MOOSE, Wyo. — Wyoming’s Grand Teton National Park already has had its busiest year on record.
The park joins nearby Yellowstone in setting visitation records this year. Grand Teton had almost 3.5 million recreation visits between January and September and broke 2018's full-year record by almost 3,000 visits.
Grand Teton National Park recorded 3,493,937 recreation visits between January and September 2021, surpassing the earlier year record with three months left in the year. The previous record was 3,491,151 visits.
Park officials said in a statement Wednesday the increased tourism means more traffic. Trail use is up 29% from 2019 and 49% from 2016. Visitors are seeing the park at different times of the year, with more visits in March, April and May.
“2021 has been a record setting year for visitation in Grand Teton National Park, but it’s more than just the numbers. We are seeing changing patterns and behavior including more people in the backcountry and more visitors in the ‘shoulder season.’ The park is studying changing visitation to gain a more detailed understanding of existing conditions and learning what issues may threaten a quality visitor experience. We are also learning from other parks, seeing what solutions are being tried and what issues they are solving,” said Grand Teton National Park Superintendent Chip Jenkins. “The visitor experience is a resource, just like moose or clean air, and it’s something we are actively working to preserve and protect.”
Summertime remains hectic, though, with this past July the busiest in park history.
Park officials say they are conducting studies to analyze visitor traffic within the park.
Watch more Local News:
See the latest news from around the Treasure Valley and the Gem State in our YouTube playlist: