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Bears are active in Grand Teton
Black and grizzly bears are roaming throughout the park--near roads, trails and in backcountry areas. Hikers and backcountry users are advised to travel in groups of three or more, make noise and carry bear spray. Visitors must stay 100 yards from bears. More »
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Area closure in the area around Baxter's Pinnacle
An area closure is in effect around Baxter's Pinnacle to protect nesting peregrine falcons. This closure precludes any climbs of Baxter's Pinnacle and usage of the walk-off gully. This closure will be in effect through 8-15-2013. More »
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Area Closure in effect in the Elk Ranch area
A temporary area closure is in effect in the Elk Ranch Area to protect wildlife during the denning and young-rearing period. Follow the link for a map of the closed area. More »
Elk Ranch
A wrangler driving cattle at the Elk Ranch.
Jackson Hole Historical Society and Museum, #HS.4191.001.
Haystack eaten by elk in winter, 1930. Cattle King of Wyoming Josiah David Ferrin, nicknamed “Uncle Si,” represented the closest Jackson Hole came to a cattle baron. He ranched near the town of Jackson until 1908 when President Roosevelt opened lands in the Buffalo Valley to homesteaders. Ferrin’s wife, Edith, dispatched a messenger to alert her husband at his String Lake camp. Ferrin immediately saddled his horse and galloped east, fording a dangerous section of the Snake River, to stake his claim. Ferrin purchased adjacent properties and secured a lucrative contract to supply beef to Reclamation Service crews building Jackson Lake Dam. By 1920, his family owned the largest outfit in Jackson Hole with 2,000 cattle on 400 acres – an empire earning him the nickname “Cattle King of Wyoming.” However, in 1928, an agricultural depression motivated him to sell to the Snake River Land Company. Today, the grasslands seen from the roadway remind us of the herds of cattle that once roamed this land. How to get there: Drive north on highway 191 to the Elk Ranch Turnout where you can view the grassy fields. The vegetation provides many opportunities for sighting wildlife such as pronghorn, bison and elk. Please stay 300 feet from any large mammals for your safety and theirs. During the summer, horses from a private ranch can be seen grazing. |
Did You Know?
Did you know that Jenny and Leigh Lakes are named for the fur trapper “Beaver” Dick Leigh and his wife Jenny (not pictured)? Beaver Dick and Jenny assisted the Hayden party that explored the region in 1872. This couple impressed the explorers to the extent that they named the lakes in their honor.