The story of what many historians believe to be the original mountain man of the American West, John Colter, will be celebrated June 24 in Grand Teton National Park during John Colter Day.

Several presentations will be made by rangers, professors and historians at the Colter Bay Visitor Center auditorium and amphitheater including the story of the Colter Stone, mountain men in general, the story of Sacagawea and Colter’s famous run to escape Blackfeet natives.

“I think a lot of people are just interested in finding out who John Colter is,” said park spokesman C.J. Adams. “It’s our 12th time doing this event. We have all this special programming geared toward it. It is well attended.”

Colter is believed to be the first Euro-American to travel through Teton and Yellowstone country. He was a member of the Corps of Discovery on the Lewis and Clark expedition from 1804 to 1806 and was released from service on its return through Montana territory. Colter hoped to make a living trapping furs.

“He set out on his own from a fur traders’ fort in the southern Montana territory and traveled south to present-day Cody, Wyoming,” a park news release said. “On his return, he passed through an area that is now part of Yellowstone National Park. A section of his journey may have brought him through Jackson Hole, over Teton Pass, and along the western slope of the Tetons.”

A piece of rhyolite lava stone was found in 1933 in Tetonia, roughly the shape of a human head and engraved with the name “John Colter” on one side and “1808” on the other side. The stone, normally on display at the Teton Valley Historical Museum in Driggs, will be shown with the Grand Teton National Park’s museum collection from June 21 to June 30.

“It’s for every person to decide if it’s real or not,” Adams said of the stone. “It’s a fascinating story — how it was found and given to the park. It’s all very interesting circumstances that lead you to believe that it could be real. It’s up to each individual to decide.”

Scheduled presentations at Colter Bay Visitor Center on June 24:

11 a.m. — The Story of the Colter Stone, location: Colter Bay Visitor Center auditorium, Park Ranger Dan Greenblatt will detail the legend and history of this fascinating artifact.

3 p.m. — John Colter: Mountain Man Superhero, location: Colter Bay Visitor Center auditorium, Barbara Mueller, professor of anthropology at Casper College, will discuss the life of John Colter.

5:30 p.m. — The Story of Sacagawea, location: Colter Bay Visitor Center auditorium, local author, historian and storyteller Ken Thomasma, will talk about Sacagawea, a Shoshone woman who accompanied the Lewis and Clark expedition.

7 p.m. — Teton Trapper, location: Colter Bay amphitheater, Park Ranger Joe Thompson will re-create the rugged life of a mountain man during the 1800s.

9 p.m. — Run for Your Life: Then and Now, location: Colter Bay Visitor Center auditorium, Barbara Mueller will discuss historic adventures.

For information about the Colter Day events, call the Colter Bay Visitor Center at 307-739-3594.