Stephen Leek Homestead

Stephen Leek's Camera Conservation

Quick Facts

Amenities

2 listed

Wheelchair Accessible, Historical/Interpretive Information/Exhibits

All that remains of Stephen Leek's 1927 homestead cabin is the stone chimney. Originally a hunting and fishing guide, Leek rose to fame photographing starving elk in Jackson Hole during the harsh winters of the early 1900s. His conservation efforts lead to the establishment of the National Elk Refuge in 1912. Today, thousands of elk congregate on the refuge north of Jackson during winter seeking forage on their native wintering grounds. During summer, look for elk grazing in meadows along the Teton Park Road early in the morning or late in the evening. The heat of the day drives the elk into the cool shade of the adjacent lodgepole pine forest.

Name Origin

Stephen Leek was a cattle rancher, conservationist and entrepreneur. He settled in the southern part of the Jackson Hole valley in the 1880s. Before 1900, he established Leek's "clubhouse" on the north end of Leigh Lake and then Leek's Camp on the east shore of Jackson Lake as hunting and fishing camps. Later, Leek took photographs of starving and dying elk during the winter of 1908-09. He used these images in lectures, articles and tours to help publicize the dilemma. In 1912, Congress established the National Elk Refuge to provide wintering grounds for elk.