This story is part of our Quick Hits series. This series will bring you breaking news and short updates from throughout the state.
Grand Teton National Park (GTNP) is moving forward with changes for a popular and often crowded trailhead. It’s looking for public comment on its ideas through the middle of September.
The Taggart Lake trailhead is the first stopping point for a lot of people visiting the Tetons. It’s one of the only year-round trailheads in the park and is a jumping-off spot for backcountry skiers and snowshoers in the winter. In the summer, the parking lot can fill up early and cars often line the side of the road as hikers trek to the nearby mountain lakes.
The park is looking to make some improvements to meet that increase in demand. GTNP’s proposed plan includes relocating the current parking lot and making it bigger, as well as ending roadside parking.
“Year-round visitor use at the Taggart Lake Trailhead has increased in the past 10 years (2015 to 2024) and the existing facilities, including the trail system to Taggart Lake, do not adequately support quality year-round visitor experiences and have led to negative impacts on resources, visitor experiences, and Park operations,” states the project’s 99-page Environmental Assessment.
Under the plan, the current fleet of blue port-a-potties would be replaced with permanent toilets, sinks and a place to get drinking water. The project would also redesign the trailhead area and widen the hiking trail to make it more accessible. The park is even thinking about piloting a backcountry toilet in an effort to reduce human waste along the trail.
The changes could cost around $15 million, according to a recent GTNP press release, but about two-thirds of that would be covered by philanthropic donations through the Grand Teton National Park Foundation.
Construction for the project is set to take place over two years, starting next year from April through November. The Environmental Assessment anticipates "limited or intermittent access” to the trailhead during that time, but parking would remain available in the winter.
Public comment is open online through September 23rd. The park will host a virtual public meeting during the comment window, but details about the date have not yet been announced.
