Grand Tetons / Teton Mountains

Grand Teton National Park protects stunning mountain scenery and a diverse array of wildlife. The Teton Range is the focal point of the park, the youngest range in the Rocky Mountains. An active normal fault, the Teton Fault, lies on the 40 mile long mountain front. Rock is jetted into the sky some 7,000 feet from the flat plains, with the highest peak at 13,770 feet, the Grand Teton.

The general architecture of the range is simpler than that of most great mountain ranges of the world. The peaks are sculptured from an enormous westward-tilted fault block of ancient metamorphic and igneous rocks that are part of the central core of the continent. These basement rocks were once covered by much younger sedimentary rocks that have since been stripped by erosion. The north-south trending Teton fault lies at the foot of the range. The eastern edge of the Teton block has been raised at least 8,000 feet during the last two million years at an average rate of almost 5 inches per century. This very rapid uplift, geologically speaking, has resulted in tilted stream terraces in Jackson Hole, fresh fault scarps along the base of the range and occassional earthquakes.

Details of the mountainous landscape were developed on the uplifted Teton block by alpine glaciation . An excellent example of this topography molded by glacial erosion is the "Cathedral Group" consisting of the Grand Teton, Mt. Owen and Mt. Teewinot, and can be seen from the north vantage point. In the past 2 million years, glaciers have advanced and retreated due to several cycles of climatic cooling followed by warming. The Grand Teton is also an example of a glacial horn, a result of cirque glaciers eroding headward on three or more sides of the rock mass which created these pyramid shaped peaks.

The mountains in Grand Teton National Park are not only impressive with their geological background, but also in their accessibility and the views their summits offer. Modern highways lead virtually to the foot of the peaks. The summit of the Grand Teton is a little more than three horizontal miles from the nearest approach road. The Tetons are radiant to the climbing world, offering more than 38 distinct routes to the Grand Teton's summit, the center of interest. For those whose goals do not include the making of first ascents, there is an unlimited opportunity for hiking, on or off the 220 mile trail system.

Grand Teton National Park's mountains rise at a steady high angle. These peaks, bristled with spires and pinnacles, are topped by sharp summits. Their alure and energy has brought more than 3 million visitors a year in search of their scenic splendor. Mountains represent a piece in all of us and reconnecting with that is a remarkable and unforgetable experience.