Grant Village
Encyclopedia
Grant Village is a developed area of Yellowstone National Park
, offering lodging, camping and other visitor services. It is located on the southwest side of Yellowstone Lake
, about 2 miles (3.2 km) south of West Thumb. Grant Village was developed by the National Park Service
and concessioners under the Mission 66
program, in an effort to relocate land-consuming visitor services and accommodations away from the park's major attractions and sensitive features. Grant Village was planned to allow the removal of development encroaching on the thermal basin at West Thumb. Originally named "Thumb Bay," the development was first proposed in 1955 by Park Service director George Wirth to accommodate 2500 visitors with restaurants, gas stations, concessions and a marina.
By 1960 there was a divergence of opinion on the project's design: the primary concessioner, the Yellowstone Park Company, wanted a compact layout, while the Park Service's Western Office of Design desired a dispersed arrangement. Financial difficulties left the Yellowstone Park Company unable to exert much influence. Construction of the first phase of Grant Village, named after President Ulysses S. Grant
, was completed in June 1963, comprising a campground, picnic area and boat ramp. A marina was completed by 1965, with construction of motel-style lodging, service facilities and restaurants continuing into the 1980s. The development remained smaller than originally intended; in 1981 Secretary of the Interior James G. Watt
responded to pressure from the park gateway town of West Yellowstone, Montana
, cutting the project's scope.
Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone National Park, established by the U.S. Congress and signed into law by President Ulysses S. Grant on March 1, 1872, is a national park located primarily in the U.S. state of Wyoming, although it also extends into Montana and Idaho...
, offering lodging, camping and other visitor services. It is located on the southwest side of Yellowstone Lake
Yellowstone Lake
Yellowstone Lake is the largest body of water in Yellowstone National Park, The lake is 7,732 feet above sea level and covers with 110 miles of shoreline. While the average depth of the lake is 139 feet its deepest spot is at least 390 feet...
, about 2 miles (3.2 km) south of West Thumb. Grant Village was developed by the National Park Service
National Park Service
The National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
and concessioners under the Mission 66
Mission 66
Mission 66 was a US National Park Service ten-year program that was intended to dramatically expand Park Service visitor services by 1966, in time for the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the Park Service....
program, in an effort to relocate land-consuming visitor services and accommodations away from the park's major attractions and sensitive features. Grant Village was planned to allow the removal of development encroaching on the thermal basin at West Thumb. Originally named "Thumb Bay," the development was first proposed in 1955 by Park Service director George Wirth to accommodate 2500 visitors with restaurants, gas stations, concessions and a marina.
By 1960 there was a divergence of opinion on the project's design: the primary concessioner, the Yellowstone Park Company, wanted a compact layout, while the Park Service's Western Office of Design desired a dispersed arrangement. Financial difficulties left the Yellowstone Park Company unable to exert much influence. Construction of the first phase of Grant Village, named after President Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant was the 18th President of the United States as well as military commander during the Civil War and post-war Reconstruction periods. Under Grant's command, the Union Army defeated the Confederate military and ended the Confederate States of America...
, was completed in June 1963, comprising a campground, picnic area and boat ramp. A marina was completed by 1965, with construction of motel-style lodging, service facilities and restaurants continuing into the 1980s. The development remained smaller than originally intended; in 1981 Secretary of the Interior James G. Watt
James G. Watt
James Gaius Watt served as U.S. Secretary of the Interior for President Ronald Reagan from 1981 to 1983.-Early life and career:...
responded to pressure from the park gateway town of West Yellowstone, Montana
West Yellowstone, Montana
West Yellowstone is a town in Gallatin County, Montana, adjacent to Yellowstone National Park. The population was 1,177 at the 2000 census. The town is served by Yellowstone Airport...
, cutting the project's scope.