by Katie Klingsporn, Wyo file

Wyoming’s world-famous national parks are set to be upgraded with proposed projects to repair a flood-damaged section of highway and deal with crowds at trailheads.

Grand Teton National Park officials will hold a public meeting Wednesday on their plans to improve the Taggart Lake trailhead — where increased visitation has led to overflow parking, deteriorating trail conditions , loss of vegetation and insufficient facilities.

Yellowstone National Park, meanwhile, is seeking feedback on improving 27 miles of its northeast entrance road. The aging highway was damaged by the 2022 floods, with many sections washed away.

Taggart Lake Trailhead

The Taggart Lake trailhead is at the south end of the park and is easily accessible from Jackson Hole. The popular year-round trailhead is a starting point for activities like hiking, skiing, biking, and camping – with several trails leading to mountain lakes at the base of the Tetons.

But visitor numbers have multiplied over the past decade and existing facilities don’t adequately accommodate the crowds, according to the park.

During the summer months of July and August 2023, an average of more than 6,000 vehicles passed the trailhead daily. Summer use of the Taggart Lake Loop Trail has increased by more than 100% over the past decade. Parking spaces are often full and overflow parking, coupled with larger crowds, has damaged resources.

The so-called park Reinventing the Taggart Lake Experience The planning effort focuses on improving the site through improvements to: year-round parking and facilities, accessibility, summer trail system, waterfront destinations, scenic pools, orientation and interpretive information.

The plan is still in its pre-National Environmental Policy Act phase. Grand Teton park officials are seeking public comment on a draft document which establishes several options to move or expand the parking lot, modify the roadway and surround the trail. These include concepts such as adding backcountry restrooms along the trail system or realigning a multi-use trail.

“We are asking people from here and abroad for their input on how we can continue to preserve the park and provide opportunities for high-quality experiences in the Taggart Lake area,” said Chip Jenkins, superintendent of Grand Teton National Park, adding that participation is “essential to the success” of the initiative.

A public comment period opened on October 18 and will last until November 21. The park will host a virtual public meeting Wednesday from 5 to 6:30 p.m. For information about the meeting, more details on the plan or to submit written comments, visit project website.

After the comment period, park officials will prepare pre-NEPA documentation over the winter. A NEPA document will then be released for public review, likely next summer.

Northeast Entrance Road

In Yellowstone, park officials have drafted a proposal to significantly improve 27 miles of highway between Tower Junction and the northeast entrance.

The Northeast Entrance Road is open to vehicular traffic year-round and provides winter access to Cooke City/Silver Gate in Montana and Lamar Valley, where visitors from around the world flock to view wildlife.

The section of road suffered heavy damage during the devastating floods of 2022. The project, carried out in cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration, aims to modernize the aging road to improve its safety and usability and to strengthen its resiliency to future floods.

The park has not undertaken substantial improvements to the road since the 1980s, according to park officials. The existing roadway has exceeded its design life of 20 years and was not designed for current traffic. Bridges, retaining walls and culverts are worn and the road is susceptible to frost heave in some areas.

The project proposes to expand the road’s footprint from its current width of 20 to 22 feet to the modern park standard of 30 feet. It would also allow for the construction of additional road shoulders, parking areas and turnouts. Finally, it would realign the road in areas where it was washed away during the 2022 flood or where it might be vulnerable to similar future events.

The public can consult online project and submit your comments until December 3.

The comments will help the park develop an environmental assessment. A draft environmental assessment will likely be released for public review in June 2025.

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This article was originally published by Wyo file and is republished here with permission. Wyo file is an independent, nonprofit news organization focused on the people, places and politics of Wyoming.