S. Department of the Interior

Legend

Entrance

Trailhead

Turnout

Point of Interest

Trails

Moose-Wilson Road

Streams

Laurance S. Rockefeller Preserve

Park Boundary

National Forest

Water Body

Project Area Boundary

Á

North

Overview

GRAND TETON 

NATIONAL PARK

Project Area

0 1 Mile

Grand Teton National Park 

Wyoming National Park Service

U.S. Department of the Interior

Envision the Future of the Moose-Wilson Corridor

Moose-Wilson Corridor Comprehensive Management Plan - Scoping Newsletter

Dear Friends,

The National Park Service (NPS) is initiating planning for the future of the 

Moose-Wilson corridor in Grand Teton National Park, and we are requesting 

your comments during the scoping period beginning December 6, 2013, to 

February 6, 2014. 

The Moose-Wilson corridor comprises about 10,300 acres in the southwest 

corner of the park. This exceptional area has a remarkable variety of natural 

communities, cultural and wilderness resources, and opportunities for visitor 

enjoyment. Moose-Wilson Road extends 7.7 miles through the area and is the 

primary access to several park destinations, including Death Canyon and Granite 

Canyon trailheads, Laurance S. Rockefeller Preserve, White Grass Ranch and 

Murie Ranch historic districts, and Sawmill Ponds overlook. The corridor also 

provides unmatched wildlife viewing opportunities for a range of iconic large 

mammal species.

Developing a comprehensive management plan for the Moose-Wilson corridor is 

critical to ensure the protection of key resources, values, and visitor experience. 

This newsletter provides you with information about the planning effort and ways 

you can participate. By sharing your ideas and opinions about how the MooseWilson corridor should be managed, you can help us shape its future.

Thank you for your interest in the Moose-Wilson corridor. We look forward to 

hearing from you!

Sincerely, 

Kevin Schneider, Acting Superintendent 

Grand Teton National Park 

John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway

Talk to us – We’re listening

We are asking you to share your thoughts, concerns, and vision for the 

future of the Moose-Wilson corridor. Your input is very important in 

guiding the planning team’s work. You can share your comments with 

us at the open house, on the NPS website at: http://parkplanning.nps.

gov /MooseWilson, or by mailing your comments to us.

You’re invited!

The National Park Service will be hosting an open house in 

Jackson, Wyoming, on Tuesday, January 14. The purpose of the 

open house is to gather public input on the Moose-Wilson Corridor 

Comprehensive Management Plan strategy and vision. The open 

house will provide participants with information about the corridor 

and the planning process. Please join us and share your ideas on the 

plan at the following location:

Tuesday, January 14, 5 to 8 pm

St. John’s Medical Center

Moose-Wapiti Classroom

625 East Broadway

Jackson, WY 83001

Purpose of the Corridor Comprehensive Management Plan

The purpose of the plan is to determine how best to provide 

appropriate opportunities for visitors to use, experience, and 

enjoy the area while protecting park resources. This plan will 

comprehensively examine several management options within 

the corridor to ensure the protection of significant national park 

resources and values.

Key Components of the Plan

To determine the appropriate future management strategies for the 

Moose-Wilson corridor, the plan will

•	 evaluate the importance and purpose of the Moose-Wilson 

corridor as a visitor destination within the park

•	 clearly define the necessary conditions for park visitors to 

understand, enjoy, and appreciate these resources and values

•	 distinguish the corridor’s fundamental and other important 

resources and values

•	 identify the desired resource conditions linked to these 

resources and values 

•	 analyze a range of management alternatives for maintaining 

these desired resource conditions
Moose-Wilson Corridor Issues and Opportunities

One of the first steps in any planning process is the scoping or “discovery” phase 

in which initial ideas about what the plan should address are assembled. The 

planning team has begun this step by developing a preliminary set of issues and 

opportunities involving the park’s Moose-Wilson corridor. Please review the 

topics below and then share your thoughts with us about how these issues could 

be resolved or if there are other topics that should be considered as part of the 

comprehensive management planning effort.

•	 Human-wildlife Interactions. How can the National Park Service best 

balance providing wildlife viewing opportunities, minimizing human 

impacts on wildlife, and mitigating safety concerns associated with 

potentially dangerous wildlife such as moose, black bears, and grizzly 

bears observed within the corridor? 

•	 Historic Character. What is the most appropriate way to maintain the 

rustic, narrow, winding, slow driving experience and historic character of 

Moose-Wilson Road?

