Hot summer weather drives locals to String and Leigh lakes. Visitors also have found easy access to the waterways a great way to cool off at the base of the glorious Tetons. Last year’s closure of Jenny Lake also drive extra folks to String and Leigh.
All this adds up to that area getting swamped with visitors lately. Grand Teton National Park officials say String Lake has experienced extremely high visitation levels in recent weeks and the trend is expected to continue.
In response partly because of a pesky black bear that has now been removed from the population, a String Lake volunteer group was created in 2016 to greet and assist visitors to the area, provide bear safety and food storage education, and facilitate traffic flow through the area. Their on-the-ground presence has improved the experience of visitors to the area and helped prevent human-bear conflicts, while also providing park managers a clearer picture of visitation dynamics in the area.
GTNP superintendent David Vela said, “We greatly appreciate the work and passion of our String Lake volunteers. They have greatly helped to identify visitor experience and resource protection issues, and create solutions for improvement.”
This summer, volunteers have identified parking as a particular problem. Parked vehicles are too often obstructing traffic flow and blocking access for critical emergency services. The String Lake area has approximately 165 designated parking spots. However, the volunteers have recently recorded nearly two and a half times that many vehicles parked in the area at peak times. Many of these vehicles have been parked within the lane of travel, on curbs, on vegetation, and in other inappropriate locations.
Park managers have implemented a number of short-term measures to alleviate the congestion and are considering potential long-term solutions. Meanwhile, signs indicating that the parking lot is full are being set up and the volunteers are contacting motorists as they enter the area. Visitors are allowed to drop off passengers and possibly find a spot that has emptied. If they do not find a free spot, visitors should park in designated overflow parking spots with all tires off the pavement. Parking on curbs and other non-designated areas is not allowed and citations may be issued for noncompliance.
Facility improvements have also been implemented at String Lake. With the assistance of the Grand Teton National Park Foundation, six new bear-resistant food storage lockers were installed in the fall of 2016, doubling the number of lockers. A new horse trail bypass was added to prevent visitor use conflicts along the busy shoreline. Other facility changes included improved signage and temporary restrooms located at the canoe launch and trailhead. New limits on commercial group use in the picnic area have also been implemented. Visitors are encouraged to consider other picnic areas in the park such as Sacred Heart and Jackson Lake Dam.
Visitors to String Lake can be proactive in preparing for a positive experience by coming early, before 9am or arriving later in the day, after 4:00pm. Recreationists and picnickers should be sure to use the food storage lockers whenever coolers, food, drinks, or other bear attractants are not in immediate use. Visitors driving open-bed pick-up trucks should be mindful not to leave bear attractants in open beds. In the spirit of Leave No Trace, all visitors are reminded to take personal items and trash with them upon leaving the area.
In addition, a team of social science researchers is studying visitor access, use and experience, and resource impacts associated with increased visitation. The two-year study will help park managers develop solutions that provide quality experiences while protecting the area’s resources.
Additional volunteers are always welcome. Interested? Contact Jessica Erwin.
