Visitor Center and Restrooms - NEW!

Laurance S. Rockefeller Preserve

The Laurance S. Rockefeller Preserve is an 1106 acre lakeshore property bordering the southwest corner of Wyoming’s Grand Teton National Park.  The Park spans an area of nearly 310,000 acres, and its craggy mountains, clear lakes, and abundant wildlife make Grand Teton a favorite destination for over 2 million hikers, fishermen, bikers, cross-country skiers, and others from around the world, every year. 

The new visitor center, which serves as the main entry-point into the Preserve, is a one-story, 7500 square foot facility built to achieve the U.S. Green Building Council’s highest level of certification—LEED Platinum.  The Park Service has embraced the challenge of maintaining the Preserve in a way that benefits both visitors and the natural environment.  The visitor center uses one small Clivus Multrum Composter with a foam-flush toilet fixture to serve staff.  The foam-flush fixture requires only 3-6 ounces of water and a drop of soap to flush waste down a conventional 4-inch drain line.  This cuts water used for flushing by over 97%, as compared to conventional 1.6gpf toilets. 

The three additional restroom buildings, all of which are either partially or completely solar-powered, use a total of ten larger Clivus systems with dry toilet fixtures to serve visitors.  These systems eliminate the need to use water for flushing, and prevent toilet waste from polluting surface and groundwater, instead converting the nutrients in human waste to valuable fertilizers that will be used locally.  The composting systems in all four buildings are being maintained by Clivus.

Other sustainable materials and technologies used in the new construction include recycled denim fabric insulation, energy efficient lighting and daylighting techniques, and native vegetation.