•	 Bicycle and Motor Vehicle Use. What strategies are most appropriate in 

managing increasing traffic volumes and uses along the Moose-Wilson 

corridor?

•	 Visitor-related Resource Impacts. How can the National Park Service 

manage visitor use in the corridor to ensure that this use does not impact 

ecological communities, exceptional scenery, wildlife behaviors / wildlife 

viewing opportunities, or conflicts with other visitor uses?

•	 Visitor Experience. What is the most appropriate way in which the 

National Park Service can provide increased interpretation and education 

about the resources, values, and wilderness character along the MooseWilson corridor?

Foundation for Planning and Management

A foundation document describes a park’s purpose, significance, and fundamental 

resources and values. A foundation document was completed for Grand Teton 

National Park in 2006 that defines these essential elements and provides basic 

guidance for planning and management decisions.

The comprehensive management plan for the Moose-Wilson corridor will be 

shaped by the purpose, significance, and fundamental resources and values 

of Grand Teton National Park. This unique corridor contains a number of 

fundamental resources and values essential to achieving the purpose of the 

park and maintaining its significance. To better understand this relationship, 

excerpts from the park’s foundation document are provided below, followed by 

descriptions of each fundamental resource and value found within the MooseWilson corridor.

Purpose of Grand Teton National Park

The park purpose is the foundational reason(s) the park was established. A 

park purpose statement is grounded in a thorough analysis of the legislation (or 

executive order) and legislative history of the park and may include information 

from studies generated prior to the park’s establishment. 

The purposes of Grand Teton National Park are to

•	 preserve and protect the spectacular scenery of the Teton Range and the 

valley of Jackson Hole

•	 protect a unique geologic landscape that supports abundant diverse native 

plants and animals and associated cultural resources

•	 protect wildlands and wildlife habitat within the Greater Yellowstone Area, 

including the migration route of the Jackson elk herd

•	 provide recreational, educational, and scientific opportunities compatible 

with these resources for enjoyment and inspiration

Significance of Grand Teton National Park

Park significance statements express why the park’s resources and values are 

important enough to justify national park designation. They describe why an area 

is important within a global, national, regional, and systemwide context and are 

directly linked to the purpose of the park.

The following are the significant statements of Grand Teton National Park:

•	 The iconic mountain landscape of the Teton Range rises dramatically 

above the flat valley of Jackson Hole creating a compelling view that has 

inspired people to explore and experience the area for thousands of years. 

The sudden rise of rugged peaks contrasts with the horizontal sagebrush 

flats. Glacial lakes at the foot of the mountains reflect and expand the view. 

Opportunities to view an impressive array of wildlife are extraordinary. 

The awesome grandeur of the ever present Teton Range under changing 

weather conditions and seasons provides a superlative setting for 

unmatched visitor experiences.

•	 Grand Teton National Park preserves one of the world’s most impressive 

and highly visible fault block mountain ranges, which abruptly rises 7,000 

feet and is juxtaposed with landscapes shaped by glacial processes and 

braided river geomorphology. The Teton Range is one of the continent’s 

youngest mountain ranges, yet exposes some of the oldest rocks on earth.

•	 Grand Teton National Park is the heart of one of the earth’s largest intact 

temperate ecosystems with a full complement of native Rocky Mountain 

plants and animals, including grizzly bears, wolves, North American bison, 

pronghorn, and one of the world’s largest elk herds.

•	 The park represents one of the most notable conservation stories of the 

20th century, which continues to inspire present and future generations. 

The formation of the park, a process that took more than half a century, was 

a struggle between private economic interests and a concern for conserving 

the Teton Range and valley floor. From prehistoric times to the present day, 

numerous diverse cultures, cultural trends, and values influenced the Teton 

Range and Jackson Hole valley.

•	 Within the park, visitors can easily experience peaceful solitude, wilderness 

character, and a rare combination of outdoor recreational and educational 

activities, world-renowned wildlife and landscapes, and the cultural 

amenities of a vibrant community throughout the year. Visitors of all 

abilities and interests can enjoy opportunities for physical, emotional, and 

inspirational experiences in an unspoiled environment.

•	 As part of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, the park offers easily 

accessible and unparalleled opportunities for scientific research and 

educational study of temperate zone natural systems and processes in a range 

of elevations and the human relationships to these systems. The relatively 

pristine landscape serves as a “control” or baseline for scientific study.

