Pendleton reissues the Grand Teton National Park Blanket
The Grand Teton Blanket is Back
A Guest Post by Fred Coldwell – You might be surprised that our two favorite experts on Pendleton blankets, Fred Coldwell and Barry Friedman, do not actually work for Pendleton. Fred is a private collector of National Park blankets, and has spent time in the Pendleton archives to research his finds and answer his questions. Fred has also given talks at Pendleton HQ and at several store openings, where he displays rarities from his vast collection and shares his knowledge. Here is his look at the reissued Grand Teton National Park blanket. Enjoy! — Editor
National Park blanket enthusiasts rejoice! After a 16 year hiatus, Pendleton has just reissued the Grand Teton National Park blanket last produced from 1992 to 2009. It has three black/red/black bands top and bottom on a white field, with 6 black points woven across the center red band. Here it is:
This blanket first appeared in 1938 as the new Official Yellowstone Park blanket, woven through 1946.
During the 1920s and 1930s, all Pendleton National Park blankets had points sewn into their center field. The points indicated the size of each blanket. The earliest blankets had 3-1/2 points for a 56" x 74" size. Four points initially represented a 66" x 80" size while 5 points identified the larger 72" x 84" size.
By 1934, the smaller National Park blanket had increased 4 inches in length to 84" to match the length of the larger blanket. The longer 66" x 84" small blankets retained their 4 points and the larger 72" x 84" blankets kept their 5 points.
In 1938, the larger National Park blankets gained 6 more inches in length, to become 72" x 90", while the smaller blanket remained at 66" x 84". But with this latest change in dimensions, the points further lost a consistent meaning. That, and an economic recession in 1938, caused Pendelton to drop sewn-in points from all National Park blankets, with one exception: the new Official Yellowstone Park blanket. However, its sewn-in points were moved from their prior location at the bottom left hand corner of the center field to a new location within and across the center red bands, as seen here:
The 4 black points in the red bands denoted a 66" x 84" blanket and 5 black points in the red bands identified the new longer 72" x 90" blanket.
These new Yellowstone Park blankets were woven with 100% virgin wool and were the only National Park blankets to retain points after 1938. The sewn-in points remained in the Yellowstone Park blanket until this design was discontinued in 1947.
a 5 point 72 x 90 inch Yellowstone, each with a bear label.
A New Park for a Beloved Blanket
Forty-five years later, in Fall 1992, this old Yellowstone design was revived as the new Grand Teton National Park blanket. Because the Yellowstone name was already in use on a 7 thin “pencil point" stripe Yellowstone Park blanket when its older design was revived, that former name was unavailable. So, I imagine this older design was renamed Grand Teton because that national park is geographically just south of Yellowstone, retaining a close connection.
The larger old design blanket increased 8" in width to 80" but retained the same 90" length to become 80" by 90". The Grand Teton came only in this size from its introduction in 1992 to its discontinuance in 2010. Given its greater width, the black points were increased to 6 in number to represent this larger size and were now woven into the two red bands. The Grand Teton, like all National Park blankets in 1992, was made from 100% virgin wool.
The first Grand Teton used an arched National Park Blanket Series label featuring the Grand Teton range, accompanied by the current blue Pendleton blanket label, as seen here:
The 2025 reissued Grant Teton comes only a Full size, which is the same 80" x 90" size as the first Grand Teton. It retains the 6 rectangular black points woven into the red bands and, like all National Park blankets, is made of 100% virgin wool. A new suede label features an expanded Grand Teton mountain range.
The 2025 Grand Teton echoes Pendleton’s former practice of using points to distinguish the size of its prewar National Park blankets. These points also harken further back to the invention of points by French weavers to indicate the size of their Indian trade blankets. The Grand Teton combines trade blanket history with red, black, and white, in a vintage design that weaves so much woolen history into a Pendleton National Park blanket. And like all our National Park merchandise, it generates support for the National Park Foundation, to help preserve and protect America’s natural treasures for future generations.
The Grand Teton is available now at Pendleton-usa.com. Let it accompany and comfort you on your forthcoming adventures.
See it here: Grand Teton National Park Blanket
More posts on National Park Blankets by Fred Coldwell: