The north section of US 89/191/287 hugs the eastern shore of Jackson Lake. Across the lake, notice the patchwork of burned forest. The 1974 Waterfalls Canyon fire was one of the first naturally ignited wildland fires allowed to burn. Today, wildland fire management is a critical part of park policy attempting to preserve all aspects of the park's ecosystem.

The landscape we enjoy seems to change only with the seasons, but powerful geologic forces continue to shape the earth. The Teton Range lies at a geologic crossroads surrounded by other mountain ranges built at different times at by different forces. Earthquakes, volcanoes and glaciers all played a role in the past and will again in the future.

Name Origin

Fur trappers called a mountain-ringed valley a "hole." Named Davey Jackson's Hole for fur trapper David E. Jackson who worked for the Rocky Mountain Fur Company. The name was later shortened to Jackson Hole.