Bridger-Teton National Forest

Bridger-Teton National Forest Big Piney, Greys River & Kemmerer Ranger Districts North Half Forest Visitor Map 2014

In Western Wyoming, the Big Piney, Greys River, and Kemmerer Ranger Districts of the Bridger-Teton National Forest offer a breathtaking and unique environment for outdoor activities. Visitors visit the Forest for various reasons, but the most popular among them are the scenery, wildlife, recreation, and experiencing wild rivers. They’re not disappointed at all. The most popular spot for many is Snake River Canyon, which runs along the northern edge of the Greys River Ranger District along Highway 89. It is renowned for its trout fishing, the whitewater river, wildlife viewing, and breathtaking landscapes. Other popular areas comprise those of the Greys River, Hoback Canyon along with Hoback Canyon, and the Wyoming Centennial Scenic Byway.

Collaboration programs end up dying on the vine.

Reduced funds impact programs as well. At a work center of the district in Bryan Flats near Hoback Junction, the tent platforms are rotting, toilets and showers do not work, and water isn’t potable. This makes it impossible to host employees and volunteers in Jackson Hole, where rent is high, and you may need help locating an apartment.

The Bridger-Teton was planning to purchase snowmobiles to patrol winter. However, after the “fire borrowing” drained the account, they decided to scrap the purchase. This means that recreation patrols and surveys of endangered species will be cut down. To limit off-trail usage that impacts winter, wildlife habitats will be affected. Managers attempt to outdo the system. “We all try to spend the money before August,” O” Connor stated.

Personnel, facilities, and programs that are impacted by Forest Service neglect

The situation in Bridger-Teton is much more serious than the collapsed infrastructure that’s the basis of the Forest today. The impact of budget cut impacts the programs and staff. For instance, the budget for recreation in the Bridger-Teton area was $1.9 million in 2009. according to O’Connor. For FY 2015, that figure stood at $1.5 million.

“The cost of business is going up,” O’Connor stated. If her recreation account had seen an adjustment to the cost of living in the federal government over the past six years, it would have been funded with $2.1 million in the present, according to calculations done by WyoFile. It means recreation was cut in 2009 by 29 percent.

Continuing our Service to you During the COVID-19 Pandemic

We’re aware that our Forest Service offices may be operating differently due to the COVID-19 virus – please get in touch with us if assistance is required. We at the Bridger-Teton National Forest ask the people to recreate responsibly. We urge you to adhere to the public health guidelines concerning social disconnection while you are enjoying your recreation on National Forests.

Geography

The Forest comprises Gros Ventre, Bridger, and Teton Wildernesses, which cover 1.2 million acres (4,900 square kilometers). Other attractions within the Forest are Gannett Peak at 13,804 feet (4,207 meters), the tallest mountain in Wyoming, and the Gros Ventre landslide, which is among the biggest easily visible landslides in the world. All of the Forest is, in turn, a part of the 20-million-acre (81,000-square-kilometer) Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.

Although Gannett Peak is the highest mountain in the Forest, another 40 mountains are named over 12,000 feet (3,660 meters). The altitudes at high elevations and the abundant snowfall, reaching 600 inches (15 meters) in some places, will provide a steady water supply to rivers and streams. One thousand five hundred lakes are also a water source to the Yellowstone, Snake, and Green rivers, all of which have their main water sources within the Forest. Seven of the most massive glaciers that are not in Alaska are located within the boundaries of the Forest.

Geology

The Bridger-Teton National Forest is part of the Greater Yellowstone Rockies, themselves an integral part of the 3000 miles (4,830 kilometers) Rocky Mountain range that extends from British Columbia in Canada to New Mexico in the US.

The entire national Forest is surrounded by Wyoming Craton, a geologic province stretching across the southern portion of Saskatchewan and Alberta in Canada to northern Utah. This Wyoming Craton became part of Laurentia approximately 200 million years ago. It is creating the first base, which is the North American continent.

While they’re connected but the subranges of the Rockies each have their distinct geological history. They are: The Bridger-Teton National Forest encompasses parts of about a dozen mountain ranges, most of which are traceable back to Laramide orogeny.