Please Share Your Thoughts

The public scoping period, between December 6, 2013, to February 6, 

2014, is the ideal time for you to share your thoughts, concerns, and vision 

for shaping future management of the Moose-Wilson corridor. Your 

responses would help guide the planning team in developing the corridor 

comprehensive management plan, including the consideration of various 

alternatives for managing the corridor. We would also appreciate your 

responses to the following questions:

1. What do you value most about your visits to the Moose-Wilson corridor 

and why?

2. What do you think are the most important issues affecting the MooseWilson corridor? Issues can be concerns, opportunities, or topics 

needing further discussion.

3. Do you have any comments about the fundamental resources and values 

for the Moose Wilson corridor as described in the newsletter? 

4. What aspects of the Moose-Wilson corridor do you hope will continue 

into the future? What changes would you like to be made in the corridor 

for the future?

5. What other comments or suggestions do you have?

You can share your comments with us on the NPS user-friendly website at 

http://parkplanning.nps.gov/MooseWilson. The questions listed above 

are included on the website, and submitting your responses is quick and 

easy. Alternatively, you can submit comments at the open house on Tuesday, 

January 14 or by mailing your comments using the return address on this 

newsletter. We look forward to hearing from you.
Fundamental Resources and Values of Moose-Wilson Corridor

As an integral part of Grand Teton National Park, the Moose-Wilson corridor 

contains most of the park’s fundamental resources and values listed above. The 

following provides a description of these resources and values as they relate to the 

park’s broader foundation document.

 Scenery

The Moose-Wilson corridor contains an 

exceptionally wide variety of scenery that 

can be viewed throughout the seasons. The 

iconic peaks of the Teton Range and its highelevation canyons offer a unique view not 

readily found in other areas of Grand Teton 

National Park. Stunning views of Phelps 

Lake and Death Canyon can be found along 

trails within the Laurence S. Rockefeller 

Preserve. Other exceptional scenic landscapes 

within the corridor include the Snake River, 

forests, sagebrush flats, and wet meadows and 

wetlands. These diverse scenic landscapes and 

visual qualities foster a sense of discovery and 

provide visitors with opportunities to view 

wildlife, especially along Moose-Wilson Road.

Geologic Processes 

The Moose-Wilson corridor provides a glimpse into the geologic forces shaping 

this region. Earthquakes generated on the Teton fault lifted the Teton Range to the 

west, while melting glaciers left behind outwash plains carved by the Snake River 

to the east. Small earthquakes occasionally shake the region, suggesting the power 

of future mountain-building earthquakes. Evidence of past glaciations flanks the 

corridor. Terraces carved by melting glaciers rise above the modern river; while 

piedmont lakes dammed by glacial moraines lie at the mouth of U-shaped canyons. 

All the while, rainfall and freeze-thaw cycles cause landslides and rock falls.

 Ecological Communities and Wildlife

The Snake River’s extensive riparian 

habitats are closer to the Teton Range in 

the Moose-Wilson corridor than at any 

other location in the park, providing an 

outstanding representation of the park’s 

major natural ecological communities 

within a relatively limited geographic area. 

Aspens, chokecherries, willows, various 

conifers, and other vegetation provide 

forage and exceptional cover for protection 

of wildlife. Consequently, a large variety 

of wildlife can be found in this small area. 

This natural constriction between the 

river and the mountains functions as an 

important wildlife corridor within Grand 

Teton National Park. Prominent wildlife 

species within the corridor include grizzly 

and black bears, wolves, elk, moose, 

beavers, and migratory birds.

Aquatic Resources

The Moose-Wilson corridor contains a portion of the designated wild and scenic 

Snake River; its associated floodplain and riparian areas; Phelps Lake; and a 

complex system of high-value wetlands, mountain seeps, springs, and streams. The 

mountain streams, such as Granite and Open Canyon creeks and others, drain 

critical cold water into the Snake River, providing important refugia for spawning 

fish species and cold water aquatic species. The diverse aquatic communities in the 

corridor provide important habitat for beaver and other wildlife, as well as sustain 

appropriate visitor uses. 

