![]() ![]() It all began in the late 19th century and continued for decades - with the eventual involvement and lobbying of John D. It took a long time of fighting for this territory’s protection to gain the National Park status. Though they struggled to farm and raise cattle due to the rocky and sandy soil - many of them turned to tourism and ‘dude ranches,’ and found the success that led to the area’s further development. Eventually, in the 1880’s, the area was settled by homesteaders and ranchers. Between 18, the region attracted major fur-trading companies. The first European explorers came here in the early 19th century. As it got colder, they migrated to warmer areas. ![]() In summer, the tribes came to harvest berries and bulbs, fish the streams and lakes, and hunt wildlife. They entered the Jackson Hole valley and left behind stone tools, tipi rings, and fire pits. These lands saw the first people 11,000 years ago, when the first nomadic Indigenous Tribes came for hunting and gathering during warm months. ![]() Before receding, glaciers carried cobbles, boulders, and gravel, that presently form moraines and mark the glaciers' terminuses. More recently it was the glaciers' turn - during Pleistocene Ice Age, they sculpted the landscape, widening V-shaped river canyons into U-shaped glacial canyons and forming cavities for future lakes.Ībout 200,000 years ago, the glaciers flowed and left behind outwash plains of gravel and cobbles - now the plains are covered by sagebrush, and conifer trees cover former glaciers' borders. The Teton fault is still active, and 7.0-7.5 magnitude earthquakes can occur from time to time. Erosion hasn’t influenced these mountains much, so their jagged peaks are still tall. In comparison, the Rockies are 50-80 million years old, and the Appalachians are older than 300 million years. This range itself is one of the youngest in North America, uplifting for less than 10 million years. After that, molten magma squeezed into cracks, cooled, and crystallized into igneous granite. A similar collision of plates created the Himalayas! The intense heat and pressure changed these sediments and separated different minerals - nowadays, you can see that in the rock’s zebra-striped layers. It was formed when two tectonic plates collided - then seafloor sediments and volcanic debris buried it up to 18 miles deep. Some of the oldest rocks in North America are present in the park - gneiss, a 2.7 billion-year-old metamorphic rock, makes up much of the Teton Range. Natural forces such as earthquakes, glaciers, and erosion have shaped this magnificent territory. The Teton Range landscape wasn't created overnight - it took the planet billions of years. In the end, hike along connecting the String and Jenny Lakes until you return to the String Lake Trailhead. Then go straight to Jenny Lake Boating (West Boat Dock) and follow the Jenny Lake Loop Trail along the north side of Jenny Lake. These are two incredibly great stops to observe the local flora and fauna. Keep to the east at the junction with the South Cascade Creek Trail and go up to Inspiration Point and Hidden Falls. Fairly soon, you'll join the Cascade Canyon Trail that gradually winds its way through mellow Valhalla Canyon and South Fork Cascade Canyon for about 4.5 miles, curling along Mount Owen's and Teewinot Mountain's northern slopes. Holly Lake and Lake Solitude are tremendous highlights on your way, and you can take a break if you are tired. Stop for a moment to appreciate the beauty and bubbling of the creek. The trail heads through green Engelmann spruce and subalpine fir forests, and through the branches of trees. Then dive deep into the heart of Grand Teton National Park on the Paintbrush Canyon Trail to the west. The trail gets steeper, and you'll switchback up the hillside above the lake. Start your journey near String Lake and follow the trail west across a bridge over Leigh Lake. ![]()
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