Warren Buffet or Mark Zuckerberg or Oprah Winfrey or George Lucas or Larry Ellison or Bill Gates or Michael Bloomberg or Paul Allen or Jeff Bezos or Phil Knight or Charles Schwab or the Walton Family....perhaps one or two of them could follow the lead of Laurance S. Rockefeller and peel off a billion or two and buy up some pricey real estate adjacent to a national park or wilderness area, then donate it to the public trust and help fund trails and facilities for the enjoyment of all. Why not?
---- Bill Schneider, from “Hiking Grand Teton National Park”
An overcast, drizzly day in Grand Teton National Park—what to do? I consulted our hiking guide and chose the Laurance S. Rockefeller (LSR) Preserve in the southeast corner of the park for the day’s adventure.
 |
What makes the Laurance S. Rockefeller Preserve so special? These 1100 acres within the national park boundaries were owned by the Rockefeller family and used as a dude ranch and private retreat for 70 years. In 2001 ninety-one year-old Laurance donated the property to the national park service to be returned to its natural state and added to the treasures of Grand Teton National Park.
Think about it. Instead of selling off to developers and making tens of millions of dollars, or leaving it to his daughters or son to use for their own exclusive getaways, Mr. Rockefeller donated his ranch to the park system, along with funds for creating a world-class wildlife and natural area preserve. Thirty ranch buildings, utilities and roads were removed to return the land to a pristine state.
 |
| The LSR preserve contains prime bear habitat. The aspen trunk on the right shows old bear claw scars. |
 |
| This black bear was spotted outside the preserve's entrance. He's eating his fill of huckleberries to prepare for his long winter's nap. |
We walked the 2.9 mile loop trail to Phelps Lake; the trail winds through a pine and aspen forest and crosses Lake Creek several times. Low clouds cloaked the high mountain peaks when we reached the lake, but the calm water, sighing trees, and lack of people made for a striking scene.
 |
| Lake Creek |
The preserve opened in 2008 and today it’s a showcase of impeccable trails and of an astounding variety of plants and animals. Bear, small animals and birds abound. Benches on the lakeshore encourage you to sit and stay for awhile—to contemplate the beauty and serenity of the preserve and to thank Mr. Rockefeller for this amazing gift to the American people and to the natural world.
 |
| Tim soaks in the view across Phelps Lake. |
