Outdoor Attractions

Wildlife

Jackson Hole is renowned for its large and diverse population of wildlife, which includes a number of protected species. Spotting a moose, elk, bison or bald eagle is simply a matter of knowing where to look. Many visitors are surprised to learn that even the winter months provide excellent opportunities to view these animals.

The National Elk Refuge

Elk spend the summer in Grand Teton National Park gaining weight to sustain them through the winter, but the first few inches of snow trigger migration to the National Elk Refuge immediately south of the park. Approximately 7,000 elk (over half the Jackson herd) spend their winter on the 25,000-acre refuge. While elk are the primary inhabitants, bison also migrate to the refuge from Grand Teton National Park, passing the winter on its corner, just outside the town of Jackson. Other animals that call the refuge home include moose, bighorn sheep, mule deer, coyotes, badgers and Uinta ground squirrels.

The refuge also offers great opportunities for bird lovers, hosting about 175 winged species. The best place for bird watching is the Flat Creek Marsh near a pullout on U.S. Highway 26/89. Bald eagles, ospreys, ravens and magpies are common here and along the Snake River. Each spring, great blue herons return to their rookery at the Oxbow Bend. Trumpeter swans, the largest North American waterfowl, build sizable pond-level nests around the valley, moving to the local geothermal springs when ice prevails. Beavers dam streams creating ponds that benefit Canada geese, mallards and cinnamon teal, along with a multitude of summer and migratory waterfowl.

Visitors to the refuge can also enjoy elk hunting and trout fishing on Flat Creek during certain seasons, and sleigh rides among the herd in the winter.

Yellowstone National Park

Yellowstone National Park is home to the largest concentration of large and small mammals in the lower 48 states, including its newest inhabitants - the endangered gray wolves. Brought in from Canada, several wolves can sometimes be spotted in the park's Lamar Valley in the northeast corner, which remains open to vehicle traffic in the winter.

The Snake River

The slower moving waters in the Snake River provide an ideal habitat for numerous aquatic plants and animals. Beavers, otters and trout make their way past the occasional plant-feeding moose. Native Snake River cutthroat trout, a distinct subspecies of the cutthroat, depend on the river's natural aquatic system for survival. The trout consume aquatic insects, invertebrates and small fish. Bears, eagles, ospreys and otters in turn feed on the trout and in the summer, the river teems with diving, wading and woodland birds. During darkness, owls and other predators hunt in this riparian ecosystem.

The Snake regularly floods and shifts channels as the seasons change. These constant natural alterations allow its banks to support a diverse and ever-changing plant population, including the low-growing willows and tall cottonwood favored by moose and beavers. Spruce and aspens trees are also common, but not dominant because of the changing environment.

Other Habitats

Moose frequent Buffalo Valley, just north of Moran Junction. Bald eagles can be spotted swooping over the Snake River from Hoback Junction to Alpine Junction throughout the Bridger-Teton National Forest. More elk can be found at a feed ground on the southern end of Fall Creek Road, just north of Hoback Junction. Bighorn sheep are usually crossing the road down by Camp Creek Inn, just south of Hoback on U.S. Highway 189/191.