Cultural History and Resources

For at least the last 10,000 years, people have traveled and settled along the 

Snake River corridor at the base of the Teton Range. The long span of American 

Indian presence in the area is reflected in the archeological record, tribal oral 

histories, and the enduring cultural connections retained by tribes associated 

with the park. European American fur trappers entered the area in the early 19th 

century followed by government explorers, prospectors, and homesteaders. Cattle 

ranching and later dude ranching became important economic activities during 

the 20th century. Two significant dude ranches along the Moose-Wilson Road 

corridor (Murie Ranch and White Grass Ranch) are designated historic districts—

Murie Ranch is one of only two national historic landmarks in Grand Teton 

National Park. The histories of Murie Ranch and the Laurance S. Rockefeller 

Preserve are also associated with resource stewardship and the emerging national 

conservation movement in the 20th century. Moose-Wilson Road, first developed 

in the latter 19th century as a wagon road serving local ranches and residences, 

meets the criteria for listing in the National Register of Historic Places. 

Natural Soundscapes and Acoustic Resources

Because of the diversity of habitats and wildlife species, the Moose-Wilson corridor 

has abundant and diverse natural sounds that not only enhance visitor experience, 

but serve a critical ecological role. Spring’s early morning bird chorus heralds the 

arrival of migrants and the resumption of breeding activities for many species of 

wildlife. Territories are defended and mates are attracted through the use of songs 

and calls. In the wetland areas, amphibians join the chorus for the same purposes. 

Summer brings thunderstorms and the sounds of insects during warm afternoons. 

Elk bugling in the fall portends the upcoming winter season with both its winter 

snow storms and impressive silent nights. The sound of flowing water from the 

Snake River and its cascading tributaries and the common sound of wind pervades 

the forests and sagebrush flats year-round. These sounds add depth and meaning 

for visitors, as does the opportunity to hear nothing—the sound of silence.

Visitor Experience in an Outstanding Natural Environment

The Moose-Wilson corridor provides an excellent area in which visitors may 

immerse themselves in the spectacular natural setting of the Teton Range. Visitors 

have extraordinary opportunities to observe wildlife,experience solitude, explore 

wilderness1

, appreciate dark night skies, and participate in the silence and sounds 

that come only from nature. The Moose-Wilson Road provides a gateway to many 

of these unique experiences. Whether hiking to Phelps Lake, accessing climbing 

routes and wilderness areas through Granite and Death canyons, exploring the 

historic districts of White Grass Ranch and Murie Ranch, or discovering the 

Laurence S. Rockefeller Preserve, visitors of the Moose-Wilson corridor can 

become intimately involved in one of the most scenic and rustic road corridors 

found in any national park. 

1

 The Moose-Wilson corridor contains potential wilderness and abuts recommended 

wilderness along the western and northern boundaries. These areas are managed to protect the 

wilderness character qualities including natural, untrammeled, undeveloped, and opportunities 

for solitude or primitive and unconfined recreation.

Fundamental Resources and Values of Grand Teton National Park

Fundamental resources and values are those features, systems, processes, 

experiences, stories, scenes, sounds, smells, or other attributes determined to merit 

primary consideration during planning and management processes because they 

are essential to achieving the purpose of the park and maintaining its significance. 

Fundamental resources and values are closely related to a park’s legislative purpose 

and are more specific than significance statements.

The following are the fundamental resources and values of Grand Teton

National Park:

Scenery

•	 natural beauty, wildlife, clean air, relative lack of development 

•	 sagebrush flats that provide a platform for viewing 

Geologic Processes 

•	 Teton and other faults

•	 ongoing glacial/hydrologic processes 

•	 volcanic history and linked underground geothermal features and systems 

•	 braided river geomorphology 

Ecological Communities 

•	 geography, location, size, and connectivity of the Greater Yellowstone 

Ecosystem 

•	 extreme topography in a small area that leads to diverse vegetation 

communities 

•	 full complement of native birds and mammals—natural predator-prey 

interactions that reflect the health of the ecosystem 

•	 natural disturbances—fire, landslides, flooding, drought, insect infestations—

influence the landscape 

Aquatic Resources

•	 lakes, free-flowing water

•	 riparian habitat for native species, including Yellowstone cutthroat trout and 

Snake River cutthroat trout

•	 clean water, including outstanding natural resource waters

Cultural History and Resources

•	 American Indian use and spiritual reverence

•	 history of the fur trade and westward expansion reflected in place names, 

paintings, photographs, homestead structures, and dude ranches

•	 story of “crucible of conservation” evident in structures such as the Maude 

Noble Cabin, Murie Ranch, and Rockefeller Parkway

•	 mountaineering history of the Teton Range

Natural Soundscapes

•	 sounds associated with predator avoidance, prey detection, mating, and other 

behavioral interactions

•	 biological sounds such as birds singing, fish splashing, and elk bugling

•	 physical sounds such as waterfalls, rapids, wind in vegetation, and thunder

Visitor Experience in an Outstanding Natural Environment

•	 spectacular setting and quality natural environment

•	 opportunities to observe wildlife

•	 full spectrum of access, ability level, and activities year-round

•	 wilderness character, opportunities for solitude, natural lightscapes, natural 

