Moran Canyon (Wyoming)
Encyclopedia
Moran Canyon is located in Grand Teton National Park
, in the U. S. state of Wyoming
. The canyon lies between Mount Moran
to the south and Traverse Peak
and Bivouac Peak
to the north. Moran Bay, part of Jackson Lake
, is at the mouth of the canyon to the east. The canyon was formed by glacier
s which retreated at the end of the last glacial maximum
approximately 15,000 years ago.
Grand Teton National Park
Grand Teton National Park is a United States National Park located in northwestern Wyoming, U.S. The Park consists of approximately and includes the major peaks of the long Teton Range as well as most of the northern sections of the valley known as Jackson Hole. Only south of Yellowstone...
, in the U. S. state of Wyoming
Wyoming
Wyoming is a state in the mountain region of the Western United States. The western two thirds of the state is covered mostly with the mountain ranges and rangelands in the foothills of the Eastern Rocky Mountains, while the eastern third of the state is high elevation prairie known as the High...
. The canyon lies between Mount Moran
Mount Moran
Mount Moran is a mountain in Grand Teton National Park of western Wyoming, USA. The mountain is named for Thomas Moran, an American western frontier landscape artist. Mount Moran dominates the northern section of the Teton Range rising above Jackson Lake. Several active glaciers exist on the...
to the south and Traverse Peak
Traverse Peak
Traverse Peak is in the northern Teton Range, Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming. The mountain rises abruptly above Moran Canyon to the south and the south fork of Snowshoe Canyon to the north. From Moran Bay on Jackson Lake, the south slopes of the mountain can be seen behind Bivouac Peak rising...
and Bivouac Peak
Bivouac Peak
Bivouac Peak is in the northern Teton Range, Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming. The peak is located immediately to the west of Moran Bay on Jackson Lake, and rises more than in less than from the lakeshore. Moran Canyon is situated to the south of the mountain and Snowshoe Canyon lies to the...
to the north. Moran Bay, part of Jackson Lake
Jackson Lake
Jackson Lake is a lake located in north western Wyoming in Grand Teton National Park. The lake is natural, except for the top 33 feet , which is due to the construction of Jackson Lake Dam, built in 1911. This top level of the lake is utilized by farmers in Idaho for irrigation purposes...
, is at the mouth of the canyon to the east. The canyon was formed by glacier
Glacier
A glacier is a large persistent body of ice that forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation over many years, often centuries. At least 0.1 km² in area and 50 m thick, but often much larger, a glacier slowly deforms and flows due to stresses induced by its weight...
s which retreated at the end of the last glacial maximum
Last Glacial Maximum
The Last Glacial Maximum refers to a period in the Earth's climate history when ice sheets were at their maximum extension, between 26,500 and 19,000–20,000 years ago, marking the peak of the last glacial period. During this time, vast ice sheets covered much of North America, northern Europe and...
approximately 15,000 years ago.