MOOSE, Wyo. — Grand Teton National Park (GTNP) is celebrating 50 years of the John D. Rockefeller Jr. Memorial Parkway.

This stretch of land between Yellowstone and GTNP was created by congress in 1972 to honor the contributions of John D. Rockefeller, Jr. The Rockefeller name is widely known for a variety of pursuits, among those the contribution of thousands of acres of land and millions of dollars in support to the National Park Service.

The parkway honors his many contributions while providing protections to a stretch of land that encompasses the northern end of the Teton Range, the Snake River between Yellowstone and Jackson Lake, and a habitat for wildlife such as moose and grizzly bears.

Toby Koekkoek is a Community News Reporter, and a recent resident of Teton Valley. He enjoys writing about our region's community events and the movers and shakers that make up the culture of this unique mountain town. He enjoys deep powder, and deep thoughts, skateboarding, playing racquet sports, riding his bike, and nerding out on music. Toby also coaches freeride skiing for the Jackson Hole Ski Club and runs skateboard camps in the summer.