Lodging tax board to weigh $23,750 grant for GTNP outer-road geology audio tour

The Jackson Hole Travel & Tourism Board (JHTTB) will review an FY26 Q4 “Community Partnerships” request for $23,750 to create a free, GPS-triggered geology audio tour for drivers traveling Grand Teton National Park’s “outer park road” route from Jackson to Moran. The application says the tour would include 10 geo-located audio points totaling about 30 minutes, plus written scripts for accessibility and a “virtual exhibit hall” with images and links. The item is scheduled for the board’s April 9 meeting. (Lodging Tax Board Meeting Agenda; Community Partnerships Funding Application Attachment)

According to the application, Teton Geological Services is partnering with TravelStorysGPS and the “Geologists of Jackson Hole” to produce and host the tour, with an intended project timeline of April 1–June 30, 2026. The applicant frames the project as destination-stewardship education, saying messages about responsible recreation and resource protection (including “dark skies” and air quality) would be woven into the tour’s interpretation of geology and landscape. (Community Partnerships Funding Application Attachment)

The $23,750 request represents 92% of the overall project budget, with the remaining support described as in-kind marketing help. The proposal says JHTTB funds would pay for writing/recording the narratives, building the GPS-enabled tour, marketing a June launch, and covering subscription/software and analytics costs. TravelStorysGPS analytics would be used to measure success, and the application cites a range of 1,000–40,000 users annually for “popular” tours, with an average of 6,700. (Community Partnerships Funding Application Attachment)