soundscapes
United States Department of the Interior

National

Park Service

Grand

Teton

National

Park

Attn: Moose-Wilson

Plannin

g

Team

PO

Drawer 170

Moose, WY 83012-0170

OFFICIAL BUSINESS

PENALT Y FOR PRIVATE US

E $300

To learn more about the Moose-Wilson corridor planning effort visit go.nps.gov/moose-wilson

Related Past Planning Decisions

In 1998, the National Park Service completed an environmental 

assessment and approved a Finding of No Significant Impact 

to help improve visitor services and experiences and resource 

protection through better law enforcement, access control, 

information opportunities, and emergency services at the park’s 

southwest entrance (Granite Canyon) to the Moose-Wilson 

corridor. Although the environmental assessment focused on 

specific actions related to the Granite Canyon entrance, NPS 

staff and some members of the public recognized the need for a 

comprehensive management plan for the corridor.

The National Park Service also completed a parkwide 

transportation planning effort in March 2007, which allowed 

implementation of several actions within the Moose-Wilson 

corridor. The Record of Decision for the plan’s environmental 

impact statement authorized the realignment of 2.5 miles of 

the northern portion of the road; construction of 3.3 miles 

of separated, shared-use pathways along the southern end 

of the road between the park boundary and the Laurance S. 

Rockefeller Preserve; testing of various adaptive management 

strategies for traffic management on Moose-Wilson Road; and 

wildlife research and monitoring related to these actions.

There have been two significant changes within the corridor 

since the 2007 Record of Decision: (1) grizzly bears have 

expanded their range and now frequent the corridor, and (2) 

the Laurance S. Rockefeller Preserve has been transferred from 

private ownership to the National Park Service. The preserve 

is now open to the public and is subject to the requirements 

of the donor. These changed conditions, as well as the unique 

importance of the corridor as it relates to natural communities 

and wildlife diversity, led the park to identify a critical need for 

a new planning effort that comprehensively addresses all of the 

corridor’s significant issues together.

Planning Schedule

Milestone Completion Date Public Input

Public scoping. Fall-Winter 2013

Review the newsletter, attend the 

open house, and provide your 

comments.

Collect data on vehicle, bicycle, and 

pedestrian use of the road, trails, and 

parking lots and impacts to resource 

areas within the corridor.

Ongoing

Stay up-to-date on the planning 

process by visiting the website at: 

http://parkplanning.nps.gov/

MooseWilson. Conduct visitor surveys within the 

corridor to determine visitor perceptions of issues, problems, desired 

experience, and values.

Summer 2014

Develop a range of alternatives. Winter 2014

Review the preliminary alternatives 

newsletter, attend the open house, 

and provide your comments.

Prepare draft Moose-Wilson Corridor 

Comprehensive Management Plan / 

Environmental Impact Statement.

Winter 2015 Review the plan, attend the open 

house, and provide your comments.

Prepare final Moose-Wilson Corridor 

Comprehensive Management Plan / 

Environmental Impact Statement.

Summer 2015 Stay up-to-date on the planning 

process by visiting the website at: 

http://parkplanning.nps.gov/

MooseWilson. Prepare Record of Decision. Fall 2015

Data Collection Efforts

Data collection during the summer of 2013 was led by researchers from Utah 

State University through a cooperative agreement with the National Park Service. 

Research will help determine visitor-use patterns, areas and levels of user-created 

impacts (such as user-created parking areas and associated trails), and the adequacy 

and efficiency of existing formal parking facilities. Data collection efforts will 

continue in 2014. 

Additional data will be collected during the summer of 2014 by researchers from 

Pennsylvania State University through a different cooperative agreement with the 

National Park Service. 

Research will be used to evaluate existing social conditions and will help park staff 

understand visitor perceptions of issues, problems, desired conditions, and values 

related to the Moose-Wilson corridor. Visitors will primarily be asked about the 

types of experiences they participated in and the quality of those experiences. 

Together, these studies will inform the planning process and efforts to assess the 

type and level of visitor use that can be accommodated, while sustaining the desired 

resource conditions and visitor experiences within the corridor.

WyomingGrand Teton National Park 

National Park Service

U.S. Department of the Interior