It looked like it might rain while we were at the lake, so we opted to hike back to the visitor center instead of hiking around the lake. The preserve was originally the site of the JY ranch, a Rockefeller family retreat. In 2001 Laurance S. Rockefeller donated the land to the national park with preservation stipulations (e.g. all buildings were removed and the land was returned to its natural state). The preserve and the eight miles of hiking trails opened in 2007 and the visitor center opened in 2008. The visitor center is beautifully done and I really loved the library (great place to visit on a rainy day). While we had visited the Tetons before, it was our first time to the LSR preserve. Lovely spot!