10 Great Reasons To Slow Down In Grand Teton NP

You've saved your pennies for the last couple of years and are visiting Grand Teton National Park on vacation. One of the park's attractions is its large animal population. Over 60 mammals live in the park, so there's a perfect chance you'll see a few.

Then, when you arrive, you feel you need to drive fast and get through the park as fast as possible.

Why?

I've never understood that.

I've been to the Tetons and Yellowstone quite a few times, and every time, cars race past me in a hurry. If you're in the park to try to see wildlife, you'll miss a lot when you're speeding by, and the chance of you hitting one of those animals increases.

 According to the Grand Teton NP Instagram:

Wildlife-vehicle collisions have increased over time within the park. In the last five years, an ungulate (hoofed animal) has been involved in a collision in the park every five days. 27 species were involved in collisions last year, including bison, wolves, and grouse. Many smaller species likely went undetected.

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If you collide with some of the larger animals, such as bison, elk, moose, deer, or antelope, not only could you kill that animal, but your vehicle would also be damaged and could cause injuries. That doesn't seem worth being first in line at Starbucks in Jackson to get your skinny vanilla latte.

GRTE visitors and local residents are reminded to:

• Obey the posted speed limit and maintain a safe following distance from other vehicles.
• Use caution and slow down, especially at dawn, dusk and at night when visibility is reduced.
• Follow the nighttime speed limit of 45 miles per hour on U.S. Highway 26/89/191. The reduced speed limit gives drivers and wildlife more time to react.
• Pay attention to your surroundings. Speeding is not the only cause of wildlife collisions; park wildlife are often hit because drivers are distracted.
• Call Teton Interagency Dispatch Center at 307-739-3301 to report wildlife-vehicle collisions, or harassment of wildlife in the park.

Slow down and enjoy the sights of the Tetons, wildlife, and the park's beauty. Your latte will be there a few minutes later.